Deliberative Citizenship Initiative

Building Democracy One Conversation at a Time

Announcements

Democracy in Action: Mark Your Calendars for the Phi-Eu Debate!

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The highly anticipated debate between the College Democrats and Republicans is just around the corner, and it’s an event you won’t want to miss! Happening only once every four years, this debate promises to be an exhilarating clash of ideas, perspectives, and enthusiasm that will leave a lasting impression. 

Join us for an engaging evening as representatives from both the College Democrats and Republicans dive into a spirited exchange on some of the most pressing issues in American politics today. Covering a wide range of topics—from economic policies to social justice concerns —the debate will enable each side to present their viewpoints and engage in discussion. In keeping with the tradition of past Phi-Eu debates, this year’s event will take place from the balconies of Phi and Eu Halls, building on the legacy of the college’s first debate societies that date back to the 1800s.

What makes this year’s debate particularly special is the inclusion of audience participation. After each round of the debate, attendees will have the chance to engage in respectful discussions with one another guided by the DCI’s trained facilitators. In an atmosphere of respectful dialogue, insightful debate, and constructive deliberation, you’ll be able to ask questions about the topics being debated, share your own perspective on them, and listen to the ideas of others also attending.

Whether you’re a political advocate or just interested in hearing different viewpoints, this debate offers a unique opportunity to witness democracy in action and gain valuable insights from across the political spectrum.

2024-Phi-Eu-Hall-Debate

Mark your calendars for Friday, October 18th, when we’ll gather in front of Eumenean and Philanthropic Halls from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM EST. Bring your friends and get ready for an evening filled with thought-provoking discussions and engagement. This is more than just a debate; it’s a chance to be part of an important moment in American history, where your voice can be heard alongside those of your peers and fellow citizens.

Don’t let this opportunity pass you by! Be there to witness the exchange of ideas, share your thoughts, and become an active participant in the vibrant political discourse on campus. Click here to RSVP. We look forward to seeing you there!

A Deliberative Forum on Income and Wealth Disparities

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Poster for Income and Wealth Disparities Forum.

Income and wealth disparities are a prominent topic in American politics that raise important philosophical and policy questions. Should we address these inequalities? If so, why and how? Should a just society allow or encourage the accumulation of individual wealth? What are the potential benefits and risks associated with policies such as increased taxation on the wealthy, universal basic income, or a higher minimum wage that are designed to reduce income and wealth disparities? 

To explore these questions, Davidson College’s Deliberative Citizenship Initiative, Center for Political Engagement, College Democrats, College Republicans, Philosophy Department, Political Science Department, and Economics Departments, invite you to join us for a Deliberative Forum on Income and Wealth Disparities on Tuesday, October 29, from 7 PM to 9 PM ET at the Lilly Gallery or online. 

This Deliberative Forum will enable participants to actively engage with this important issue, first by hearing from a panel of experts and advocates with diverse perspectives on the topic. Then participants will actively deliberating with one another in facilitated small group discussions (either in person or virtually) about these questions. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn from experts, listen to the viewpoints of others, and share your own ideas about this challenging and complex topic.

The event is free but registration is required. Click here to register. We request that all registrants plan to attend both the panel and the small group discussions, which are designed to complement each other. Participants may join both in-person and online. Spaces are limited due to the number of trained DCI facilitators we have available to moderate the small group discussions. The Zoom link will be sent to online participants after they register.

Our panel features the following experts who hold a range of perspectives on the topic of the forum. They include: 

Robyn Lake Hamilton is the CEO and President of the Urban League of Central Carolinas, which is on advocating for and equipping African Americans and all underserved communities with the tools to achieve social and economic equality. Hamilton was recognized in 2024 with the Urban League Movement Champion Award for her leadership in housing and community development. 

Jessica Flanigan is Professor of Leadership Studies and Philosophy, Politics, Economics and Law, Richard L. Morrill Chair in Ethics & Democratic Values at the University of Richmond’s Jepson School of Leadership Studies. Co-author of “Wealth without Limits: In Defense of Billionaires,”  Flanigan has published in a wide range of academic journals and is a proponent of effective altruism. 

Brian Balfour is Senior Vice President of Research at the John Locke Foundation. Balfour previously worked for the Civitas Institute for 13 years and specializes in fiscal policy issues. He is the author of the book “Economics in Action” and articles including “Higher Taxes Doesn’t Guarantee Better Services” and “Markets, Not Politics, Are the Real Problem Solver.”

Sean McKeever is Professor of Philosophy at Davidson College, where he has been a faculty member since 2005. He holds a PhD in philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Co-author of the book, Principled Ethics: Generalism as a Regulative Ideal, McKeever’s academic focus is primarily in ethics, including topics such as metaethics and normative ethics.

Doug Hicks Photo

The panel will be moderated by Doug Hicks, President of Davidson College and Professor of Religious Studies. President Hicks has a longstanding interest in income inequality, one of his nine books, published by Cambridge University Press, is Inequality and Christian Ethics. Hicks received an AB degree magna cum laude with honors in economics from Davidson, a Master of Divinity summa cum laude from Duke University, and MA and PhD degrees in religion from Harvard University.

