TU President Mark Ginsberg is joined by former U.S. Senator Ben Cardin—a third-generation Marylander, longtime public servant and co-founder of the newly established Ben Cardin Center for Civic Engagement and Civil Discourse at Towson University. Drawing on more than five decades of exemplary service in local, state, and federal office, Senator Cardin reflects on the responsibilities of citizenship, the essential role of informed and respectful civic engagement, and why civil discourse is critical to a healthy democracy. The conversation examines today’s challenges—from political polarization and misinformation to declining trust in institutions—and highlights how listening, coalition-building, and bipartisan collaboration can lead to lasting solutions.