Democracy Discourse: Interactive curriculum addresses democratic erosion, inspires civic action

The Democracy Group and the McCourtney Institute for Democracy are thrilled to announce the release of Democracy Discourse, an interactive online course designed to delve into democracy, why it’s in decline and how you can help save it. Officially launching on Nov. 6, the curriculum was created with the general public in mind and serves as a primer to further academic pursuits in democracy and civics topics.

Led by The Democracy Group network manager Brandon Stover, Democracy Discourse helps students differentiate democracy from other forms of government, understand why it’s worth fighting for, be fluent in obstacles hindering democracy, and discover solutions for active citizens to take action. From students to community leaders, Democracy Discourse is suitable for engaged citizens of all backgrounds and experience levels.

Each lesson features insights from leading scholars and practitioners who offer their expertise and spearhead conversations on democracy. After the lesson, students can also participate in polls about the direction of the course as well as leave their thoughts on the materials in the comment section.

“This way we are not just learning about democracy, but having a discourse about it,” Stover said.

The first lesson “Is Democracy in Peril?” was released on Oct. 21 as part of the soft launch. It touches on the definition of democracy, the apparent decline of its pillars and the factors leading to potential democratic failure. With guides from experts such as Anne Applebaum, Robert Lieberman and Barbara F. Walter, the lesson explores the historical context of democracy’s fragility and examines modern challenges like political polarization and the rise of populism.

Democracy's Good News: How Teachers Are Creating Future Citizens

Democracy Discourse's mission ties in nicely with the March episode of one of our initiatives Democracy's Good News. This episodes highlights the importance of democracy and civics through conversations with two civic education teachers, encouraging listeners to learn more about U.S. movements to strengthen civic education at all academic levels.

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This is Jessie Nguyen, The Democracy Group's Community Manager. Here are some of my favorite podcasts this week, check them out!

Democracy Decoded: Attacks on Voter Registration

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The Politics Guys: Polarized by Degrees: The Diploma Divide in American Politics

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This episode seeks to answer these questions through the concepts of "educultural realignment" and "the degree divide." Give this one a listen!

Future Hindsight: Everybody Benefits from Public Schools: Jennifer Berkshire & Jack Schneider

Public schools play a crucial role in educating the next generation of engaged and active American citizens, and they hold so much more power and promise. Host Mila Atmos chats about the future of K-12 education in the U.S. with Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Schneider, co-hosts of the education podcast Have You Heard.

FEATURED EXPERTS

The Village Square: Tim Urban on The Village Square

Tim Urban is an author, writer and illustrator best known for his long-form, witty blog Wait But Why. Urban co-founded the test prep firm ArborBridge which is dedicated to providing one-on-one SAT/ACT prep for students in 42 different countries with in-person programming in Los Angeles and New York City. His TED Talk on procrastination has garnered more than 73.5 million views on TED.com today.

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other: Mona Charen on What it means to be conservative

Mona Charen is a columnist, journalist and political commentator. She is the policy editor at The Bulwark and host of the podcasts Just Between Us and Beg to Differ. Charen began her career as a speech writer for Nancy Reagan and later served as associate director of the White House Office of Public Liaison before working for Rep. Jack Kemp's presidential campaign. Previously, Charen served as a commentator on CNN and a judge of the Pulitzer Prizes.