2024-2025

How Davidson College Came Together to Discuss the Election Results

The day after the 2024 Presidential election, the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative (DCI), in collaboration with the Dean of Students Office, the Communication Studies Department, the Political Science Department, and the Center for Political Engagement, hosted an event aimed at helping students process the election results in a constructive and thoughtful way. The goal was simple: to create a welcoming, open space for students to voice their reactions, questions, and hopes and concerns for the future, no matter the outcome of the election.

The event took place in the Union, where around 25 students from across the political spectrum gathered in Room 900 to engage in a conversation about the election results and what the next four years might hold. At one table, the Presidents of the College Republicans and College Democrats — who had worked together to organize the Eu-Phi Debate — engaged in a respectful discussion of the results with each other and other students. At other tables, both American and international students also shared their different perspectives on the election together. As the results were still fresh, emotions were running high, and there was an understandable need to come together to reflect, discuss, and strategize for the future. What made this event wasn’t just the opportunity to talk about politics—it was the semi-structured, deliberative approach to the conversation that allowed students to engage in meaningful dialogue, no matter where they stood politically.

The Process: Creating a Productive Space for Dialogue

To ensure that the event was both inviting and productive, the organizers used a structured approach to facilitate conversation. Each table in the room was dedicated to a specific theme or topic, such as election results, hopes and concerns for the next four years, next steps – what can I do?, and an open discussion table. Facilitators, trained by the DCI, were present at each table with guiding questions and ground rules to keep conversations on track and ensure that everyone’s voice was heard.

The event was designed to allow participants the freedom to either stay in their current group and continue discussing the topic at their table, or to move to another table and explore a new theme with fresh faces. Some chose to stay, diving deeper into their original conversations, while others embraced the opportunity to engage with different perspectives, expanding their understanding of the broader issues at play.

The idea for the event came out of conversations between Graham Bullock, Associate Professor of Political Science and Faculty Director of the DCI, and Ike Bailey, Professor of the Practice in Communication Studies. Professor Bullock and Professor Bailey both agreed that it would be helpful to provide a space the day after the election for members of the Davidson community to reflect on the results and status of the election, whatever they might be.

At the event, Professor Bailey participated in conversations with the students while Professor Bullock provided guidance and time checks for the participants, ensuring that they were able to engage in ways that were most meaningful to them. More specifically, participants had the option to stay at their current table for each round or explore other topics with new people. This flexibility in format—where participants could both continue conversations or seek new ones—allowed for diverse and dynamic exchanges, reflecting the range of emotions and thoughts people experienced following the election.

Students and Professor Bailey discussing around tables

Creating Space for Reflection and Action

In the days following any election, particularly a contentious one, it’s common for individuals or groups to feel anxious, fearful, or even hopeless about the state of American democracy. These emotions can be amplified by the divisiveness of modern political discourse, leaving many feeling uncertain about the future. Our event aimed to provide a space for students to both express those feelings as well as explore how they might act on them. The goal wasn’t just to reflect on the election results, but to help participants channel their emotions into constructive conversations about next steps, once they felt ready to do so.

Research on deliberation has shown that such deliberative discussions can strengthen political efficacy, meaning that people feel more empowered to act within the political system (Fishkin, 2009). With this in mind, the event provided participants not only with the opportunity to express their hopes and concerns, but also a space to consider concrete ways to get involved and make a difference in their communities in the aftermath of the election. Whether it was through volunteering, participating in local governance, or engaging in grassroots activism, the conversation enabled participants to turn toward practical steps for fostering the change they want to see in the world. This allowed participants to focus on ways they could contribute to shaping a future they could feel proud of, regardless of their political beliefs.

In many ways, the event echoed the core values of deliberative democracy: a belief in the power of informed, respectful dialogue to create a more engaged, empowered citizenry. Our hope was to help participants leave with a renewed sense of agency—no matter their political leanings or the outcome of the election.

