ABSTRACT
This chapter has two aims: (1) To review and synthesize literature on the development and trajectory of democratic theory within public speaking practices; and (2) to provide theoretical and pedagogical questions for readers that offer potential pathways for the future of public speaking practices and their ability to promote democratic sensibilities and skills for civic engagement. We begin by offering a review of civically focused public speaking studies and identify two models of democracy advanced in public speaking classrooms (deliberative approaches and social justice approaches). Then, we review published activities, assignments, and curricula for civically focused public speaking courses; and synthesize empirical research about the learning outcomes of civically focused public speaking pedagogy. We conclude with three potential future directions and theoretical provocations for public speaking scholars who aim to promote twenty-first-century citizenship among students.
