AAC&U News | June 2005 | Perspectives

Democracy Lab: Liberal Learning for Strong Democracy

by James T. Knauer, in LiberalArtsOnline (April 2005)

In a recent article in LiberalArtsOnline, James T. Knauer makes a case for the "natural synergy between civic education and liberal education." Knauer, who directs the Pennsylvania Center for Civic Life at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, argues that nurturing an informed, engaged citizenry requires effort--especially in an era when public discourse is dominated by "shout radio" and "pervasive spin." "The capacities, habits, and dispositions of strong democratic citizens can be learned well by the many," he writes, "only when supported by a culture that nourishes and replenishes these characteristics from generation to generation."

Higher education plays an important role in the transmission of such democratic values, and stressing civic education in college can strengthen our democracy while also contributing to student learning, Knauer claims. Pedagogies based on deliberative dialogue, for instance, can help students "gain a deeper understanding of competing perspectives on complex public issues"--and in the process help them clarify their own thinking. Knauer points to Democracy Lab, an online learning community run by the Center for Civic Life, as an example of how effective this approach can be. By allowing students from across the country to engage in thoughtful dialogue about pressing issues, he says, Democracy Lab models the kind of civic participation that is the foundation of a strong democracy.

The full text of James Knauer’s article is available in LiberalArtsOnline, the online publication of Wabash College’s Center of Inquiry in the Liberal Arts. AAC&U’s Web site features many resources on civic engagement, including the Center for Liberal Education and Civic Engagement, a joint project of AAC&U and Campus Compact.