Today’s sociopolitical climate has been drastically influenced by the rise of digital media and 24-hour news sources. Unfortunately, a gradual decline in civics exposure in our classrooms has also contributed to an unsettling polarization in our society.

Joe Kahne, Co-Director of the Civic Engagement Research Group (CERG) and Professor at the University of California-Riverside, is fighting to re-engage students at all levels in the civics conversation.

Through initiatives like Connecting Classrooms to Congress, Joe hopes to give the next generation a desire to get involved in American democracy and challenge their own perspectives.

Join us as we discuss:

- The impact of affective polarization on democracy (4:11)

- Digital media’s influence on the civics discourse (16:32)

- A lesson in civics leadership and political word association (25:19)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- joekahne@ucr.edu

- Civic Engagement Research Group

- Connecting Classrooms to Congress

- University of California-Riverside

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