Building a Stronger Democracy, One Conversation at a Time

The day after the 2024 election, the DCI event succeeded in its goal to create a space for students to engage in thoughtful, reflective, and productive conversation. By offering both a space for thoughtful discussion and clear paths forward for those eager to take action, the event highlighted the importance of staying engaged in civic life—beyond just voting—especially during times of political uncertainty. It reminded us that democracy thrives when we actively participate, discuss, and contribute to shaping the future.

In the days following an election, it is easy to feel disheartened or disconnected from the democratic process. While it is important to give everyone space and time to either celebrate or grieve the results of hard-fought elections, events like this one can also remind us that democracy is not just about casting a vote—it requires us to stay engaged, have difficult conversations, and take steps, however small, to contribute to the well-being of our communities and society. Whether students left the event feeling heard, understood, motivated, or more informed, the most important takeaway was that they had a chance to participate in a meaningful dialogue that reaffirmed their role in shaping the future.

Thank you to all who attended, and we look forward to continuing important conversations about the challenges and opportunities we all face in the months ahead.

Resources

Fishkin, J. (2009). When people speak: Deliberative democracy and public consultation.Oxford University Press.

Income and Wealth Disparities

On Tuesday, October 27th at 7:00 PM, members of the Davidson community gathered together on Davidson’s campus to discuss income and wealth disparities. The 164 attendees (76 in person and 88 online) were treated to a meaningful, multifaceted conversation regarding whether or not they pose a problem to society and how, if at all, should they be addressed. Davidson College President Doug Hicks moderated the conversation that included two philosophy scholars, president of a Charlotte-based advocacy organization, and a vice president of a non-profit think tank based in North Carolina.

These experts included Robyn Lake Hamilton, the CEO of the Urban League of the Central Carolinas, a local leader in the fight to combat inequality. Davidson’s Professor Sean McKeever and University of Richmond’s Jessica Flanigan, professors of philosophy and experts in the study of the phenomenon in question, brought their academic experience to the conversation. Lastly, Brian Balfour, Senior Vice President of the John Locke Foundation, was able to contribute insights from research into economic disparities and their causes and effects. President Hicks kept the conversation among the panelists focused on meaningful exchange of ideas and explorations of the disagreements that further illuminated the issue for those in attendance.

The event was co-sponsored by Davidson College’s Deliberative Citizenship Initiative, Center for Political Engagement, College Republicans, College Libertarians, College Democrats, Economic Department, Philosophy Department, and Political Science Department. Representatives from each of the student political organizations were present for the deliberative half of the evening.

The innovative and successful “round table” format, where the panelists discussed the issue around a table on a stage surrounded by the audience, once again proved to be the most engaging and accessible way to draw the audience into the conversation being held before them. The conversation was recorded with a 360 degree video camera, called the “Meeting Owl,” that was placed on the table the panelists were sitting at for those participants who joined over Zoom. The recording can be viewed by clicking play on the video icon below.

After the hour-long discussion came to a close, participants turned to each other to continue the discussion. At tables of 6-8 people that included residents of the community, students, faculty, and alumni, trained DCI facilitators led discussions on the topic, aided by a deliberation guide designed specifically for this event. The guide offered supplemental materials to the conversation to ensure each participant had necessary background knowledge to engage constructively in their group’s conversations.

These conversations were not an end but the beginning of a long journey the participants have begun to become more comfortable with the disagreement such a complex issue inspires. Participants were more than willing to engage and came away deeply satisfied with their experience. Julio Ramirez, a Davidson College professor who attended the forum, said that the forum provided a “deep assessment of a complex problem from multiple perspectives” and was an “outstanding experience.” See comments from other participants about their experience below:

“Not only are the discussion guides balanced and educational, but the facilitated small group deliberations are also such a breath of fresh air and source of hope amidst our current polarization and paucity of thoughtful discussions across differences.”
“In these fractious times, it is not just refreshing but also life-affirming to be able to take part in discussion of tough issues with no easy answers, with people are intent not on “scoring points” but on working together to solve problems. Beats hell out of watching TV or playing video games.”
“The Deliberative Forum is exactly the type of civic exercise we need right now to practice healthy discourse and “lean in” to the most important issues that will decide our future as world-citizens. Today’s event put the DCI’s goals into action. The panel and the small-group discussion inspired me to dig deeper into this topic and to find ways to take action.”

