Episode 7: The Dynamics of Democracy in Higher Education

The founders of the US argued the necessity of a robust system of public education to support democracy. One of US higher education’s missions was to foster an educated populace who could engage in debate and dialogue. Over the past century, the role of higher education in the US democratic has shifted, and, recently, has become highly politicized. This episode […]

TCM Voter Series: Voting 101

There’s a lot of terminology around elections – mail-in ballots, absentee voting, midterms – that can seem inaccessible to people just beginning to vote for the first time. Here’s a short introduction to what you need to know to make sure your vote counts.

Episode 13: Jason Rosenbaum

Jason Rosenbaum joins us to discuss the ever-evolving media landscape, the impact of the Ferguson Uprising on journalism, and the lack of public awareness surrounding local and state politics. 

Episode 12: Vivian Gibson

Author Vivian Gibson, joins us to discuss factors impacting the decline of the Mill Creek Valley neighborhood. Her memoir, The Last Children of Mill Creek, documents the nations largest urban renew project and its consequences on the black community through stories from her childhood in St. Louis.

Episode 11: Lane Koch

In this episode of This Civic Moment, our hosts welcome Lane Koch. This podcast, hosted by the Engage Democracy Fellows at the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement at Washington University, seeks answers to these questions while providing listeners with multiple angles to inquire, reflect, and discern our civic identity and calling as a community.

Episode 10: Ray Boshara

In this episode of This Civic Moment, our hosts welcome Ray Boshara. This podcast, hosted by the Engage Democracy Fellows at the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement at Washington University, seeks answers to these questions while providing listeners with multiple angles to inquire, reflect, and discern our civic identity and calling as a community.

Episode 9: Caroline Fan

In this episode of This Civic Moment, our hosts welcome Caroline Fan. This podcast, hosted by the Engage Democracy Fellows at the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement at Washington University, seeks answers to these questions while providing listeners with multiple angles to inquire, reflect, and discern our civic identity and calling as a community.

Episode 8: Mike Jones II, Ph.D.

In this episode of This Civic Moment, our hosts welcome Mike Jones II, Ph.D. This podcast, hosted by the Engage Democracy Fellows at the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement at Washington University, seeks answers to these questions while providing listeners with multiple angles to inquire, reflect, and discern our civic identity and calling as a community.

Episode 6: The Legacy of January 6, 2021 (Part 2)

In part two of our conversation revisiting the insurrection at the US Capitol Building on January 6, 2021, guests Richard Gephardt and Zach Wamp discuss the history of elections in the United States and identify potential reforms that could increase trust in the system. They offer their advice to current members of Congress on how to bridge the widening gap between Republicans and Democrats to restore faith in our democracy.

Episode 6: The Legacy of January 6, 2021 (Part 1)

Our guests, the Honorable Richard ‘Dick’ Gephardt and Zach Wamp, spent much of their careers working inside the Capitol building as members of the US House of Representatives. In this conversation, they reflect on January 6th, recounting where they were when they first heard about the attack, what the legacy of January 6th represents for our democracy, and where we as a nation go from here.

Episode 7: Dr. Ness Sandoval

In this episode of This Civic Moment, our hosts welcome Dr. Ness Sandoval. This podcast, hosted by the Engage Democracy Fellows at the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement at Washington University, seeks answers to these questions while providing listeners with multiple angles to inquire, reflect, and discern our civic identity and calling as a community.

Episode 6: Rep. Avery Bourne

In this episode of This Civic Moment, our hosts welcome Avery Bourne (R-Morrisonville), Illinois General Assembly. This podcast, hosted by the Engage Democracy Fellows at the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement at Washington University, seeks answers to these questions while providing listeners with multiple angles to inquire, reflect, and discern our civic identity and calling as a community.

