Democracy and Politics 2022:
How We Got Here, Where We’re Heading, and Reasons for Optimism
Wendy Schiller | Brown University
In this class, Professor Schiller will present a comprehensive view of American politics, and the state of democracy around the globe. From local school boards to state governments, to the White House, 2022 will prove to be a significant turning point in where our nation is headed. From all vantage points, it seems that the pillars of democracy, including freedom of speech, worship, press, and assembly are under attack and this class will ask what it will take to safeguard them in a world that is changing at lightning speed.
Using a combination of facts, figures, and narrative stories, Schiller will argue that current commentary about the decline of democracy, equality, and participation overlook some of the significant ways that American society has become more democratic, more inclusive, and more participatory in the past 30 years. She will also discuss how the technological revolution has made life better for people in the U.S. and abroad, while at the same time presenting serious challenges to the rule of law and self-government. How will we have to adapt to balance these tradeoffs as technology continues to reshape work life, education, health care, social interactions, protest movements, and elections?
Join us for this special 2-hour lecture and conversation with Professor Wendy Schiller. It might just restore your faith in the future.
Wendy Schiller is the Chair of the Political Science Department at Brown University. She is an expert in the field of the U.S. Congress and political representation, and the recipient of a National Science Foundation grant to study party conflict and factionalism in the U.S. Senate. Professor Schiller has been a guest scholar at the Brookings Institution and a six-time recipient of the Undergraduate Teaching and Research Award at Brown.