Check out the video recording of the panel discussion below as well as the event’s deliberation guide.

DCI-Income-and-Wealth-Disparities-Deliberation-Guide_-Fall-2024

Deliberative Pedagogy in Action: Highlights from the Annual DeeP Collaborative Workshop

On August 8th, we kicked off our fourth installment of the Deliberative Pedagogy (DeeP) Faculty Collaborative with our annual DeeP Collaborative Orientation Workshop. This year’s cohort brings together 18 new faculty collaborators who specialize in over 13 different academic disciplines, including anthropology, biology, communication studies, economics and business, health sciences, Hispanic studies, history, mathematics, natural sciences, political science, psychology, sociology, and writing.

They also come from 14 different institutions, including Colorado College, Davidson College, Denison University, Drexel University, Furman University, Hendrix College, Johnson C. Smith University, North Carolina A&T State University, Rhodes College, Rollins College, Sewanee: The University of the South, The University of Texas at San Antonio, Western Carolina University, and Wingate University.

The goals of this workshop were to introduce our new Collaborative members to the key principles and practices of deliberative pedagogy, to build community among the cohort members—who will be working together over the coming academic year—and to begin mapping out their goals for the fall semester, during which they will explore how they will apply deliberative pedagogy to their future courses.

DCI Faculty Director Dr. Graham Bullock led the workshop, using both active learning and deliberative strategies to introduce the motivations for using deliberative pedagogy practices, the most relevant concepts and frameworks, specific deliberative teaching methods and tools, and case studies of deliberation-involved courses.

What is deliberative pedagogy? In short, deliberative pedagogy is a teaching practice that involves the use of structured deliberative activities to teach learners how to express different viewpoints about an issue or approaches to a problem, how to evaluate these viewpoints or approaches critically, and how to identify both areas of agreement and disagreement through the course of their deliberative discussions.

The key to practicing deliberative pedagogy well is to setup deliberations in the classroom so that they include multiple viewpoints on the issue at hand, allow all voices to be heard, and promote the assessment of arguments for and against the variety of viewpoints on the table. One way to do so is by introducing conversation agreements, or ground rules for good discursive practices. Another way is to have a facilitator present who can ensure the deliberation represents multiple viewpoints and voices. (Want to learn how to become a trained facilitator for deliberative events in OR out of the classroom? Learn more about our upcoming Deliberation Facilitator Training Program here!)

Deliberative pedagogy is also connected to the concept of deliberative democracy, a type of democratic engagement in which reason-giving – broadly-defined – is used as a means for citizens to make progress on practical issues facing their community.

Some of the lively discussions among our faculty cohort members focused on how deliberative pedagogy can be employed beyond courses that focus explicitly on public policy, including courses in the arts and the sciences. Groups also discussed how deliberative pedagogy can be a form of inclusive pedagogy and how faculty can navigate the apparent tension between affirming our lived experiences as individuals while assessing reasons for and against policy decisions that impact those experiences.

Others discussed whether or in what circumstances instructors should remain neutral during debates about normative issues that do not have straightforward answers and about which there can be reasonable disagreement among deliberators. None of these questions have easy answers, but we look forward to diving deeper with our ’24-’25 DeeP Collaborative cohort on these and other important topics in the coming year. Look out for blog posts from this year’s participants next year, once they have begun applying what they have taken from our interactive learning sessions in the fall to their various teaching contexts.

Fall 2024 Facilitator Training

On September 7th and September 14th, the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative launched its annual Deliberation Facilitator Training at the Jay Hurt Hub for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Davidson College. These trainings empower students, staff, faculty, and community members to become skilled facilitators of both formal and informal deliberations. Participants who complete the training become DCI certified facilitators, opening the door for participants to facilitate the DCI’s Deliberative Forums. This 8-hour training, spread over two days, enhances participants’ ability to facilitate meaningful discussions on political and social issues among deliberators with diverse perspectives.

