Democracy and Z

About Democracy and Z

An educational outreach project of 91.7 WVXU

Publisher

Democracy and Me

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

10 Oct 2021

Latest episode

31 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

25 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   31 Aug 2026

   One Nation, Under Curriculum? Thomas Jefferson, Noah Webster, and Debating Civic Education

   Nathan S. French & Kenlea Barnes, Miami University Imagine walking into two American public school classrooms today. In the first classroom, students study histories of the framers of the U.S. Constitution, review important laws and quotes from historic speeches. They hear praise for national heroes who embodied patriotic values such as bravery, courage, and honesty. These students study biblical scriptures and philosophical texts to learn about the morals that informed the creation of the early republic. From these virtues and examples, they are taught that responsible citizens respect their country, its laws, its institutions, and nurture the virtues required to secure liberty. In the second classroom, students study the histories of the framers of the U.S. Constitution. They, too, study speeches and laws. But, their teacher introduces them to debates about the mistakes of past governments and the dangers of ambitious leaders who seek political power. They explore how U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens have had their rights denied by the U.S. government. They read literature from other countries about their political, cultural, or social challenges to understand how reason and logic helped to correct political, legal, and moral failure. They consider how the knowledge they gain is part of any responsible citizen’s obligation to resist the tyranny that threatens even the best of governments. Which of these most resemble your experiences? In both examples, each classroom is meant to educate students about citizenship, but are they attempting to education and form the same type of citizen? The first classroom resembles the vision of Noah Webster (1758-1843), a pivotal figure in early American political thought. The second classroom? Thomas Jefferson’s (1743-1846) ideal for civic education. Both examples invite us to ask: “If public education is intended, at least in part, to shape citizens, what kind of citizens should public education help create? And, should the study of religion play a role in that work?” Such a question faces school children, their parents, their teachers, school administrators, and legislators even today. Each time you read a headline about religion in public schools – ranging from the Texas legislature approving a requirement for every student to read passages from biblical literature to Ohio permitting students to depart school for off-site religious instruction – you are witnessing that ongoing debate over the role of religion, morality, and knowledge in public education. As teachers, parents, administrators, and students debate how best to prepare young people for citizenship and adulthood, they debate what students should read, which historical figures they should study, and which virtues should be emphasized as part of creating a “citizen” from public education. Webster’s civic education emphasized what citizens ought to believe and how they ought to behave. Jefferson placed greater emphasis on how citizens ought to reason. What would Webster and Jefferson think about our public education priorities 250 years after our founding? “Religion, Morality, and Knowledge” in Public Education A first glance at the history of the United States and the history might suggest that every Ohio student at a public institution from kindergarten through public colleges should be engaged in a study of “religion, morality, and knowledge,” as part of sound civic education. The commitment to each in public education might seem to some students to be woven into the foundations of the state itself. Consider the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which created the legal framework for the state. Article 3 reads, “religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.” In reflecting on this passage, Mannasseh Cutler (1742-1823), an American Congregationalist reverend, observed that th

2. 

   31 Aug 2026

   A student & teacher perspective on teen summer job loss: The Summer of Unemployment and its effect on high schoolers.

