Democracy

University Initiative

William & Mary will lead essential efforts to practice and promote democratic ideals in the pursuit of a more perfect union.

At a time when our country is deeply divided, we have the opportunity to rediscover the ideals that make pluralistic democracies strong. W&M has played a pivotal role in shaping democracy since the founding of the United States. As we prepare for our country’s 250th anniversary, W&M will ensure that our nation’s origin stories are expansive, honest and that they unite us in a commitment to knowledge as a public good. By studying, teaching and illuminating the rights and obligations of 21st-century citizenship, the Alma Mater of the Nation is uniquely positioned to ensure that democratic ideals thrive for generations to come.

Committee chairs: [[clcooper,Carrie Cooper]], Dean of University Libraries and [[vmambl,Ginger Ambler]], Senior Vice President for Student Affairs & Public Safety

Toward 'A More Perfect Union'

William & Mary is modeling how to study, teach and illuminate the rights and obligations of 21st-century citizenship.

W&M Better Arguments

The Democracy Initiative and William & Mary staff storytellers outline how adopting Better Arguments' five principles have improved their ability to work, and live, with others.

Democracy Initiative Podcast

A special series designed to explore issues related to democracy, the William & Mary Democracy Initiative Podcast dives into the compelling ways democracy intersects with the other pillars of our Vision 2026 strategic plan - data, water and careers.

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Democracy Initiative News

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Democracy Update

Students at William & Mary today advance a centuries-old tradition of passionate civil engagement. The university has long led the nation in student voter registration. Grounded in that bedrock, in 2021, William & Mary launched a Better Arguments curriculum – led by students, faculty, and staff – that serves as a national model for building community across differences. (Our broader campus community enthusiastically joined in, including over 70% of W&M faculty, staff and leadership boards in the past year.) We recognize that it is the role of a great university to hold open space for respectful dissent, so we can grow in understanding together. At William & Mary, we walk this talk, as you can learn from our stories and updates.

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Pride Points

Top program in U.S. Colonial History

William & Mary's graduate program in United States Colonial history ranks first in the country.
Founding of Our Democracy

W&M was instrumental in the founding of our democracy – both the best and worst of that origin story happened here. We are united in the commitment to tell our nation's origin stories fully and honestly.
W&M's Reconciliation

The Williamsburg Bray School Project, Brafferton anniversary, Lemon Project, and more are yielding unique and powerful discoveries.
Dialogue and Shared Inquiry

W&M's student/faculty ratio creates robust opportunities for dialogue and shared inquiry – about democratic institutions in the U.S. and globally.

Goals:

Elevate W&M’s voice in local, national and global conversations to uphold the democratic ideals and institutions in the 21st century.
Generate and disseminate research that fosters reconciliation, produces inclusive histories and models ways to engage local communities in this endeavor.
Strengthen W&M academic offerings through better integration of civics education, American history and worldwide democracy in the student experience, thereby attracting new and more diverse cohorts of students.
Partner with Indigenous and Black descendent communities, and the entire W&M community, to create a model for a more inclusive and just society.

Targets:

Connect expertise and academic initiatives across W&M that enhance the study of democracy and the practice of civil discourse.
Convene leading democratic thinkers, activists and practitioners — both physically and virtually — to engage the university and broader community in exploring relevant issues.
Cultivate local relationships and partnerships to develop deep human connections that engender genuine, robust dialogue and respectful debate.
Collaborate with community leaders to position the city of Williamsburg and the region as a hub for commemoration and generation of inclusive democracy leading up to and following the 250th anniversary of 1776.

Actions:

Invest in research conducted by the Lemon Project, Williamsburg Bray School Project, Brafferton Legacy, Highland, Omohundro Institute and others, to expand our nation’s origin story in an inclusive way.
Partner with the Aspen Institute’s Better Arguments Project to become a higher education model for advancing democracy and practicing civil discourse.
Integrate training in civil discourse into the Student Affairs STEP program.
Create new curricular and programmatic opportunities to immerse students, alumni and the public in the history and practice of democracies around the world.
Capitalize on the W&M Washington Center’s location and connections to generate new opportunities for students, faculty and alumni related to policy, social justice and law-making in our nation’s capital.
Expand the successful National Institute of American History and Democracy (NIAHD) to engage larger and more diverse cohorts of learners.
Showcase Williamsburg’s and the commonwealth’s centrality in the national conversation on democracy via a series of conferences in partnership with the Omohundro Institute and Colonial Williamsburg.
Building on the work of the Presidential Council for Community Partnerships, expand community-engaged research and opportunities for dialogue with local leaders and organizations in the region.

Support the Democracy Initiative

For further information about this initiative and ways to support the effort, please contact:

Suzie Armstrong '93, Assistant Vice President for Development, Campus Initiatives
757-221-7647
[[smarmstrong]]

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