Citizenship, Elections, and American Democracy

FAIN: LD-234345-16

Humanities Texas (Austin, TX 78701-1506)
Michael L. Gillette (Project Director: June 2015 to February 2025)

A series of seven public forums across Texas and creation of accompanying educational resources exploring pivotal U.S. presidential elections and their relevance to the nation's current political culture.

In 2016, Humanities Texas will hold a series of public forums across Texas examining pivotal U.S. presidential elections to deepen public knowledge and understanding of our nation’s history, the responsibilities of democratic citizenship, and the relevance of the humanities in advancing the common good. Our inaugural public forum in Austin will analyze, through an interdisciplinary lens, the political forces, issues, and consequences of the election of 1860 and other critical elections, as well as their parallels to contemporary America. We will then hold regional forums in Brownsville, Dallas, El Paso, Lubbock, Houston, and San Antonio, each examining a critical presidential election and its relevance to the current conditions of our national life. Highlights of these public conversations will be featured on our website, along with video-recorded lectures, primary documents, and instructional resources that align with state curriculum standards.