Brian Aull, EECS '85
| Jan/26 | Tue | 07:00PM-08:30PM | 4-261 |
Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: None
The dysfunction of democracy in the United States has been getting increasing attention. We see corrupted legislative and electoral processes, partisan bickering, restriction of choice by the major parties, and pervasive media bias. As a result, there is civic disengagement and widespread distrust of government. This is happening at a time of major domestic challenges such as widening disparity between social classes, rising racial tension, soaring public debt, failing school systems, mass incarceration, and crumbling infrastructure.
Brian Aull leads a discussion based on the insights of his book, The Triad: Three Civic Virtues That Could Save American Democracy. More information about the book is found at
http://www.AwakenDemocracy.com
but familiarity with this is not a prerequisite.
He explores the key role of renewed civic engagement in restoring healthy democratic life in the U.S. He makes the case that this engagement needs to be rooted in a spirit of service, a non-adversarial approach to deliberation, and the building of civic relationships that bridge traditional divides such as race and class. He presents case studies of local initiatives where these virtues contributed to successful outcomes.
Contact: Brian Aull, Lincoln-LI-127C, 857-998-9724, BFAULL@MIT.EDU