This year, we welcomed a wide-ranging group of participants, with 21 joining us online and 33 attending in person. Our attendees included DCI Fellows, Davidson students, faculty, staff, and engaged community members, each bringing unique perspectives and experiences to the table. This rich mix fostered an inclusive environment that encouraged meaningful dialogue and collaboration throughout the training.

During the first session, Dr. Graham Bullock guided participants through the essentials of setting up and preparing for deliberation. We were thrilled to invite Senior Fellows to facilitate a mock deliberation using our Deliberation Guide on Free Speech and Inclusion. This hands-on experience allowed trainees to observe how seasoned facilitators navigate challenging conversations on contentious topics. Participants took on the role of deliberators in the mock deliberation, sharing their thoughts and experiences on free speech and inclusion while also engaging in some role-playing activities. The collaborative atmosphere fostered a deeper understanding of the importance of empathy and respect in facilitating difficult discussions.

The following weekend, Dr. Bullock equipped our trainees with vital skills for facilitating tough discussions on contentious issues. Participants engaged in a gamified training experience that highlighted methods and tools outlined in the Deliberation Facilitator’s Handbook, making the learning process both interactive and enjoyable. They then practiced their newly acquired skills in a mock deliberation utilizing the DCI’s deliberation guide on Immigration, where they stepped into a facilitator role to explore diverse perspectives and motivate conversation. This immersive practice allowed trainees to build confidence and refine their facilitation techniques in a supportive environment.

The training concluded with a spirited reception, both virtual and in person, where participants had the chance to connect and build community over food and refreshments. We are immensely grateful for the time spent with all our trainees over these two weekends and are excited to see how they will apply their new skills to foster meaningful conversations within their communities. We warmly welcome them into our community of deliberation advocates, who are deeply committed to strengthening our democracy.

We invite all those interested in building a better democracy, one conversation at a time, to keep an eye out for future Deliberation Facilitator Trainings. We would love to welcome you to our community!

Bridging Theory and Practice: Reflections from the Fall DeeP Collaborative Panel

On Friday, September 27, an engaged group of 20 faculty members, professional staff, and community members from various universities and colleges gathered for the Fall 2024 DeeP Collaborative Panel to explore the integration of deliberation into higher education classrooms. Professors Jason Blum (Davidson), Yingling Liu (North Central College), and Mindy Adnot (UNC Charlotte) shared their insights and experiences as part of the Deliberative Pedagogy (DeeP) Collaborative.

These educators are not only experts in their fields—Writing, Sociology, and Honors Program Leadership—but they also bring a wealth of experience in fostering discussions around complex topics in their classrooms. Each panelist discussed their unique approaches in courses such as Religion in the Public Square, Introduction to Sociology, and Labor, Leisure, Learning, and a Good Life.

To start off the event, Graham Bullock, Faculty Director of the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative, provided a brief overview of what constitutes a “deliberative classroom.” Attendees also engaged in discussions on how to implement these strategies in their own teaching practices.

Here is what our panelists had to say about their involvement in the DeeP Collaborative:

“[The] DeeP Collaborative is really great for bringing new stuff into the classroom. No matter where you are, in disciplinary terms, I think it can be super useful.” – Jason Blum

“The training, the reading, the materials were great, the cohort, and the exposure to other people’s pedagogical ideas and innovations. It was all wonderful.” – Mindy Adnot

“I will say my experience was very rewarding and given that I wasn’t sure how it was going to play out with my school situation. I think it all worked out well. I would definitely recommend to others.” – Yingling Liu

Are you a faculty or professional staff member eager to enhance deliberative practices within your courses? We invite you to explore our DeeP Collaborative program, designed to empower educators like you to cultivate meaningful discussions and engagement among students. This is a fantastic opportunity to deepen your skills and transform your teaching methods. Be sure to keep an eye out for next year’s application process; we would love to have you join us in this initiative. Your involvement can play a crucial role in fostering a more interactive and thoughtful learning environment that benefits both you and your students.

Due to inclement weather associated with Hurricane Helene, the panel was held online over Zoom. You are welcome to check out the recording of the event below.