Digital Commons Network^™

Promoting Critical Reasoning: Civic Engagement In An Era Of Divisive Politics And Civil Unrest, Kevin R. Meyer, Nathan J. Carpenter, Stephen K. Hunt

eJournal of Public Affairs

In this article, we advocate that civic engagement education must focus on antiracism, anti-extremism, and digital literacy in the wake of the attack on the Capitol in January. This critical turn is necessary to stability democracy, restore trust in institutions, and address the problems presented by the post-truth era.

Promoting Civic And Community-Based Teaching Practices: An Exploratory Study Of Collaborations Between Faculty Development Centers And Civic And Community Engagement Centers, James Morgan Lewing, Lisa M. Bunkowski

eJournal of Public Affairs

The current study sought to provide an initial exploration into collaborative efforts between faculty development centers and civic and community engagement centers related to the promotion of civic and community-based teaching practices. Chief Academic Officers of public institutions supportive of civic and community engagement were surveyed, and findings provided initial evidence that such collaborations do exist and can be effective. However, the partnerships may often be episodic and informal. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

The Praxis Of Realizing Election Imperatives In Trump’S America, Sayil Camacho

eJournal of Public Affairs

American democracy and higher education were not guided by the principle of equality. However, the sociopolitical history of the United States does not negate the responsibility that educators, university administrators, and policymakers maintain today. As a means to advance the praxis of civic engagement within higher education, this study details the work that was accomplished to (a) establish a nonpartisan higher education coalition in the state of Tennessee and (b) institutionalize student political learning and engagement at Vanderbilt University, Tennessee's premier research university. Tennessee is a voting restrictive state with poor educational outcomes for historically marginalized populations—this present day reality …

The Commonwealth Takes An Important Step In Protecting Our Democracy, Ashish Vaidya

eJournal of Public Affairs

Northern Kentucky University’s President Ashish Vaidya wrote an article celebrating Kentucky’s new bipartisan voting rights bill. Signed into law in April, the legislation is contrary to what we are seeing in other states and expands voting options in Kentucky. As an immigrant to the U.S. from India, President Vaidya has a unique perspective on democracy in America, and he is very passionate about higher education’s role to inform its students on their responsibility.

Vaccine Hesitancy And The Apocalypse, David M. Claborn

eJournal of Public Affairs

Some forms of vaccine hesitancy may have roots in religious beliefs about future apocalyptic events. Such beliefs engender fear of centralized governmental authority as manifest in public health mandates involving vaccines or masks. The author’s upbringing as a religious survivalist provides perspective on why some people display vaccine hesitancy. Several ways to address these fears are discussed.

Introductory Essay: Ejournal Of Public Affairs, Volume 11, Issue 1, Carah L. Ong Whaley

eJournal of Public Affairs

No abstract provided.

Democratic Isolation, Thin Citizenship, And Insurrection: A Theory, Kevin G. Lorentz Ii, Kimberly Saks Mcmanaway

eJournal of Public Affairs

Citizens are deeply cynical of the actual institutions and exercising of representative democracy, resulting in increased isolation and extremism rather than nuanced public debate and democratic involvement. Three interrelated background conditions led to this inevitable point: the erasure of political citizenship by neoliberalism, the ability of technology (especially social media) to provide perfect filtering, and the resulting fragmenting of civic experience. In this paper we outline a theory of democratic isolation that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, exploited by populist politicians, and ultimately led to the January 6 insurrection.

A Democratic Norm Endures January 6th: Congress And Deference To States’ Election Certifications, Kevin R. Kosar, Elayne Allen

eJournal of Public Affairs

Congress rarely overturns elections to either of its chambers. legislators tend to follow a norm of deference to election results lawfully submitted by states. This norm is longstanding and is the product of the Constitution, federal law, and habit. Yet, on January 6, 2021, our national legislature flirted with violating that norm and denying the presidency to Joseph Biden based upon spurious claims of electoral fraud. Fortunately, legislators from both parties forged strong majorities to uphold the norm, and subsequently reaffirmed it during Congress' review of a disputed Iowa congressional election. Viewing both these events closely reveals both that those …

Performing Toxic Masculinity During The January 6 Insurrection, Karen M. Kedrowski

eJournal of Public Affairs

This essay examines the events of the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol through the theoretical lens of toxic masculinity. While toxic masculinity is not the sole cause of the attack on the Capitol, it does explain many of the events of the day, including the large percentage of men in the mob, their militaristic dress and demeanor, and the targeting of Constitutional officers. Moreover, the essay argues that the concepts of democracy, liberty and the peaceful transfer of power are gendered female, which further explains the violence fueled by the myths behind toxic masculinity.

