A newly published guide from the American Academy of Arts & Sciences aims to help higher education institutions prepare young people for engagement in the democratic process. Political scientist David Campbell, who directs the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative, led the group of university presidents, faculty, and civic experts who developed the publication, titled Preparing Students for Civic Life: A Guide for Higher Education Leaders.
The publication is released at a time when young people’s distrust in American institutions and democracy is declining. Higher education leaders recognize that this issue must be addressed, as civic engagement improves student success and community well-being. But actually fixing the problem can be difficult.
“To paraphrase the old saying, civic education is like the weather: Everybody talks about it, but hardly anybody does anything about it,” Campbell said. “Now education leaders know what to do.”
“Notre Dame can be a national leader in democratic education for our students. Let us demonstrate that it is possible to disagree agreeably, and to be engaged without being polarized.”
The report outlines concrete ways colleges and universities can embed democratic values into every part of their campuses, from curriculum to culture. Key strategies — like building community partnerships and connecting civics to every major — show institutions how to turn their students into active, engaged, and informed citizens. The publication’s team of experts illustrate the effectiveness of these strategies with case studies from a variety of institutions, including Stanford University and The Ohio State University.
Campbell, who is the Packey J. Dee Professor of American Democracy in the Department of Political Science, came to the project already an expert on civic and political engagement among young people. Last year, he co-wrote a book with Christina Wolbrecht on the subject titled See Jane Run: How Women Politicians Matter for Young People. His work also appears in various scholarly journals, including the American Political Science Review and Journal of Politics, and his book American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us won the American Political Science Association’s award for the Best Book on Government, Politics, or International Affairs.
Through his leadership in both the Academy publication and the Democracy Initiative, Campbell amplifies Notre Dame’s voice in nationwide conversations about the future of the United States.
“Notre Dame can be a national leader in democratic education for our students,” Campbell said. “Let us demonstrate that it is possible to disagree agreeably, and to be engaged without being polarized.”