   In collaboration with Mr. Aaron Parker & Queen Mugeni Recent estimations by the outplacement firm Challenger, Grey & Christmas predict the summer of 2026 to be the worst outlook for teen summer jobs since 1948, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics began recording the data. Often, we see numbers like these and don’t really comprehend the on-the-ground effects this has not only on teens, but on the communities they live in as well. I bring back Aikin New Tech High School junior Queen Mugeni, alongside her teacher, Mr. Aaron Parker, to share their perspective as career tech teachers and students amid funding cuts and limited job opportunities. A Teacher’s Perspective: Employability-skills and work-readiness involving professionalism, communication, problem-solving, teamwork, financial literacy, and leadership among our youth is desired by our elected officials, business leaders, and our community at large.  This year (and summer in particular), opportunities for youth employment where these skills can be taught, nurtured, and refined are in low supply.  A resurgence in Career and Technical Education (CTE) within our schools has come from the demand for a highly skilled, highly motivated workforce that includes youth.  Work-based learning and apprenticeship programs are designed to light the fires of interest, develop the soft and hard skills, and create the resumes for our youth for future employment.  As a CTE teacher at Aiken High School, we depend upon youth employment opportunities for technical-skill attainment in a real-world setting with a goal of attaining Industry Recognized Credentials (IRC).  In past years, our Aiken High School campus would have been buzzing with as many as 40 students performing paid service-learning.  Some students would be working to prepare the school for the coming school year, while other students would be working on our Aiken Farm to provide food security for our community.  Due to budget cuts to government, for-profit, and non-profit youth employment programs, the number of students performing work-based learning at our school has been reduced to 4.  Preparedness for the school year and food sovereignty have slowed, and the impact of reduced youth employment is the diminished connections and ownership to the community in which our students live.  Furthermore, these same students are deprived of the desired skill-development and career-readiness opportunities for college, career, and civic life success. A Student’s Perspective: Youth employment is at an all-time low since 1948; this has not only affected me but friends and family members. Being able to find a good and well-paying job as a teen should not be this difficult. The stereotype that teens don't want to work or get jobs is completely inaccurate. I have applied to so many companies; I have perfect grades, I do community service, and regardless of what I do or how much effort I put in…I get offered the jobs that nobody wants. I have had friends get fired because adults need jobs more. Budget cuts have also affected my possible employment programs. The system of youth employment is difficult to engage in regard to the application process, transportation, and proper/safe working conditions. Many youth employment organizations are doing as much as possible with their budget cuts, but that has created inconsistency and uncertainty as I have sought employment. It turned out to be an unpleasant experience. I got bitten and stung by various bugs, which gave me severe scarring. What I have learned is that the only way to get jobs nowadays is through connections. Not many people are informed about programs or know someone who is willing to help; I am fortunate enough to be told of these programs. Recent studies show that youth from 16-24 have a 9.3% rate of unemployment, which is double the national unemployment rate. Two of these reasons are the increase in artificial intelligence in entry-level jobs, making it dif

3. 

   26 Aug 2026

   What does it mean to be free? A Reflection of American Values on its 250th

   As we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, a date we use to mark the founding of the Country, the one word that does not leave the popular imagination when discussing the declaration is Freedom. Freedom is probably one of the most critical words in the American lexicon. Alexis De Tocqueville, in his timeless analysis of American society, called us “A cult of Freedom”. We describe ourselves as the land of the free in our national anthem. Often, people's excuse for doing just about anything is something along the lines of, “Well, it’s a free country”. The relationship to the word is so integral to American life that we don’t often realize it exists until it is pointed out to us. The moment it was pointed out to me was in the fall of 2025, while reading The Story of American Freedom by Eric Foner. In the book, Foner analyzes the word Freedom, and the history of how it’s been used in the American vocabulary from Colonial America to 1998. Foner's thesis is that the way the United States has used the word " freedom " is not a fixed or even evolving concept, but more like a small rubber ball that bounces from group to group, era to era, and always means something different to someone else. Looking back at some of the greatest internal trials and tribulations that the country has faced, it’s important to note that all of them have revolved around a central question. What does it mean to be free? To this day, we still cannot come to a mutual answer to that question, which is why it’s the perfect thing to reflect on as we reach a national milestone. To do this, I welcomed Dr. Tracy Teslow, author of Constructing Race: The Science of Bodies and Cultures in American Anthropology, and a professor of American history at the University of Cincinnati. Join me as I reflect on the complexities of the word freedom in America. This includes how we personify it, how we use it in our retellings of our national history, and how its meaning has both changed and stayed the same in different aspects. For more, listen to the Episode!

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Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 9 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

5

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

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