Stanford has been educating students for engaged citizenship since 1885. Today, civic participation and constructive dialogue are woven into the campus fabric.
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Courses offered each year that deepen understanding of democratic life
Student groups promoting civic engagement, shaping public policy, and preparing future political leaders
Internships available in government and civil society, giving students hands-on experience in public policy and community organizing
The university’s founding charter established a fundamental civic purpose that lives on today, through curriculum, research, student organizations, and institutional initiatives.
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“Its purposes, to promote the public welfare by … teaching the blessings of liberty regulated by law, and inculcating love and reverence for the great principles of government as derived from the inalienable rights of man to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Stanford Founding Grant
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In 1923, Stanford introduced its first required class to its incoming frosh: Problems of Citizenship. The course was part of a series of changes that have shaped what undergraduate education at Stanford looks like today.
ePluribus Stanford, a provostial initiative whose name draws from the national motto “E Pluribus Unum,” meaning “from many, one,” coordinates research, training, and programming to strengthen the skills required for engaged citizenship and constructive dialogue across our campus community.
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ePluribus Stanford is a new, university-wide initiative to bolster civic engagement and constructive dialogue across the student experience.
The university’s core curriculum and a broad range of elective courses provide students with opportunities to advance their understanding of the issues and how to make a positive impact in the world.
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In Stanford’s first-year Civic, Liberal, and Global Education requirement, known as “COLLEGE,” undergraduates reflect on their place and purpose at Stanford, in society, and in the world. Through small, discussion-based seminars, students are encouraged to openly share their ideas, which helps them develop their civil discourse skills, such as active listening and respect for viewpoint diversity.
“We want students to be excited when they meet somebody who disagrees with them because it’s an opportunity to learn.”
—Dan Edelstein, the Nehal and Jenny Fan Raj COLLEGE Director
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Frosh tackled some big questions about the ideals of citizenship and democracy for their second course in COLLEGE, Stanford’s newly restructured undergraduate requirement program.
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In Citizenship in the 21st Century, Stanford undergraduates broadened their perspective by engaging across political differences.
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In talks from a packed campus forum to a discussion in a student residence hall, retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer emphasized the importance of civic involvement and listening across differences.
In winter quarter, faculty members lead lively, after-hours conversations in dorm lounges on topics including collective action and free speech. These salon-style events are tied to COLLEGE and encourage students to discuss, debate, and practice engaging respectfully with different perspectives.
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A series of informal conversations in residence halls during winter quarter offered undergraduates an opportunity to discuss some of society’s most pressing challenges.
Disagreement is a feature, not a bug, of a functioning democracy. Stanford offers robust courses that dive deep into how negotiating differences can make us thrive.
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In a spring quarter course taught by Deans Debra Satz and Paul Brest, scholars with opposing viewpoints modeled meaningful conversations about some of the most polarizing issues facing college campuses and society.
Through a partnership between the Hoover Institution and Stanford’s School of Humanities and Sciences, the Stanford Civics Initiative offers political science courses like Democratic Theory and Varieties of Conservatism in America, helping cultivate the skills and character to instill what political scientist Josiah Ober calls “civic courage.”
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Led by political scientist Josiah Ober, the Stanford Civics Initiative aims to inspire democratic citizenship through courses and programs focused on civics education.
Civic engagement at Stanford extends beyond a single course or election cycle. It’s everywhere, all the time – from student-led programming to athletics initiatives and more.
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“We do not shy away from complex topics and hard conversations, but we honor the humanity of those whose experiences and perspectives have led them to different conclusions.”
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Stanford’s fourth annual Democracy Day – the first during a presidential general election year – drew thousands for watch parties, career mixers, panel discussions, and more.
We hit the Farm to find out what democracy means to the Stanford community. What’s your definition?
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Stanford student-athletes rallied to show support for the NCAA’s “All Vote No Play” effort, created in part by associate men’s basketball coach Eric Reveno.
The Stanford Political Union is a thriving nonpartisan student group dedicated to fostering constructive dialogue on campus. SPU is not a debating society, but rather an informal space for students to get to know one another, as they are.
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“Always question things. My assumptions have changed so many times over the past four years.”
Outside the classroom, students engage with a diversity of viewpoints through programs and other events focused on coalition building and problem-solving across differences.
Ahead of the U.S. presidential election, informal, ask-me-anything style conversations with political scientists in residence halls encouraged students to unpack complex topics one slice at a time. Informal settings foster students’ connections to the issues and one another.
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Stanford is a member of the Intercollegiate Civil Disagreement Partnership through the McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society. Students in the consortium work with peers at schools in California, Florida, Massachusetts, Texas, and Tennessee to facilitate conversations on challenging and sometimes hot-button topics. Difficult yet productive discussions show students the value of being curious and what can happen when we genuinely understand why people believe what they do.
The McCoy Center leads summer programming for incoming students to set them up for success in college, where they will live and study with classmates from different backgrounds and diverse viewpoints. Stanford students and recent alums act as facilitators, drawing on their own experiences communicating across differences.
Produced in partnership with the Stanford alum-founded Builders Movement, this quarterly speaker series features distinguished guests reflecting on finding value in our differences and thriving in pluralistic communities. Past speakers include Justice Stephen Breyer, former First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf, and former Taoiseach of Ireland Leo Varadkar.
At Stanford, world-renowned political scientists, sociologists, historians, and other experts are collaborating to address one of the most pressing issues of our time: how we communicate and collaborate for a healthy democracy.
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Stanford scholars James Fishkin and Larry Diamond are developing a new method of civil discourse called “deliberative polling,” which brings people from varied backgrounds together and empowers them to set aside political labels and consider different sides of an argument. One experiment, America in One Room, suggests a path forward for reducing partisan roadblocks to democratic solutions.
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Deliberative democracy – informed and moderated discussion that transcends partisan identities – can lead to a depolarized and more democratic society, according to Stanford research.
In true Silicon Valley fashion, sociologist Robb Willer developed scalable ideas for countering anti-democratic beliefs through Stanford’s Strengthening Democracy Challenge. By crowdsourcing, testing, and sharing strategies to reduce partisan animosity, Willer and his colleagues are helping people to come together.
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A Stanford-led project has identified a set of strategies to counter anti-democratic attitudes and reduce partisan animosity.
Josiah Ober’s study of how citizens across backgrounds lived together in ancient Athens underscores a core lesson: Democracy depends on participation at every stage of life. His scholarship has shaped Stanford’s curriculum and strengthened civics education efforts nationwide.
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