College campuses could be the key to saving our democracy

Education and democracy have always been inexorably linked. Thomas Jefferson, a founder of our nation and one of our great universities, understood this from the start. Encouraging a friend in 1816 to support his new University of Virginia, he wrote, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.”

There have been significant changes since Jefferson’s time, in both our universities and our democracy. The right to vote has expanded to include women, people of color and those who don’t own property, while access to universities has rapidly expanded. In 1940, only 4.6 percent of adults age 25 and older had a bachelor’s degree; now that number is in excess of 35 percent. The expansion followed the pattern of the vote, opening the door to college more widely for lower income students, women and students of color.

The link should be unmistakable — the more educated our citizenry, the more successful our democracy. Yet it seems our democracy is under attack.

From the fringe of the right, we see open hostility to the traditional hallmarks of democracy: the free press, free and fair elections, and the peaceful transfer of power. A few politicians appear to believe that they can save face and maintain standing with their supporters by brazenly denying election outcomes if they lose. And others are too reluctant to call out this destructive and selfish behavior for fear of criticism.

From the fringe of the left, we see attacks on freedom of thought and speech. Rather than using rhetoric and debate to prevail, some on this side have decided it is easier to deny the opposition the right to be included in the discussion. A rigid dualism prevails where there are only right and wrong ideas, and the “wrong” ones should simply never be allowed to be heard. And, most concerning, we are now seeing this anti-democratic behavior take hold on many college and university campuses.

At the moment, these dangerous ideas seem to be emanating from the fringe on both sides. But, as journalist John Dickerson has said, left unchecked, the fringe risks becoming the rug.

We have seen threats like this before. In the election of 1824, the candidate who won the most popular and electoral votes did not become president. In 1876, the candidate who won the popular vote saw his electoral tallies changed by Congress to hand the White House to his opponent. Even 2000 saw an election decided by the Supreme Court. In each case, the end of our democracy was predicted. Yet, it has proven resilient.

These crises passed, and perhaps our current one will as well. Passively waiting for a course correction, however, seems unwise. And our college campuses must continue to be engines of true inclusion and democracy. Naming and shaming anti-democratic behavior may feel risky for university leaders, but silence has a much higher cost for our society.

Universities can be more intentional about how they prepare educated citizens to participate in and defend our democracy. There are two key ingredients for engaged citizenry: critical thinking and character.

Critical thinking is the ability to form an objective judgement based on reason and analysis. Exercising it includes considering the source of information, comparing it to other sources and being open to hearing different sides. In other words, critical thinking allows citizens to parse truth from lies, go beyond the tribalism of negative partisanship and contribute to the compromise and understanding that links our society. It prevents citizens from falling prey to politicians, media organizations and others who profit from creating division in our country.

Character is the fortitude to maintain congruence between values and actions. We all face pressure to do the easy or popular thing. It takes character to stand up for something one believes, especially when you are in the minority. Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich calls this standing against the wind. It is not easy, but it is necessary to stand up for what one believes.  

Character and critical thinking must be exhibited in combination. Critical thinking without character is useless. To have thoughtfully discerned a position and be unwilling to stand up for it has no impact. Those without character willingly follow liars in order to maintain their status, power, or self-esteem. They do a disservice to themselves and the nation.

The willingness to “stand against the wind” without the benefit of critical thinking results in ill-informed and even dangerous action. Insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 apparently had the willingness to stand up for what they believed, but not the critical thinking skills to discern the lies coming from Donald Trump and Fox News. Likewise, college students (and even sometimes faculty) who shout down a speaker they do not agree with are substituting force for reason and dialogue — and exhibiting hostility to freedom of speech.  

There are many incentives to keep our nation divided. Cable news has figured out it can increase audience size and advertising revenue by providing echo chambers where only one side is ever presented. Politicians have figured out it is easier to throw red meat to their base than make the nuanced argument that might convince a swing voter. And gerrymandered districts and the “great sort” of population shifts means there is often no longer enough swing votes to make a difference.

We lack spaces where people of different backgrounds, beliefs and ideologies can actually talk, learn and connect. College campuses must remain one of these spaces. Students, faculty, staff and community members should be able to hear different ideas and debate them, all without creating hostility, mistrust and tension.  

Universities are places of learning, not of indoctrination. Campuses that overtly hold themselves out as liberal or conservative — and there are plenty of each — do a disservice to their students, cultures and the future of our democracy. We have to let students, especially young people, continue to interact with a variety of viewpoints. That will make them stronger, not weaker.

Ultimately, the aim of a college education is only partially about the course content. Yes, students should learn a lot in their major and be exposed to everything from physics to Plato. But, the wider design is to develop the critical thinking skills and character we will need in the future leaders of our cities, states, and nation. This gargantuan imperative is too important to allow the petty politics of the nation to infect our campuses.

John Comerford is president of Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio. Follow on Twitter @Otterbein.