Inspiring engagement in our democratic future

At a time when our political landscape is becoming increasingly polarized, having a solid understanding of the democratic process can help you navigate difficult conversations. The Democracy Collection, a curated portfolio of clips, courses, and Teach-Outs™, provides you with a deeper understanding of democracy's role in our society. Explore the importance of civil engagement, the complexities of the democratic process, and how you can organize your community to rally around current policy and social issues.

Promoting Democracy Teaching Series offers programs and resources designed to help instructors across academic disciplines harness the momentum of each election season to promote civic learning and democratic engagement while improving their teaching practice. A collaborative partnership between Ginsberg Center and Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, Promoting Democracy Teaching Series is offered during U.S. presidential and midterm election cycles.

Dialogues in Democracy is an interdisciplinary collection of University of Michigan Press books that explore the core tensions in American political culture. The University of Michigan Press is one of the nation's top publishers in US politics and has worked with the MAM student group to curate a reading list that provides authoritative background on many of the issues in the news. With the support of the Provost's Office and libraries, all the books have been made open access, free to read and download for anyone with an Internet connection.

Join us at the University of Michigan Museum of Art for lunch or dinner with a small group of people at the Common Sense Diner. Let’s get to know each other and talk about what it means to be an American right now. The purpose is not to persuade anyone from their position. Our goal is to break bread, ask questions, and listen to each other. Let’s set aside our cynicism for one meal and see that it’s possible to have conversations with people we disagree with and see that we share the same goals for our families and communities. Let’s find a way to work together to achieve those goals together.

Tuesdays – September 10, September 24, and October 8, and October 22 on The Diag.

The University of Michigan is an institution with diverse communities, interests and opinions. This fall, the Faculty Senate Office, supported by Year of Democracy, Civic Empowerment, and Global Engagement, the Michigan in Washington (MIW) program, and the Ginsberg Center, is launching the series – Political Speech and the Public Square – to provide a forum for members of the U-M community to present informed, fact-based perspectives, and to listen to and learn from each other. In his essay, “Education as a Space to Change Your Mind,” philosopher Troy Jollimore reminds us of Socrates’ commitment to open-mindedness: “It requires that we work toward developing a sense of the world as a vast and complex place that we can, and ought to, continue to learn about for the rest of our lives.”

Join the team – Become a poll worker in Michigan!

Michigan needs more election inspectors (i.e. poll workers ) for the early voting period and Election Day. Democracy MVP is the state of Michigan’s award-winning, non-partisan poll worker recruitment program. Sign up with Democracy MVP today to get trained, get paid, and help your community run smooth and secure elections!