There are over 500,000 registered voters in Detroit. The vast majority are of color. Fewer than half of them voted in the 2016 presidential election. In this community-based learning course, students will explore rates of political participation, including: Who votes? What affects rates of voter turnout? How much do these rates vary by race, gender, and national origin? How can we increase rates of electoral participation, particularly in historically marginalized communities? And, what are the implications for American democracy?

Class Format:

This course is open to students who want to participate entirely online. While there will be optional in-person components, no part of this course requires you to be on campus or present in-person. With that said, most lectures will be synchronous, and there will be weekly discussion sections that require synchronous participation through Zoom.