The Temple Of Liberty As Fort Knox: The Securitization Of Democratic Space In The U.S. Capitol, Alisa J. Rosenthal, Lauren C. Bell

eJournal of Public Affairs

In response to security threats in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the U.S. Capitol was made less accessible to the public through a series of security upgrades, including an expansion of the Capitol Police force, new visitor registration programs, and the construction and implementation of physical barriers in and around the Capitol building itself. However, increased safety for members and staff has had consequences for the important symbolic representation that the Capitol building itself provides. As Parkinson (2009, 10) notes: “Capital cities are, by design, by usage or both, symbols of national institutions, values, myths, and norms – they …

Framing An Insurrection: A Typology Of Responses By Evangelical Leaders, Andrea C. Hatcher

eJournal of Public Affairs

As the January 6 insurrection unfolded, religious leaders who had supported Donald Trump were set on a behavioral process of response or silence. Some religious leaders offered statements that largely condemned the violence, others promoted conspiracy theories about the actors involved, and still others offered a defensive response. This study compiles Twitter data of religious leaders from January 1 through the six-month anniversary on July 6, 2021, and finds that their responses form a typology from the conciliatory to the antagonistic. This typology is a useful framework to assess their immediate and changing responses in the contestation of January 6. …

Book Review Of Operation Chaos: The Trump Coup Attempt And The Campaign To Erode Democracy, Angelina Clapp

eJournal of Public Affairs

In Operation Chaos: The Trump Coup Attempt and the Campaign to Erode Democracy, Kevin James Shay tells the story of the January 6, 2021, insurrection on the United States Capitol. The book begins by describing certain events of the day, and takes readers down a path of political violence, dirty tricks, and political schemes aimed at keeping President Donald J. Trump in power. The story covers previous coup attempts, ways that President Trump began his plot years before January 6th and describes how leaders can escape justice and accountability.

Book Review: Carol Leonnig And Philip Rucker 2021. I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump’S Catastrophic Final Year, Kenneth W. Moffett

eJournal of Public Affairs

This is a book review of Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker's recently released book, I Alone can Fix It: Donald J. Trump’s Catastrophic Final Year.

Everything You Love Will Burn: The Faces Of America’S Far-Right, Benjamin H. Rao

eJournal of Public Affairs

No abstract provided.

Bent, But Not Broken: The Constitutional, Legal, And Procedural Issues In The 2020 Electoral College Vote Certification, Nicholas Kapoor

eJournal of Public Affairs

In 2016, Democrats protested in Trump-won states asking Electoral College members to vote their conscience and against their state’s popular vote. In 2020, President Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6^th demanding that the certification of the Electoral College vote in favor of Joe Biden not move forward. Are the laws, court decisions, and the Constitution itself set up to cause such an uproar around a routine item? Was the 2020 iteration of counting the Electoral College votes an aberration, or is this the new normal? This essay will chronicle the Constitutional, legal, and procedural issues around the …

Review Of The World: A Brief Introduction By Richard Haass (New York, Ny: Penguin Press, 2020), Steven Elliott-Gower

eJournal of Public Affairs

A review of The World: A Brief Introduction by Richard Haass (2020)

Civic Engagement Through Theatre: Running A Brechtian Workshop In The Classroom, Margot Morgan

eJournal of Public Affairs

This study presents an innovative active learning technique to support the development of civic education: a theatrical workshop based on the dramaturgy of Bertolt Brecht. I argue that the Brechtian workshop can develop three skills necessary for effective civic engagement: perspective taking, collaboration, and critical judgment/self-reflection, and that these skills are directly tied to the three civic values of pluralism, community, and civic responsibility. Using qualitative data gathered in the course of teaching this workshop to two distinct student populations — a self-selecting group of students in a liberal arts environment and a group of students at a commuter campus …

Enhancing Civic Engagement Through Leadership Education, Lori E. Kniffin, Sonalini Sapra

eJournal of Public Affairs

Many civic engagement courses require students to work with community members to make progress on complex problems, which in itself can be a practice of leadership. Yet there is little evidence that leadership development is strategically incorporated in civic engagement courses. Therefore, we taught eight leadership sessions over two semesters in the Principled Problem Solving Scholars Program at Guilford College. This study examines the perceived impact of leadership curriculum on the personal practices of leadership and the civic engagement for 14 undergraduate students. We present the findings through three themes highlighting (1) the shifts in the students’ philosophies of leadership …

Legislators’ Perceptions Of Public University Student Lobbying Efforts On Public Higher Education Legislation: A Case Study, James J. Krotz, Lisa M. Rubin

eJournal of Public Affairs

College students have a legitimate interest in many policy issues that affect their campuses, but are they effective in lobbying their state representatives for their interests? Elected members of the Kansas state legislature were surveyed to determine if student lobbyists were effective in influencing legislator’s decision-making on matters of public higher education policy in Kansas. Interest group theory was utilized as a lens to view results of legislator perceptions. Findings suggested that 70% of legislator participants never altered their view on an issue after meeting with a college student lobbyist. Responses aligned with partisan politics, with Democrats more likely to …

Assessing And Improving Political Learning And Engagement On College Campuses, Catherine A. Copeland, Leah Murray

eJournal of Public Affairs

The American Association for State Colleges and University’s (AASCU’s) American Democracy Project (ADP) and the Institute for Democracy and Higher Education (IDHE), located at Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, formed a three-year partnership to pilot a process for fostering institutional change to advance political learning and engagement on college campuses. The multidimensional approach to collecting information, deploying dialogues, and crafting interventions provided insight into the necessity of generating institutional support for civic engagement initiatives.

