The Democracy Commitment (TDC) committee at 好色先生 has planned several virtual fall events around important social and electoral issues. All events will be held via WebEx and are open to anyone.
鈥淒emocracy doesn鈥檛 take a timeout when life gets tough. We, simultaneously, are living through a pandemic, the highest unemployment in generations and widespread social unrest, so I think it鈥檚 become much more tangible that what government does or doesn鈥檛 do really matters. I think it matters more now than ever to improve civic literacy and citizen participation,鈥� said Kevin Navratil, associate professor of political science and Moraine Valley鈥檚 Democracy Commitment coordinator.
This semester the programming is focused on election-related events, as only one out of every eight semesters has a presidential election.
鈥淎dditionally, many have argued this is one of the most important elections in generations, so I wanted to have events that explained the Electoral College and key races in the 2020 election, and to consider the potential implications of this election on both domestic and foreign policy,鈥� Navratil said.
TDC events will be:
- Wednesday, Sept. 16, 11 a.m.-noon With concern over the COVID-19 pandemic dominating society, political science and history faculty members will discuss how the U.S. has grappled with past disease outbreaks such as Yellow Fever and Spanish Flu, how Americans coped and how governments sought to combat the threats of disease.
- Tuesday, Oct. 20, 9:30-10:45 a.m. Navratil will discuss why the Electoral College was created, the process of electing the president, and benefits and drawbacks of this electoral system versus electing the president by a nationwide popular vote.
- Tuesday, Oct. 27, 9:30-10:45 a.m. Political science professors will discuss the 2020 presidential, House and Senate races, and the Graduated Income Tax Amendment.
- Tuesday, Nov. 10, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Political science professors will discuss the implications of the 2020 results on domestic and foreign policy.
