The rise of populism and teaching for democracy: our professional obligations

Currently, we are facing a challenge in quality citizen participation from populism, which is bringing not renewal of democracy, but corrosion-and potentially its dismantling-from the inside. Many people are being misled by nationalist entrepreneurs who are not committed to democracy or solving the problems which the average person faces, but to their own power and personal egos. Whether the challenges come from the political left or right, democracy needs consistent and quality participation by all of its citizens. As a significant part of the citizenry fails to fight for democracy, factual evidence, and the rights of all of the people, I argue that political scientists must re-examine what we are doing inside and outside of the classroom to foster students' and communities' growth in political knowledge, democratic skills, and democratic values and habits. This essay explores three points-content, quality of information, and context-to demonstrate how we can improve teaching and learning in civic education. Collegiate-level educators can ensure that we are positively contributing to the preservation and advancement of our democracies and battling the forces that seek to undermine our democracies.