A dramatic democracy
Although animated by the spirit of democracy (“We the People”), the Framers were realistic enough to know that the People are not always right. Rather than assume the majority was wiser than the minority, they looked for ways to create good clash between different interests.
My Mission
All of our most contentious politics eventually end up before the Supreme Court. Whether it is abortion, gun control, capital punishment, gay marriage, or the rights of corporations, the debate is eventually framed using explicit passages and implicit principles from the Constitution. My goal is to teach ordinary citizens how to think through the various constitutional issues in a specific controversy.
Thirty years ago, we would have called this civics education, an essential part of being an American citizen. In the 21st century, there are fewer lawyers in Congress and fewer citizens who know what the Constitution offers to each side of a debate. Without that shared vocabulary, political opponents either argue past one another or, even worse, they treat their opponents as enemies. By the end of the presentation, audience members will have a stronger sense of the history of their own position and a better understanding of their opponent’s reasoning.
““Meg’s skilled facilitation allowed for our conversation about the Second Amendment, an incredibly divisive topic in our community, to be respectful, compassionate, and help foster an understanding of the many viewpoints represented that evening.””
“Meg’s serene and sovereign command of constitutional history and its implications draws participants into a higher quality political conversation in which rigid preconceptions can be abandoned in favor of new formulations of shared political desires.”
“The Debating Our Rights series have sharpened participants’ skills for articulating their viewpoints, have increased their ability to listen to others. Many are becoming more comfortable with speaking up in a large and diverse group.”
“I just left Ilsley Library’s hosted talk by Professor Meg Mott, “Must Free Speech Endure Hate Speech?” I’ve been to a good ten or so excellent talks at the library in the last few years and this was hands down the best one I’ve ever had the privilege to attend. Not just because of the important and well-presented content, but especially because Professor Mott did an excellent job of facilitating a rich and dynamic and even occasionally heated conversation amongst the whole group. I wish it had gone on another 2 hours! ”