A Wisconsin Exchange grant is fueling the newest approach by the College of Letters & Science to encourage civic learning. Allison Prasch — the Nancy Obin Sukenik Professor and Associate Professor of Rhetoric, Politics, and Culture in the Department of Communication Arts — pitched the Civics & Democracy Collective with the goal of bringing together courses across the College of Letters & Science that promote conversations about political discourse. The pitch was successful, bringing in one of the inaugural Wisconsin Exchange grants, a campus pluralism program designed to boost dialogue across difference at UW–Madison.
Teaching classes about political rhetoric in the Department of Communication Arts, Prasch found that conversations about civics existed not just in her classroom or department, but across L&S. However, for students looking to participate in them, there wasn’t a clear bridge between disciplines. Instead, they had to dig through course offerings to find something that served their interest.
“The goal is to crystalize these connections that already exist,” explains Prasch.
This means unifying classes that are already being taught in L&S across disciplines by aligning their frameworks and learning objectives. It also means clearly laying out which courses students should prioritize if they’re interested in pluralism and democratic processes. The pilot program will feature courses from the Department of Communication Arts, Department of Political Science, and the La Follette School of Public Affairs, which is launching its first undergraduate major in Fall 2026.
Ultimately, the aim is to create a defined space for civics learning within L&S.
The Collective will also serve as a launchpad for Prasch’s new course, Comm Arts 269, named “We the People: Voices of Democracy,” which will be offered for the first time in the Fall 2026 semester. The course will cover texts from history, as students analyze how citizens have defined democracy over time. Readings will vary from traditional democratic documents like the Declaration of Independence to more contemporary sources, including 2020 news coverage of Black Lives Matter protests.
Eleanor Neff Powell — the Letters & Science Nancy Obin Sukenik Professor and an Associate Professor of Political Science — has been teaching a course on the U.S. Congress for a long time. She hopes the collective will bring these types of conversations about pluralism and American democracy to more students beyond her department.
“I would love to reach a broader range of students,” explains Powell. “We’re thinking not just about political science students, but students who might not ordinarily get to see some of these topics or get to experience some of this.”
Powell emphasizes the particular importance of that message with students in relation to her course, since all U.S. citizens, regardless of their major, can vote for members of Congress.
“I think it’s really important for citizens to understand how American government works — what lawmakers are doing well and where they could do better,” she explains.
Prasch echoes a similar sentiment. “Being able to work with students from all across disciplines is one of my favorite things about being a professor at a school like UW–Madison.”
By strengthening pluralistic dialogue in classrooms, and drawing new student voices into that dialogue, the Collective will become another prong in the Wisconsin Exchange’s multifaceted mission to cultivate a community where diverse viewpoints are expected, debated and respected.
A Stacked Lineup
Take a look at some of the courses available for students in the next academic calendar year through the new Civics & Democracy Collective.
Fall 2026
-Poli Sci 104:
Introduction to American Politics and Government
-Poli Sci 206: Divided We Stand
-Pub Aff 230: Advancing Public Policy in a Divided America
-Comm Arts 269: We the People: Voices of Democracy
-Poli Sci 311:
U.S. Congress
-Pub Aff 335:
Policy Actors, Institutions, and the Policy Process
-Poli Sci 360:
Foundations of American Liberal Democracy
Spring 2027
-Poli Sci 104:
Introduction to American Politics and Government
-Poli Sci 210:
Left, Right, Center
-Pub Aff 230:
Advancing Public Policy in a Divided America
-Comm Arts 269:
We the People: Voices of Democracy
-Pub Aff 335:
Policy Actors, Institutions, and the Policy Process
-Poli Sci 515:
Public Opinion