Trust & the Vote was a series of events exploring the history and philosophy of trust and distrust in the democratic process. By exploring the history and rhetoric of civic engagement, the symposia addressed the challenge and balance of trust and skepticism as communities work toward sustaining democratic societies.
Over the course of the 2023-2024 academic year, C21 offered an array of programming and content exploring how trust plays a role in our relationship to democratic processes: transparency in policy decisions, civic engagement and participation as contingent upon trust, and storytelling as a means of repairing distrust.
As with all C21 symposia, Trust & the Vote included multiple points of access honoring multiple ways of knowing, allowing academic scholars, community experts, and general audiences to investigate the significance of trust in assessing the effectiveness of democratic processes.
Roundtables
Many states, including Wisconsin, have required civic education in K-12 schools. But what is the role of public higher education in shaping our democracy? What responsibilities do universities have to support and maintain our democracy as it faces unprecedented threats?
UWM’s Kennan Ferguson facilitated this conversation between a university president, a historian who challenges the economic practices of universities, and a student who has gathered student responses to these questions.
- Ron Daniels (President, Johns Hopkins University)
- Davarian Baldwin (Historian, Trinity College)
- Bailee Jones (UWM student government)
- Kennan Ferguson – Facilitator (UWM, Political Science)
The heat is up on voting – and it will only get hotter. How are emotions being triggered, used and experienced to motivate civic engagement? What has caused the partisan inflammation and what are the best approaches to cooling the emotional environment?
Kennan Ferguson facilitated this conversation between a political scientist, a sociologist and a community organizer.
- Melody McCurtis (Deputy Director, Metcalfe Park Community Bridges)
- Shana Gadarian (Associate Dean for Research, Syracuse University)
- Loka Ashwood (Associate Professor, University of Kentucky)
- Kennan Ferguson – Facilitator (UWM, Political Science)
Book Club
The Interactive Book Club expanded the scope of C21’s Trust & the Vote roundtable conversations by promoting discussion, collaboration, and exploration.