James Madison Center for Civic Engagement: Democracy Matters

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Anthony Fauci about the tensions between expertise and democratic decision-making during the pandemic, and his advice for navigating apathy and misinformation during the next major public health crisis. See the show notes with links mentioned in this episode at https://j.mu/news/civic/2023/07-26-democracy-matters-episode-110.shtml

Germany has a history of being at the center of global debates about democracy. As Europe again finds itself dealing with democracy in crisis, this time with Russia's war against Ukraine, Minister Counselor Markus Teglas asks us to consider Europe again at a crossroads and what Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the rise of right wing populist movements across the continent means for global d...

It feels like free speech has become the number one issue confronting higher education today. Campuses are now hotbeds of discontent. Students are sitting in, protesting questionable speakers on campus. State elected officials are dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programming. So what is being done to address the campus free speech woes? Stephanie King, senior director of strategic initi...

March 6-10th is National Civics Education Week and on this episode of Democracy Matters, we're exploring youth civic education. We talk with Dr. Stacie Molnar-Main, research associate in civic education and deliberative pedagogy with the Kettering Foundation, and a school climate consultant for the Pennsylvania Department of Education about her research into elementary school's integrating deliber...

In this episode, Madison Center for Civic Engagement Democracy Fellow Leia Surovell interviews the new interim Executive Director, Dr. David Kirkpatrick and the new interim Associate Director Dr. Kara Dillard about their vision for the Madison Center and their views for what campus Centers for Civic Engagement should do for higher education. See the show notes with links mentioned in this episode...

In this episode of Democracy Matters, we speak with Dr. Laura Edwards, who is a legal historian and professor at Princeton University to discuss how she became involved in her research focused on the 19th century United States, her contributions to civic engagement, what a historian's role is in presenting issues, and her constitution lecture here on campus September 22. See the show notes with li...

What role can and should investors play in strengthening democracy? Ian Simmons, Co-Founder and Principal of Blue Haven Initiative, discusses impact investing, universal voting, foreign money in U.S. politics, the so-called wealth tax and more. See the show notes with links mentioned in this episode at https://j.mu/news/civic/2022/04-26-democracy-matters-episode-103.shtml

"Art can create the space, set the tone, to not even acknowledge power and to create a world for ourselves," says Aram Han Sifuentes, a fiber and social practice artist, writer, and educator who works to center immigrant and disenfranchised communities. See the show notes with links mentioned in this episode at https://j.mu/news/civic/2022/04-12-democracy-matters-episode-102.shtml

Daniel Beers, Colleen Moore, John Hulsey and Bernie Kaussler join us to provide historical and political context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the humanitarian and geopolitical consequences. See the show notes with links mentioned in this episode at https://j.mu/news/civic/2022/01-news.shtml

Dr. Oren Baruch Stier, Director of the Holocaust and Genocide Studies Program and Professor of Religious Studies in the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs at Florida International University, joins us to discuss teaching and learning "difficult knowledge" and what the public history of the Holocaust and its memory can teach us about civic engagement and today's memorial lan...

As part of the 12th Annual African, African American and Diaspora Studies (AAAD) Interdisciplinary Conference in 2022, JMU Civic and Furious Flower hosted a discussion on what friends and advocates of Africa should understand about democratic trends on the continent and what they can do to support democracy. See the show notes with links mentioned in this episode at https://j.mu/news/civic/2022/02...

"Afghanistan could have been a successful case of state building, but the failure of the U.S. and international community to implement accountability led to the downfall of the regime," says Dr. Samiullah Nuristani, former Head of Policy and Planning in the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. "Most of the aid was lost to waste and fraud. There is a...

"If we start creating compassionate ways of understanding and connecting with one another, then we will have the permanent motivation to live up to our espoused and aspirational ideals as a democracy," says Dr. Gail Christopher, author of the new book RX Racial Healing. Dr. Christopher joins us to discuss how we can approach addressing the effects of racism and reimagine more just and equitable ec...

"Social change cannot happen with a bulldozer. It takes moments of awareness building," says Christy Vines, President and CEO of Ideos institute. Vines joins us to discuss the importance of empathy and empathetic leadership ahead of the National Day of Dialogue on January 5, 2022. See the show notes with links mentioned in this episode at https://j.mu/news/civic/2021/12-22-democracy-matters-episod...

As part of our 9/11 at 20 series, we talk with MAJ (R) Shawn Pardee, who deployed twice to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. On what we can do to strengthen our democracy, Shawn says, "I think it's by educating yourself and getting out there and voting and taking your stance because ultimately it's us who choose the people to...

"We don't have a choice," says David J. Toscano about the critical need to bring policymakers and people together to solve pressing public problems and especially on divisive issues - from criminal legal system reform and policing to immigration. In his new book, Fighting Political Gridlock: How States Shape Our Nation And Our Lives, Mr. Toscano argues that addressing the challenges to democracy m...

More sub-Saharan Africans live under fully or partially authoritarian states today than at most points in the last two decades. In its 2021 report, Freedom House rated only eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa as free. Of these eight, half are small island states. The number of African countries that Freedom House rated "not free" grew from a low of 14 in 2006 and 2008 to 20 in 2021. Among sub-Sa...

What has contributed to the rise of political engagement among young adults? Drs. Laurie Rice and Kenneth Moffett, Professors of Political Science at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, join us to discuss their new book, The Political Voices of GenZ. See the show notes with links mentioned in this episode at https://j.mu/news/civic/2021/11-29-democracy-matters-episode-92.shtml

As the COP26 summit convenes in Glasgow to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, JMU scholars share solutions that will have the greatest impact. See the show notes with links mentioned in this episode at https://j.mu/news/civic/2021/11-03-democracy-matters-episode-91.shtml

In this episode, we talk with Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, JMU Health Sciences '05, about his experiences fighting for democracy on January 6, 2021. "These people were minutes, seconds, feet away from hanging the Vice President. Just sit with that," says Officer Dunn. He is speaking out for justice and accountability because, "People are trying to rewrite history right in front of us...Terro...

The challenges facing democracy around the world are daunting, especially as global conflicts and the COVID-19 pandemic have led to the erosion of civil liberties, the postponement of elections and the spread of disinformation campaigns. Despite global democratic erosion, Dr. Kevin Casas-Zamora, Secretary General of International IDEA, says "the explosion of civic activism globally in traditionall...

As part of our 9/11 at 20 series, Ryan Powell, JMU Sociology '07 alum shares his experiences from two deployments to Iraq. He says "Strengthening democracy truly is appreciating people with different viewpoints." In 2018, Ryan received an MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University. He currently works as a Vice President in Business Continuity for City National Bank in Los Angeles, CA.

Trigger Warning: This episode and associated images contain information regarding violence and hate aimed against Black Americans. In this episode, Stephen C. Poulson, Professor of Sociology at James Madison University, discusses his new book Racism on Campus: A Visual History of Prominent Virginia Colleges and Howard University (New York: Routledge Press, 2021). Racism on Campus provides a system...

As part of our 9/11 at 20 series, Nicolle Johnson shares her experiences from deployments to Iraq. On strengthening democracy, she concludes: "Vote. That's the cornerstone of our democracy and every person should have that vote, and in our democracy it should be the easiest thing you do. I support federal minimum standards for the right to vote."

Afghanistan has a rich history of self-determination and has long served as an international crossroads of cultural, economic and political activity. It has also been the target of imperialism, attempted colonization and intervention, particularly in the last hundred year. Dr. Shah Mahmoud Hanifi, Professor of History at James Madison University, shares his expertise on the history of Afghanistan...