Recent elections and the January 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol insurrection have underscored worrisome trends in the present state of our democracy: the extreme polarization of the electorate, the dismissal of people with opposing views, and the widespread acceptance and circulation of one-sided and factually erroneous information. Only a small proportion of those who are eligible actually vote, and a declining number of citizens actively participate in local community activities.
In Flunking Democracy, Michael Rebell makes the case that this is not a recent problem, but rather that for generations now, America’s schools have systematically failed to prepare students to be capable citizens. In the book and in this interview, he specific recommendations for how the courts can and should address this deficiency. He also talks about his efforts to make those ideas a reality — including petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court later this year.
Rebell is executive director of the Campaign for Education Equity, executive director of the National Access Network, professor of law and educational practice at Teachers College, Columbia University, and adjunct professor of law at Columbia Law School.
Additional InformationCook v. McKee - the case Rebell and his colleagues are taking to the U.S. Supreme court
Center for Educational Equity at Columbia University
Flunking Democracy: Schools, Courts, and Civic Participation
Related EpisodesPublic schools, not government schools
Citizenship, patriotism, and democracy in the classroom
Public health depends on the Census
Free and fair elections during a pandemic
COVID-19 exposes democracy’s tensions
Populism is not a monolith
Swamp Stories: Cashing In
The promise and peril of early voting
Breaking down Black politics
Does Congress promote partisan gridlock?
How states are working to keep your vote safe
Primaries, parties, and the public
The connective tissue of democracy
How the Tea Party and the Resistance are upending politics
A 2020 preview
Grassroots organizing to “reboot” democracy [rebroadcast]
E.J. Dionne on making America empathetic again [rebroadcast]
Is it possible to overdo democracy?
Chris Beem on democratic humility and virtues
Next-generation democracy
The democracy rebellion happening in states across the U.S.
A roundtable on impeachment, institutions, and legitimacy
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
City Manager Unfiltered
Potencial Americano
The ASIC Podcast
The Chris Plante Show
Red Eye Radio