Saving Democracy Together: A Response to the Present Moment

APA2285.02

Terms Spring 2026 Saving Democracy Together: A Response to the Present Moment

Course Description

Summary

This Module will build on the work that was started in 2024 in a CAPA Public Policy Forum. We will be working with a comprehensive proposal on how to engage the public with the challenges we are facing right now maintaining our current democratic structures and imagining how to embolden and strengthen democratic freedoms in the future. We will be mainly focusing on the U.S. but we will also look at local, regional and international democratic structures. Three main topics will be explored:

The Social Contract in Practice

A healthy democracy depends on citizens who are informed about democratic values and institutions, supported by a sustainable environment and fair economic systems.

Media, Communication, and Democratic Trust

A functioning democracy requires a well-informed public and a free, ethical press. Media literacy and responsible journalism are essential to counter misinformation and to sustain civic trust. Artists have a vital role in the communication and expression of democratic values.

Pluralism and Democratic Belonging

The American experiment has always been shaped by immigration, diversity, and ongoing negotiation over belonging. From its founding, the United States has been influenced by people from many parts of the world, and the tensions associated with settlement, exclusion, and inclusion are central to American history. Educating future voters in this history is essential to understanding how democratic identity has been formed and contested over time. What provides us with the largest tent possible for a democracy?

Students will be expected to be in person but we will bring in our CAPA online participants from around the country for three sessions.

Course dates: April 9, 13, 16, 20, 23, & 27