Can Higher Education Help Renovate American Democracy?

Surveys show that trust in one another and key institutions, such as government, media, and the courts, has reached historic lows in the U.S. At the same time, hyper-partisan polarization has escalated rapidly over the past 40 years, while participation in large-scale civic institutions and volunteering rates have declined. A host of new campus initiatives offer promising pathways for higher education to reassert its vital role in strengthening democracy by engaging students’ civic learning and supporting their development as civic actors.

On October 18, you’re invited to join a webinar highlighting these innovative efforts, with moderator Danielle Allen and panelists John Bridgeland, Cecilia Muñoz, Rajiv Vinnakota, and Jenna Storey.

This event is co-sponsored by the Democratic Knowledge Project.

Speakers include:

• John Bridgeland, Executive Chairman of the Office of American Possibilities; Co-Chair and Chief Executive Officer of More Perfect
• Cecilia Muñoz, Co-Chair of the Office of American Possibilities and More Perfect and Former Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council for President Barack Obama
• Rajiv Vinnakota, President of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars
• Jenna Storey, Senior Fellow in Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI)
• Danielle Allen (Moderator), James Bryant Conant University Professor and Director of the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation

About the Speakers

John Bridgeland is co-author with Allen and Muñoz of the recent article “Can Higher Education Help Renew American Democracy?” He is the Executive Chairman of the Office of American Possibilities; co-chair and Chief Executive Officer of More Perfect; a former Director of the White House Domestic Policy for President George W. Bush; and a former member of the White House Council for Community Solutions for President Barack Obama. 

Cecilia Muñoz is co-author with Allen and Bridgeland of the recent article “Can Higher Education Help Renew American Democracy?” She is co-chair of the Office of American Possibilities and More Perfect and is former Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council for President Barack Obama. Muñoz is a national leader in public policy and public interest technology with over three decades of experience in the nonprofit sector and eight years of service on President Obama’s senior team. 

Rajiv Vinnakota is President of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, whose initiative College Presidents for Civic Preparedness, includes nearly 80 members representing 530,000 students. He co-chairs the Civics and Civic Engagement Task Force for the United States Congress Semiquincentennial Commission (America’s 250th anniversary) and previously served as Executive Vice President of the Aspen Institute and Founder of the SEED Foundation. 

Jenna Storey is co-author of “Civic Thought: A Proposal for University-Level Civic Education” and a senior fellow in Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where she concentrates on political philosophy, civil society, classical schools, and higher education. She is co-organizer of a conference series on the future of the American university, a research fellow at the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin, and a Tocqueville scholar at Furman University.

Event Details

This event is online-only and registration is required. A recording will be made available after the event’s conclusion.

The Ash Center encourages individuals with disabilities to participate in its events. Should you wish to enquire about an accommodation, please contact our events team at info@ash.harvard.edu.