This article reviews the goals, plan, and process of this three-year, multi-phased initiative. We weave throughout the results of multi-stage evaluations of …

Accessibility As A Foundation For An Equitable Digital Civic Engagement Infrastructure, Allison D. Rank, Rebecca Mushtare

eJournal of Public Affairs

Individuals and organizations in both higher education and civic engagement have become increasingly aware of their obligation to foster a sense of belonging among students and support historically under-represented populations within their work. As part of this effort, we argue the civic engagement infrastructure—a term we use to capture the full range of organizations and associated resources directed toward improving civic engagement within higher education that stem from actors both on and off campus—must pay more attention to digital accessibility. We document this need by establishing the degree higher education institutions rely on off-campus organizations and resources in civic engagement …

Ejopa 10.3 Introduction | From The Editors, Andrew Lokie

eJournal of Public Affairs

No abstract provided.

Time To Throw Away The Old Economic Development Playbook, Hrishue Mahalaha

eJournal of Public Affairs

Rural communities are struggling to establish a sound economic footing in the age of globalization. The article suggests that community leaders consider a more expansive view on how to recraft a community north star. Based on the work that the author has conducted over the last 5 years in various rural communities in Missouri, the article also summarizes a set of key learnings and practical steps that local leaders can take to catalyze positive change.

Book Review: Unbound: How Inequality Constricts Our Economy And What We Can Do About It”, Brian G. Fogle

eJournal of Public Affairs

No abstract provided.

Intergenerational National Service By, With, And For All Ages, Phyllis N. Segal

eJournal of Public Affairs

Intergenerational national service builds community ownership by connecting people of different ages around a common purpose addressing social problems. Federal policies have encouraged older and younger people to meet challenges facing the other’s generation, and bring the generations together to serve with each other. Although implementation has fallen short of the laws enacted, experience with intergenerational service confirms its benefits for participants, individuals who are served, and communities. In addition to making progress on pressing social challenges, engaging community members across the age spectrum to serve together increases understanding and empathy across generational divides. Bridging this as well as other …

Income Predicts Fpg, But Food Security Is The Mediator, Amy Blansit

eJournal of Public Affairs

This research was aimed at studying the RISE pilot program and stability factors of low socioeconomic groups. Self-sufficiency programs focus on households moving from crisis to empowerment; no longer relying on subsidies. Gaining employment and housing alone do not create socioeconomic stability. It was therefore determined that the RISE Program should be evaluated to determine the effectiveness at ending dependency. Methods: Thirty-four (30.6%) participants were included in this evaluation. Using logistic regression techniques, sixteen items on the RISE Self-sufficiency Assessment were explored. Results: RISE participants derived significant economic benefits, and that food security seemed to be the greatest mediator of …

Perceptions Of Poverty In Springfield, Missouri: Causes, Consequences, And Proposed Solutions, Christina Ryder

eJournal of Public Affairs

No abstract provided.

Reclaiming Conversation: The Power Of Talk In A Digital Age | Book Review, Nora Cox

eJournal of Public Affairs

No abstract provided.

Creating Democratic Spaces For Addressing Racism On College Campuses: The Example Of Dialogue To Change At Oklahoma State University, Martha Mccoy

eJournal of Public Affairs

Polarizing rhetoric, racist violence, and racial inequality continue to cast a dark shadow over democracy and threaten to further divide our communities. How our country moves forward in this time is under consideration by practitioners, scholars, and everyday people alike. This article begins by reviewing the Dialogue to Change approach Everyday Democracy has developed to expand opportunities for the people of our country to grapple with racism together, across racial backgrounds, and then work with each other and public officials to create positive, equitable change at local, state, and national levels. The second part of the article looks at the …

Cowboys Coming Together: Campus-Based Dialogues On Race And Racial Equity, Tami L. Moore, Michael D. Stout, Patrick D. Grayshaw, Autumn Brown, Nadia Hall, C Daniel Clark, Jonathan Marpaung

eJournal of Public Affairs

Public deliberation, as a general approach for exploring complex issues facing geographically-defined communities as well as increasing student civic engagement, has gained standing in recent years as a civic engagement tool on college campuses.Everyday Democracy’s Dialogue to Change (D2C) approach provides a process through which participants deliberate and – most importantly – act toward change to address locally-identified issues of concern in the campus-as-community. The purpose of this article is two-fold: to describe Cowboys Coming Together, a local implementation of D2C at Oklahoma State University (OSU), and to present findings from the initial research exploring the influence of change-oriented deliberative …