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Ideas from ACA Members

As a community of practice, the Alliance is committed to strengthening postsecondary civic education by fostering collaboration among members to develop and share ideas, resources, and best practices in a spirit of civic friendship. This work necessarily involves engaging with diverse perspectives, including those with which members may disagree. By doing so, we aim to model the democratic skills of good-faith dialogue and respectful engagement across differences—skills we seek to instill in our students, both in and beyond the classroom.

 

Below, you will find materials and ideas contributed by various Alliance members. These materials reflect a wide range of viewpoints and do not necessarily represent the view of the Alliance itself. However, we hope they will inspire thoughtful reflection on how best to prepare university students for the responsibilities of self-governance.

Featured
Veterans

Commentary: What Higher Ed Owes to Veterans

Eric Hartman in The Renovator  (January 17, 2026)

Hartman argues that elite higher education excludes veterans and military perspectives, depriving classrooms of experiential insights that deepen understanding of politics, ethics, and the real-world consequences of power. Greater inclusion of veterans and nontraditional students, the author contends, would create “productive friction,” strengthen civic education, and help rebuild public trust by aligning universities’ democratic ideals with genuinely broad access.

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Civic education iStock image

Field-Building: Why I’m Doubling Down on Deliberative Pedagogy 

J. Cherie Strachan in Journal of Political Science Education (October 23, 2025)

Amid rising polarization, incivility, political violence, and democratic backsliding, political science educators increasingly view civic engagement pedagogy as a professional responsibility to strengthen students’ democratic capacities. The essay argues that deliberative pedagogy is especially well suited to the current context because, when carefully designed, it can build civic skills, trust, identity, and engagement in ways that benefit all students, not just those already comfortable with politics.

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ICE

Civics in the News: Civic Education News Roundup: Talking about ICE, engaging students in local government, and big grant awards.

Joanna Kenty in The Renovator  (January 27, 2026)

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Commentary

Commentary

Field Building

Field Building

Civics in the News

Civics in the News

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