Democracy Re/Designed

FAQs

• What is the history and origin of Democracy Re/Designed?

  Democracy Re/Designed is the most recent iteration of IDHE’s decade of efforts to align democratic principles and practices with student learning experiences and institutional priorities. The original framework, published as “Democracy by Design” (2014), emerged from discussions with civic leaders working together to improve democratic structures and decision-making processes. The 2018 framework was reviewed and edited slightly in an article entitled “Strengthening Democracy by Design” (2018). In 2022, Lumina Foundation asked IDHE to reconsider the framework in the context of growing threats to an equitable and inclusive democracy. The 2024 version resulted from a year of focus groups, discussions with educators, and a review of the literature. The full history of Democracy Re/Designed can be found in Redesigning Democracy: The Rationale, History, and Evolution of the Framework (2024).

• Where can I find descriptions of the attributes in the framework (e.g., Compassion, Contested & Reinvented)?

  Descriptions of the attributes can be found on pp. 4–6 of Redesigning Democracy: The Rationale, History, and Evolution of the Framework.

• How can Democracy Re/Designed be used on campuses?

  We recommend using the framework for discussion and amendment. The idea is that all students should learn the basic attributes of a strong democracy (Contested & Reinvented, Educated & Informed, Trustworthy, etc.), and each student should complete an intensive study of a topic related to one of the attributes. The framework can also be used to guide the development of norms and principles for shaping campus climate and institutional decision making. A key objective is to use the framework in ways that give voice to students in a process of envisioning and redesigning a democracy that works for everyone. Finally, the framework can also be used in the local community for conversations about community principles and norms.

• How do I use the organizing and discussion materials?

  The organizing and discussion guide offers guidance for convening, setting up, facilitating, and concluding discussions about the framework. Following the prompts in the guide, facilitators can walk participants through the framework and discuss what they see as the qualities of an inclusive, equitable, and robust democracy. As you can see, the smaller, empty tiles are there to suggest that other attributes can be added and can even replace those in the current version. The honeycomb image suggests that no attribute stands on its own. The guide provides tips for facilitators to help the discussion run smoothly and allow all voices to be heard.

  The facilitated discussions take about 90 minutes and are ideally done in groups of 6 to 10 participants. The discussions can also be convened at once, in a larger venue, with facilitated breakout groups of 6-10 people.

• Who should participate in the discussions?

  Students. Younger generations, especially Generation Z, are so disillusioned with how democracy is currently working, that many are giving up. Many say that it doesn’t matter whether they live in a democracy, a dictatorship, a monarchy, or under military rule.

  We also encourage campuses to bring together other groups—faculty, staff, institutional leaders, alumni, trustees or regents, and people in the local communities—to participate in discussions about a better democracy.

• How can we avoid turning this project into “just talk” or listening that doesn’t lead anywhere?

  We agree that this is a risk, so we offer the following suggestions:

  • Identify and share opportunities for students to develop the knowledge and skills they need to effectuate social change. Based a decade of research, we created a self-assessment tool campuses can use to identify opportunities like leadership training programs, programs in community organizing or public advocacy, student government, student participation in institutional decision making, debate teams, facilitation training, and more. Don’t overlook community-based issue activism or service. Create a list for students and share that list with participants at the end of the discussions.
  • Contribute to a national research effort to capture perspectives. Currently, eight pilot campuses are convening focus groups using a common discussion guide and process. The discussions are being recorded, transcribed, uploaded to a central repository, and analyzed by a team of researchers for themes that will go into national publications. We invite additional campuses to participate in this research. And we encourage you to report to your own campus community on the outcomes of your discussions. To do that, however, you might need IRB approval. Please note: You need to be transparent with participants before convening them about how you intend to use what they say.
  • Emphasize the medium as the message. Sometimes talk is the action. By using best organizing and facilitation practices in dialogue and discussion, campuses can model the behaviors they want to teach for sharing ideas, disagreeing without being disagreeable, negotiating compromise, and collaboratively solving problems. For example, it’s important to make the discussions inclusive and reflective of diverse perspectives. IDHE offers a training guide for facilitation as well as other resources.

• How do I make the case for doing this on my campus?

  Refer people to the video on this webpage, which explains D/RD and makes the case for this national effort. Stress that this will only work if campuses nationwide participate.

  If you need talking points, here are a few:

  • Democracy has never worked for everyone—it is a system that leaves too many people behind economically, socially, and politically. The US should strive to be a model for democracies globally.
  • Since the 1960s, the US has made progress toward the ideal, especially gains in civil rights for people of color, women, the LGBTQ community, people with disabilities, and immigrants. Today, the nation seems to be backsliding and moving away the ideal. Multiple forces are exacerbating this reality: the proliferation of disinformation and nefarious actors on social media, an imbalance between individual freedoms and the collective good, political polarization and distrust, and the rise of extremism, white nationalism, and political violence.
  • This is not a partisan agenda. Democracies globally face authoritarian threats. The US is not alone. And there are plenty of people on both sides of the political aisle who want, and even assume that, democracy is the best social and political system for this nation.
  • A resounding number of Americans (85%) still say they want to live in a democracy, but they are not sure things can change. People, especially young people, feel powerless, distrustful, and are giving up. Or they are embracing other governing systems, like military rule and dictatorships. When people give up, it creates a void that can be filled by undemocratic forces.
  • Colleges and universities have a critical role to play. The nation lacks opportunities for people to meet, talk, envision, and strategize for a better democracy. Colleges and universities are in communities across the nation. They can serve as hubs for redesigning democracy.

• How do I get started?

  Download the Discussion Guide and follow the instructions. If you need additional information, watch the on-demand webinar—and be sure to check out the Q&A from the webinar.