This event is a chance to dive deep into pressing questions about economic inequality, hear from diverse panelists, and engage in lively discussions with fellow participants. Don’t miss this opportunity to contribute your voice and insights on such an important topic. Click here to register, and we look forward to an engaging evening together!

DCI Publishes its Fourth Annual Report!

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Cover page of DCI Annual Report.

Four Deliberative Forums, 10 expert panelists, 15 Student Fellows, 22 Deliberative Pedagogy Collaborative Faculty Fellows, 39 D Teams, and over 1000 Davidson students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members who participated in facilitated deliberations on challenging and contentious issues facing our society…2023-24 was a busy year for the DCI! The range and depth of this work is captured in the DCI’s fourth Annual Report that was just published on its website. We’d like to share a few highlights from the report and encourage you to check it out yourself as well. We hope that it will inspire you to join the new and continuing programs that the DCI is planning for the coming year.

Page of data from Annual Report.

The year began with our second annual Fall Semester Kickoff Party and our fifth Deliberation Facilitator Training Program, which trained over 50 people in how to moderate challenging conversations on difficult topics. They included our fourth cohort of DCI Student Fellows and our third cohort of DeeP Faculty Fellows, who came from 13 different colleges and universities from across the country. The student fellows went on to host our Deliberative Forums, D Teams, Commons Conversations, Deliberating GOATs event, and their own personal deliberation projects, while the Faculty Fellows developed and taught courses that systematically incorporated more deliberation about contentious topics into them.

The DCI hosted Christy Vines, CEO and President of the Ideos Institute, for a series of public lectures, workshops, class visits, and small group discussions with students. Vines focuses on empathic intelligence in her work, and her public lecture was titled, Faith, Race, and Politics: Can empathy help bridge our divides in a polarized world? Her visit helped the DCI and the Davidson community grapple with challenging questions related to identity, public discourse, and the pursuit of justice in a pluralistic society.

The DCI’s newly re-imagined Commons Conversations series featured Davidson faculty and staff who hosted discussions on topics related to their expertise. One of the DCI’s forums also highlighted the expertise of Davidson faculty on challenges facing democracy around the world, from Europe to Asia to Africa. The DCI continued to collaborate with academic departments, co-curricular programs, and community partners throughout the year. For example, its final forum of the year on Guns in America was co-sponsored with the Davidson College Democrats, Davidson College Republicans, Davidson College Libertarians, Center for Political Engagement, and the Political Science Department.

The work of the DCI also extended last year beyond Davidson, as it co-organized the first North Carolina Campus Discourse Leaders Conference with colleagues from UNC Chapel Hill, UNC Charlotte, Elon University, and North Carolina Campus Engagement. Hosted on the Chapel Hill campus, the conference brought together over 40 faculty and staff from public and private institutions of higher education from across the state of North Carolina to connect, share, and learn about how to best foster more productive discourse about difficult political and social issues in the classroom, on campus, and with the community.

Suffice to say, it was a rich and rewarding year, and provides a solid foundation for the exciting opportunities that the DCI will be pursuing in the year ahead. Check out the annual report at the link below, stay tuned for more info about our upcoming programs that are coming soon!

Transform Your Classroom: The Fall 2024 Deliberative Pedagogy (DeeP) Faculty Panel and Lunch

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An Associate Professor in the Practice in Writing, Assistant Professor of Sociology, and Honors Program Team Lead are all serving on an upcoming panel. What do they have in common? Experience embedding deliberation about difficult and contentious topics into their classrooms!

On Friday, September 27 from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, Professors Jason Blum (Practice in Writing, Davidson), Yingling Liu (Sociology, North Central College), and Mindy Adnot (Team Lead, Instruction and Selection, UNC Charlotte) will be sharing their work as members of the Deliberative Pedagogy (DeeP) Collaborative. Through their participation in the Collaborative, these faculty members embedded more deliberation into their courses on Religion in the Public Square, Introduction to Sociology, and Labor, Leisure, Learning, and a Good Life, respectively. Graham Bullock, Faculty Director of the DCI, will also provide a brief overview of what contributes to a “deliberative classroom,” and participants will have an opportunity to think about how they might make one of their own courses more deliberative.

Over 60 faculty members from 25 different institutions have participated in the Collaborative, which enables professors from across the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences to work together on developing and implementing innovative ways to stimulate deeper discussions in their courses. 

Are you a faculty member who is curious about how you might do something similar in your classroom? Or perhaps you already do, and are interested in picking up some new ideas? Then come join our Fall 2024 Deliberative Pedagogy (DeeP) Faculty Panel and Lunch, hosted by the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative. You can join either in-person in Studio D at the Davidson College Library or virtually. Lunch will be provided for all in-person participants, but seats are limited so sign up here today!

To learn more about the Deliberative Pedagogy Collaborative, the DCI’s Deliberation Across the Curriculum Program, and the upcoming panel, check out the attached flyer, this webpage, and these blog posts by faculty members who have participated in the Collaborative over the past two years.

We hope you can join us!

Freshman Deliberation Challenge – Build the Best Democracy!

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This innovative Open House is designed for all first-year students learn about the DCI and deliberate about the key features of a democracy in an engaging series of deliberative conversations with one another. We’ll be in the Arthur Vining Davis Room (Alvarez College Union Room 313) on Sept. 5 @ 4:30 pm: Come enjoy free food, fun games, and new connections!