Democracy Dollar$
A student film about participatory budgeting in NYC schools.
civics
Meet the AmeriCorps members increasing internet access in rural towns
Public trust in the government is near historic lows, according to the Pew Research Center. Today, 35% of Democrats say they trust the federal government, compared with 11% of Republicans. But things don't have to stay this way. Through grassroots…
Teach Civics: ‘Schools should be incubators for democracy’
Often called “the father of American education,” Horace Mann argued that free, standardized schooling was key to self-governance, calling education the “great equalizer of the conditions of men.” A curriculum emphasizing the understanding of civics was core to that argument.…
Be Informed: How local news orgs are reaching skeptics
A watchdog free press, also known as the Fourth Estate, is essential for a healthy democracy. Being informed is a critical part of being an engaged citizen. But in 2024, many Americans disagree about where and what news is accurate;…
Conflict and Consensus: A Vanderbilt University Course
In this episode, The Vanderbilt Project on Unity & American Democracy blends political science, history, and currents events to create a university course that helps students better understand how democracies do and do not work.
‘Idiots,’ ‘criminals’ and ‘scum’ – nasty politics at their highest in the U.S. since the Civil War
Particularly following the Jan. 6. insurrection by Trump’s supporters, journalists and scholars have focused on the rise of the politics of menace.
July 4 is a reminder that American democracy remains a work in progress
Because of policy changes on issues like voting, the idea of who actually is represented in the phrase “We the People” has changed over time.
Why SCOTUS could become a “pointless institution,” scholar says
Growing numbers of Americans no longer trust the Supreme Court, and Stephen Vladeck argues that part of the reason is the rise of the so-called “shadow docket.” This refers to cases that are decided quickly, without written opinions or oral…
Clarence Thomas’ Long Battle Against Affirmative Action
Frontline
History, civics test scores reveal students’ shortcomings
Eighth-grade U.S. history and civics test scores dropped last year to their lowest levels ever recorded by the Department of Education. These are just the latest declines among subjects tested since the pandemic. John Yang has a look at what's…
Stream the ‘Unity Talks’ podcast
Unity Talks, produced by the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy, is a podcast featuring a series of conversations and interviews with its co-chairs—Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jon Meacham, former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Vanderbilt faculty member and entrepreneur…
Overdoing Democracy: When Politics Saturates Our Lives, Civic Capacity Suffers
'Democracy Minutes' are a growing series of short videos that explain topics and constructs important to civil discourse and a healthy democracy.