'Our Towns' Authors See Promise and Ingenuity in the U.S. When Viewed Close Up
“There are cities and communities that are written about only when something happens, often bad, whether it’s the weather or crime or the Iowa caucuses,” said James Fallows, who spent many decades as a reporter and editor for “The Atlantic” magazine.
He and Deborah Fallows, his reporting partner and wife, found the mid-size cities and small towns they visited gave them a new appreciation of the resourcefulness and imagination of Americans. They traveled to South Dakota this fall to give the talk, ‘It’s Happening Here: American Renewal, Ingenuity and Innovation’ at USD and Black Hills State University. The Chiesman Center for Democracy hosted USD’s event with sponsorship from the Opportunity Center, Office of the President and Department of Political Science.
Deborah Fallows, who has a Ph.D. in linguistics and has worked in academia at Georgetown University and in internet search-engine design, told stories about the creative programs and initiatives the couple encountered on their travels.
She described art-themed projects, such as sculpture walks, that tell the history of the town and artists-in-residence who engage with the community during their stay.
One common establishment in nearly every community became their first stop when the Fallows entered a town, Deborah said.
"My favorite public institution is the public library,” she said. “Public libraries are a model for how things have evolved in communities.”
In addition to lending out books, the Fallows found libraries that took on such projects as hosting traveling nurses, managing a houseware borrowing program and helping to serve residents during natural disasters.
James Fallows told audience members that he and Deborah remain enthusiastic about the promise of local civic action.
“Civic engagement, for many Americans, is as simple as showing up and engaging in whatever way,” he said. “Go downtown and go into a store and say hello. Join an organization of any kind.”
He also pointed to the theme of bravery in Americans’ stories. He noted that many Americans have ancestors who took risks without certainty of the outcomes. Fallows encouraged the audience to take inspiration from that history. “Stand up, stand together and do what we can where we are.”
Julia Hellwege, Ph.D., associate professor of political science and director of the USD Chiesman Center for Democracy, said the Fallows’ visit highlighted the importance of community building and involvement.
“Events such as this are important because they bring folks together to learn about new perspectives on issues that affect all of us,” she said. “It’s also important for our community members to showcase our town and university to share our perspective and our place with visitors.”
The Fallows were engaged and curious about Vermillion, Hellwege added. “In my pre-talk discussions with them, I found them eager to learn anything I would share about Vermillion. It was very heartwarming to have such high-profile speakers genuinely interested in learning about our community.”
Vermillion performs well when measured against the 10 1/2 Signs of Civic Success that the Fallows outline at the end of their book, Hellwege added. “We have a great library and local paper. We have a young professional network, coffee shops and a brewery. We have a strong university connection, a lively downtown, a civic story, community do-ers, and big plans.”
In addition to the visit from the Fallows, Hellwege highlighted some of the Chiesman Center’s current projects.
The Dakota Dialogues podcast is a podcast entering its third season, titled Civics Uncovered. The goal is to hear from citizens about their questions on how government works and offer some answers through the lens of students, educators and practitioners.
The Chiesman Center’s Civic Engagement Student Awards invites students at South Dakota regental schools to participate in a team-based civic engagement competition. The goal is to foster a sense of community involvement, encourage critical thinking, and develop practical skills. Teams of 2-5 students from all South Dakota regental schools may compete for an award of up to $2500 ($500/student). Finalists will be expected to present their project at the annual Chiesman Democracy Conference on the USD campus. Winners will be selected by the Chiesman Civic Education committee and announced at the conference.
The 2026 Democracy Conference sponsored by the center takes place on April 9, 2026, and features academic, student and practitioner voices on the topic.
The latest of the Chiesman Center’s biannual poll of South Dakota registered voters, performed in collaboration with SD News Watch, was conducted at the end of October. SD News Watch has published several news articles—with more to come—on South Dakota voters’ thoughts about current political leaders and candidates for governor and House of Representatives.
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