Fall Break Reimagined

For many students, the fall 2021 semester marked the long-awaited return to campus and to a greater sense of normalcy since the unprecedented arrival of COVID-19.  For Civic Scholars, this term provided the opportunity to resume off-campus learning experiences through the annual immersion trip. However, this year there was a slight twist: for the first time […]

Civic Scholars Staff Spotlight: Stephanie Weiskopf

We were thrilled to welcome Stephanie Weiskopf to the Civic Scholars Program team this fall as the lead instructor for the Class of 2023. At WashU, Stephanie also serves as the Associate Director for Residential Faculty Engagement.  Meet, Stephanie! Stephanie, tell us a little about yourself. I am a St. Louis transplant who often makes conversation […]

Episode 5: Richard A. Gephardt

In this episode of This Civic Moment, our hosts welcome Richard A. Gephardt, Founder of the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement. This podcast, hosted by the Engage Democracy Fellows at the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement at Washington University, seeks answers to these questions while providing listeners with multiple angles to inquire, reflect, and discern our civic identity and calling as a community.

Episode 4: Dr. Kira Hudson Banks

In this episode of This Civic Moment, our hosts welcome Dr. Kira Hudson Banks. This podcast, hosted by the Engage Democracy Fellows at the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement at Washington University, seeks answers to these questions while providing listeners with multiple angles to inquire, reflect, and discern our civic identity and calling as a community.

Episode 3: Scott Faughn

In this episode of This Civic Moment, our hosts welcome Scott Faughn, editor and founder of The Missouri Times. This podcast, hosted by the Engage Democracy Fellows at the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement at Washington University, seeks answers to these questions while providing listeners with multiple angles to inquire, reflect, and discern our civic identity and calling as a community.

Episode 1: Evan Krauss

In this episode of This Civic Moment, our hosts welcome Evan Krauss, Director of East Side Aligned. This podcast, hosted by the Engage Democracy Fellows at the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement at Washington University, seeks answers to these questions while providing listeners with multiple angles to inquire, reflect, and discern our civic identity and calling as a community.

Episode 2: Rabbi Susan Talve

In this episode of This Civic Moment, our hosts welcome Rabbi Susan Talve, Central Reform Congregation. This podcast, hosted by the Engage Democracy Fellows at the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement at Washington University, seeks answers to these questions while providing listeners with multiple angles to inquire, reflect, and discern our civic identity and calling as a community.

A Guide to Redistricting in St. Louis

This year, the City of St. Louis redistricting process includes the additional task of reducing the number of city wards from 28 to 14. The St. Louis Board of Aldermen has until December 31, 2021, to finalize the new ward map.

The following resources provide more information about redistricting, including comparisons across states, understanding who guides redistricting, common terminology associated with the process, and more.

Washington University in St. Louis Announced as 2021 ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge Award Winner

Washington University in St. Louis received the Best Action Plan Award for Best in Class – 4-Year Private Institution at the virtual award ceremony. The award is presented to recognize WashU’s efforts to develop and implement a campus-wide voter engagement action plan to help students to improve nonpartisan civic learning, political engagement, and voter participation.

Episode 5: Influencing Democracy

How do we build trust among Americans who have turned their back on the truth? How can we heal the deep divisions in our country? Host Alan Lambert welcomes author, lecturer, and journalist Anne Nelson to discuss the eroding trust in our democracy through a conversation about influence and information, an exploration of the Council […]

Episode 4: Fueling our Democracy

The fate of our democracy is increasingly entwined in the systems that govern and guide our economy, culture, environment, and more. Guest Nate Hagens and host Alan Lambert discuss big questions, including: How is energy related to climate change and what does this imply about future? Why are climate and energy issues so important to […]

Episode 3: Race and Democracy

Voting rights legislation recently enacted in Georgia and elsewhere across the country, and the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, each provides critical frames to explore issues of race, power, and privilege in our democracy. This episode tackles questions related to race in our democracy surrounding these events, including: What is the legacy […]

Episode 2: What Happened to a United States?

