Democracies thrive through a combination of institutions and democratic norms. Some of the best ways to learn about the institutions are to take social sciences courses that focus on politics; to undertake an internship in a government, advocacy, or campaign office; and to do volunteer work with organizations that provide public services. Democratic norms should be fostered across the liberal arts curriculum and throughout campus life. In no particular order, those norms include: staying well-informed (and able to critically assess media, evidence, and politicians’ claims); respect for others’ dignity, human rights, beliefs, and freedoms; balancing individual rights with the common good; listening to people of differing views and experiences; commitment to the rule of law; commitment to equality before the law and in the public square (de jure and de facto); fair play and the willingness to accept losing; ability to compromise and to embrace partial victories;  nonviolence in efforts to promote or defeat change. This Pathway should open new students’ eyes  to how to participate politically in a responsible way, to why one should be publicly engaged, to the  excitement of collective achievement, and to whether one’s public actions and those of others are  both just and efficacious.

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