| FT-285989-22 | Research Programs: Summer Stipends | Sarah Marie Stitzlein | The Role of Truth and Honesty in Improving Democracy | 6/5/2022 - 8/4/2022 | $6,000.00 | Sarah | Marie | Stitzlein | | | | University of Cincinnati | Cincinnati | OH | 45220-2872 | USA | 2022 | Philosophy, Other | Summer Stipends | Research Programs | 6000 | 0 | 6000 | 0 | Writing of a book about the role of honesty for democratic
decision-making.
Whenever citizens face a problem or must reach a decision, they ask the fundamental civic question: “What should we do?” Recent events, from attacks on the Capitol to conspiracy theories about COVID-19, demonstrate significant obstacles to civic problem-solving in a post-truth era, where the emotions and beliefs of individuals often trump facts or public reasoning. Honesty and truth are key components of democratic decision-making, but are increasingly under-valued in society and are nearly absent from citizenship education. In this project, I will discuss struggles in democracy posed by deceit and mistrust, clarify how honesty and truth relate to healthy democratic living, and recommend approaches to citizenship education that emphasize honesty in order to improve democracy. |