| Study Finds Universities Can Promote Political Participation in Neutral Ways |
A new book, Educating for Democracy: Preparing Undergraduates for Responsible Political Engagement, reports on a study of 21 college and university courses and programs that address students’ preparation for democratic participation. The book was written by Anne Colby, Elizabeth Beaumont (University of Minnesota), Thomas Ehrlich, and Josh Corngold. All the courses and programs share developmental outcomes for college-level political learning: political knowledge and understanding; political motivation; and a wide array of practical skills of democratic participation.
The Political Engagement Project (PEP) study, funded by the Carnegie Foundation, found that the courses and programs resulted in political learning and that increased political learning does not change party identification or political ideology, contrary to popular opinion. Students with little initial interest in political issues made especially substantial learning gains.
One of those courses, “The Future of Chicago,” was developed by Dick Simpson (University of Illinois at Chicago). Invited speakers provide varying perspectives on issues and challenges facing Chicago, and students conduct research projects about a unit of city or county government for a hypothetical mayoral transition team. More than 60 student reports have been used by actual transition teams. All the courses and programs include at least one active pedagogy, have established a strong track record over a period of several years, and represent a wide range of institutional types and student body characteristics.
Citing survey data indicating a general lack of knowledge about politics and public policy among young people, the authors make a strong case for democracy education. For example, a 2006 survey of California high school graduates who had recently completed a course in U.S. government found that 50% could not correctly identify the function of the Supreme Court, 33% could not name either of the state’s two U.S. senators, and 41% did not know whether the Republican or Democratic party is more conservative. Another national study showed that 56% of young people did not know that only citizens can vote in the United States. And recent studies indicate that only about one-third of college students believe it is important to stay current with political issues and events.
The authors note:
Research suggests that colleges are well positioned to promote democratic competencies and participation, and to prepare students to be thoughtful, responsible, creative citizens. However, U.S. colleges and universities pay too little attention to their students’ political education and engagement … While many … students are engaged in individual civic service in their communities and frequently their service is connected to the curriculum through service-learning courses, most volunteer community activities do not offer students opportunities to be politically engaged.
To read highlights of the study, click here.