Conference Program

This presentation traces the post–World War II era in American higher education through the lens of its democratic commitments. The erosion of liberal democracy in the United States compels renewed examination of both the normative justifications higher education has advanced for supporting democracy and the pedagogical and programmatic strategies institutions have employed to pursue that goal. Central to this inquiry is how scholars and practitioners conceptualize the relationship between higher education and the promotion of liberal democracy.

Should higher education prioritize the cultivation of critical thinking as a foundation for democratic support? Should universities seek to reduce income and wealth inequality, given evidence that such inequalities undermine democratic stability? Should institutions encourage and facilitate student political participation, including voting? Or, alternatively, should democracy promotion lie outside the core mission of American higher education?

To address these questions, the presentation examines the mechanisms universities have used to promote citizenship and democratic engagement. These include civic and historical education, voluntarism and service learning, social innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives, and—particularly following the election of Donald Trump—efforts to foster civil discourse on campus. I analyze the underlying assumptions behind each approach and evaluate available empirical evidence regarding their effectiveness.

Finally, the presentation assesses the current position of American higher education more than one year into the Trump administration’s sustained political and policy challenges to the sector, examining institutional responses and strategic adaptations. It concludes by considering what American higher education might look like were democratic commitments treated as a primary institutional priority and will analyze contemporary civic engagement initiatives reflect competing and often incompatible theories of democracy embedded within American higher education.