Democracy Works

A summer of the individual vs. the common good


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We're back after our summer break. Michael, Chris, Candis, and Jenna catch up on what happened over the summer, from COVID vaccine mandates to school board chaos to the refugee crisis in Afghanistan. The underlying theme of it all is one of democracy's central tensions — the collective vs. the individual. 

The tension between individual liberty and the common good plays itself out in America's COVID response, debates over how race and history are taught in schools, and how we respond to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. We discuss all of those issues this week and reflect on what our responsibilities are as democratic citizens. 

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Chris Beem in The Conversation: Why refusing the COVID-19 vaccine is immoral and un-American

Candis Watts Smith in The Fulcrum: Experts fear ban on critical race theory could harm civics education

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Democracy WorksBy Penn State McCourtney Institute for Democracy

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