Communication Currents

Current Commentary

Civil Discourse/Civic Participation Websites

April 1, 2011
Political Communication

These websites are for centers/institutes with at least one staff member affiliated with the communication discipline and/or centers/institutes housed within departments/schools of communication in the U.S.  Thanks to everyone who shared a website with us! 

Illinois State University School of Communication Political Engagement Project
http://www.communication.illinoisstate.edu/civic/default.aspx 

University of Delaware Center for Political Communication
http://www.udel.edu/cpc/ 

Northwestern University Center for Civic Engagement
http://www.engage.northwestern.edu/ 

Fort Hays State University Center for Civic Leadership
http://www.fhsu.edu/ccl/ 

University of Arizona National Institute for Civil Discourse
http://nicd.arizona.edu 

The Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Participation, University of Texas at Austin, seeks to conduct cutting-edge research on the ways in which civic participation and community understanding are undermined or sustained and to develop new programs for increasing democratic understanding among citizens.

The Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy, Kansas State University, works to enhance democratization locally, nationally, and internationally through improved community deliberation, facilitation, and evaluation practices, development of a certified facilitator training program, and interdisciplinary research on models of civic discourse.

The Center for Political Communication and Civic Leadership, University of Maryland, unites research, education, and public engagement to foster democratic communication by a diverse people.

The Center for Communication and Civic Engagement, University of Washington, is dedicated to research, the creation of citizen resources, and student-designed learning experiences that develop new areas of positive citizen involvement in politics and social life, with a particular focus on understanding how new information technologies can supplement more traditional forms of communication to facilitate civic engagement.

The Center for Public Deliberation, Colorado State University, focuses on the process rather then the product of deliberation, working to enhance the local civic culture, expand collaborative decision-making, and improve civic pedagogy.

The Center for Religion and Civic Culture, University of Southern California, investigates the civic role of religion and collaborates with congregations, scholars, funders, and faith-based organizations. 

The Center for Deliberative Democracy, Stanford University, is devoted to research about democracy and public opinion obtained through Deliberative Polling.