Big Ideas &
Civic Education

We discuss the foundational lies of the Lost Cause, the organic nature of more recent lies, and the constant vigilance necessary to defend democracy.

We discuss the concept of deliberative representative democracy by ordinary citizens, which means representing and being represented in turn.

We discuss the role of schools to form effective citizens in our democracy. It’s necessary to prioritize the teaching of our history and our government.

We discuss  the dangers of book bans and censorship, the power of civic action on the local level, and the intersection of libraries and human rights.

We discuss the promise of radical liberalism to deliver equal freedom for all.

We discuss deliberative polling as a way to assess the will of the people and then to make it consequential. This is what democracy is all about.

We discuss the history of citizenship schools, their profound importance in the Civil Rights Movement, and the critical lessons they offer for our present moment with Elaine Weiss.

We discuss the influence of Karl Marx in American politics and the continued relevance of Marxism today.

We discuss the power and the promise of public schools, the universal rejection of book bans by parents across the country, and an inclusive vision for democracy.

Danielle Allen is the author of Justice By Means of Democracy. She is also the James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University and Director of the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation at Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. We discuss power sharing liberalism as a new paradigm in the practice of democracy.