“There are decades of research to show that having open conversations about politics—even at times contentious—are associated with students who have higher rates of political knowledge and with greater intent to vote later on in adulthood.”
Matthew D. Nelsen
Assistant professor for the University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences Department of Political Science
“…if we expect our students to talk about politics with one another and to have these discussions in class with people who may be complete strangers, that takes a degree of vulnerability and a willingness to share […] and I don’t think it’s possible to effectively get my students to have these sorts of discussions if I am not willing to share and model that vulnerability.”
Matthew D. Nelsen
Assistant professor for the University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences Department of Political Science
Matthew Nelsen, GenForward researcher and University of Miami Assistant Professor of Political Science, fosters advocacy and civic engagement through pedagogical practices and research that views local-level institutions as the microcosms of democracy.
