THIS ELECTION’S OUTCOME begs a response, even from a nonpartisan group such as The Civic Circle that does not endorse or oppose any candidate, party or cause.
What we do endorse is the seven “steps to democracy” at the heart of our program, which cut across the partisan divide. These include civility, truth, elections, volunteering, First Amendment freedoms, and public service — civic skills that we boil down for students to one word each: Listen, Learn, Choose, Join, Speak, Act and Lead.
A troubling outcome of this election is the dwindling percentage of Americans who appear to embrace these civic principles and even democracy itself. As Lisa Lerer noted in The New York Times, public trust “in the media, science, medicine, the judicial system and other mainstay institutions of American life plunged” after the pandemic. In a New York Times/Siena poll of likely voters conducted on the eve of the election, fewer than half of respondents agreed that “American democracy does a good job representing the people.”
We’ll leave it to other analysts to parse what this election’s outcome will mean for democracy writ large. But it’s fair to say that we may be on the cusp of a historic shift in the nation’s once-reliable role as a defender of democracy, freedom, and the rule of law, both domestically and on the global stage.
The nation’s founders knew that the public will, unleashed at the ballot box, could play out in unpredictable ways. As James Madison wrote in 1788, “a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives.”
The Civic Circle champions the power of knowledge, particularly civic learning, as a core humanistic endeavor. We spent the fall engaging students in Social Studies and arts activities that took advantage of the election as a teachable moment, focusing on how we vote and why it matters (Choose!). This included a well-attended Democracy Concert that featured youth songs and poetry, and a remarkable collective poem about democracy and voting by members of the audience.
We now will turn our attention to the first and second “steps to democracy” in our program: civility and peaceful conflict resolution, and distinguishing truth from fiction. Discussion topics will include how in a democracy, we remain respectful even when an election doesn’t go our way (Listen!). Students will also engage in fact-checking games (“spot the fake,”) and learn how to identify if a story is true (Learn!).
IF YOU CARE ABOUT CIVIC EDUCATION, and about empowering the next generation to be informed and engaged citizens, please join us on December 8 for a celebration we’re calling “Voice of Hope: Inspiring Democracy.” This is a crucial moment for our mission, and for our organization and we seek to build capacity and sustainability. Please reserve your tickets HERE. You can also visit HERE for sponsorship, which comes with free tickets and shout-outs on all our platforms, and HERE for in-kind contributions to our silent auction.
We’ll close this newsletter with a quotation from English novelist and social historian T.H. White, which speaks to the power of the humanities, and of learning and knowledge, to lead us out of trouble:
Whether this election left you happy or sad, the civic response is to learn as much as you can about how we got here, and where we ought to go next. If you would like to support civic learning and democracy with a tax-deductible contribution today, please click HERE!