Division, partisanship, polarization – these are all terms we consistently hear in current news headlines about the state of our citizenry and political landscape. Much of the conversation and argument about contemporary politics and social activity is about individual and collective anger and rage.  But these words are often used in vague and amorphous ways. […]

Episode 1: The Presidency

Our first episode is focused on the highest office in our democracy, the presidency, and explores the transition from Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States, to the recently inaugurated 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden. Our Guests Dr. Steve Fazzari is the Bert A. and Jeanette L. Lynch Distinguished Professor of Economics, […]

St. Louis Initiative Partners with Goldman Fellows

In 2021, the Goldman Fellows Program will support its largest cohort to date. Fourteen fellows have been selected to participate in the 14th cycle of the program. The expanded capacity for the program is thanks to a successful proposal to pilot fellowships with Washington University’s St. Louis Initiative in which fellows will work with the […]

Introducing The 2021 Goldman Fellows

The Goldman Fellows Program, funded by the Joyce and Irving Goldman Family Foundation, is a competitive fellowship that provides $5,000 summer stipends for undergraduate students who secure unpaid internships at nonprofit, community, or governmental organizations in the St. Louis region. Fellows are supported by a network of peers and staff as they embark on their own individually-crafted […]

Student Spotlight: Russell Beckham, Goldman Fellows Program Class of 2020

A Goldman Fellow in the summer of 2020, Russell Beckham (he/him) had the opportunity to work with Beyond Housing and an Economic Development Committee in Pine Lawn while learning about St. Louis alongside a group of other fellows. As an intern for Beyond Housing, he assisted the organization’s community engagement and policy advocacy efforts, including […]

Goldman Fellow Reflection: Kimberly Bolch, Class of 2010

In the summer of 2010 I was fortunate enough to receive a Goldman Fellowship to support my internship at the regional non-profit Focus St. Louis. My experience working on their Policy and Community Engagement team was one of my first opportunities to gain professional exposure to the world of economic and social development. In my […]

Student Spotlight: Christian Baker, Goldman Fellows Program Class of 2019

Meet Class of 2019 Goldman Fellow Christian Baker, AB ’20, and learn more about his experiences in the program, his advice for future Goldman Fellows, and more in the interview below. Can you tell about your experience at WashU? What was your academic focus, and how did you make connections across the university? As a […]

Introducing Our Civic Scholars Class of 2023

Great civic leaders are not born, but made. The Civic Scholars Program gives bright young people the mentorship, experience, and know-how to do something truly significant to benefit society. Robert C. Virgil, MBA ’60, DBA ’67, Trustee Emeritus; Past Chair, Gephardt Institute National Council; Civic Scholars Program Founding Donor The Gephardt Institute is thrilled to […]

Staff Member Spotlight: Nick Zevely

Nick Zevely is the marketing and communications manager at the Gephardt Institute. Prior to joining the Gephardt Institute in November 2020, he served as the Senior Director of External Affairs at The Mission Continues, a national nonprofit organization serving military veterans. In this short interview, he shares his motivation to join the Gephardt Institute, podcast […]

Alumni Spotlight: Rachel Sumption, AB ‘16, Civic Scholar Class of 2016

“In another world, I’d be a yoga instructor and own a bed and breakfast,” Rachel Sumption, Civic Scholar Class of 2016, confessed. But in this world, Rachel does quite the opposite—she is an associate at Clifford Chance, an international law firm, taking business calls at odd hours from her apartment in London, England while juggling […]

Washington University is Designated a ‘Voter-Friendly Campus’ For a Third Straight Year

The Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement successfully led efforts to register voters and helped the university community vote safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Washington University ranks third in the nation for number of students — 2,600 — who registered to vote and receive voting alerts via digital voting platform TurboVote.

Course Spotlight: “Just Do It! Skills That Turn Passion Into Policy”

As part of the Gephardt Institute’s commitment to civic education and our Engage Democracy initiative, the institute and the Department of Political Science collaborate to offer one credit courses that teach students to leverage the political process to achieve a policy or advocacy goal.   In 2020, David Leipholtz balanced his full-time commitment as Executive Director for the Center of Civic Research and […]

“New in the Lou” Connects WashU to St. Louis, Even from Afar

The Gephardt Institute hosted a series of virtual conversations this fall designed to introduce St. Louis to new residents, and create dialogue about the region through the eyes of our local community. The conversations, titled “New in the Lou,” were created for WashU students, faculty, and staff new to the St. Louis region or with a desire […]

Democracy is a Substitute for War

When Congress reconvened in the late hours of Wednesday evening, January 6th, following the cascade of violence that swept through the halls of the Capitol earlier in the day, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer recalled the words of our founder, former Congressman Dick Gephardt, to capture the severity and magnitude of the moment: “Democracy is […]