As of this interview (Oct. 20), the U.S. House of Representatives was still without a speaker. What’s it like teaching this course about democracy amidst the backdrop of political turmoil in the U.S. and beyond?

Daum: I’ve been teaching American government and politics for 20 years, and one thing I know is that democracy is hard, and it’s been clear as we’ve watched our students work to come to a consensus about what certain topics mean and what they’re trying to achieve that they are realizing how hard this is too.

It really reminds you of how difficult it is to think about and engage these big issues, and in some ways, compared to current political environments, I’ve been so impressed by how these students have managed to work through these complex issues with civility and grace.

It’s heartening for me, and it gives me a lot of faith and optimism to listen to these students who have different political and ideological backgrounds come to the understanding that they have common values, and they can find solutions.

Martinez: There are plenty of examples of democracy under pressure around the world, and sometimes, we see this chaos and we turn away from it.

But through this class and for the interests of our students, we’re not going to turn away. Instead, we’re going to find ways to engage, and have our students work together to answer some hard questions about what a democracy should mean and how it will work.

At this stage, we’re unsure what’s going to happen or what outcome to expect, but watching the process itself is really, really important. We want to see this next generation discuss what their future – our future – will look like, and how our governing bodies can get us there.

So far, what have the students created with their potential democracy that has surprised you the most?

Daum: What’s really powerful is that one of the class’s commitments is to figure out how to bring non-human voices and perspectives into their democracy. That means how do you represent the interests of the animals, the land, the natural resources that also share the same borders.

They want their democracy to not just involve people, but also the ecosystem, and that is 100% something they picked up from our discussions of Indigenous principles, community organizations and governing.

Things like the rights of nature are not something we talk about in our American democracy today, and for me, I think it’s evidence of how even halfway through the semester, they’re reimagining what democracy means here in the U.S.

Martinez: In Indigenous principles and ideas of democracy, you see a responsibility to that interconnectedness with nature, not just for today, but for our future.

I think this generation of students is very aware of the damage that humans have done to the environment, and they’re thinking about ways we can and must operate differently in the future.

Because of our current conditions, students are clearly aware of inequality issues and environmental issues, and that’s likely because they’re getting a lot of information in new ways. such as social media. This course is providing concrete foundations, and principles, which include Indigenous Democratic traditions that have existed for hundreds or more years. In addition, we have engaged in meaningful analysis of U.S. democratic norms, ultimately offering the students templates, and/or possibilities, for future governing traditions that they define, engage and explore the society they seek to create.