Trust the Vote is 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 addresses 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 will offer 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 will include 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.