ABSTRACT
Democratic theorists, from Tocqueville to Putnam, have argued that the health of democracy depends on the education of citizens through participation in voluntary associations and local communities. Teaching democracy in political science in the 1990s takes place in the context of twin crises in politics and education. In the Department of Political Science at Swarthmore College, service-learning is a central feature of the Democracy Project, which is designed to deepen students’ understanding of and commitment to democratic citizenship in a multicultural society, through participation in community action. The three linked core courses, Democratic Theory and Practice, Multicultural Politics, and Community Politics: The Internship Seminar, all involve what called as community-based learning; in the seminar, students engage in public service internships as part of the coursework, while the other two courses include a class community service activity. Community building also involves learning how to work together despite differences, one of the most difficult lessons in the classroom and politics.
