Defending Democracy: What We Can Learn About Civic Identity from Peer Educators Involved in Nonpartisan Political Engagement

Abstract

Research on college student political engagement remains limited, often focused on classroom interventions, studied quantitatively (Bardwell, 2011; Beaumont et al., 2006; Mann et al., 2018). Students’ lived experience of their political engagement, however, is “situational, emergent, and co-creative” (Hildreth, 2003, p. 8). During the 2020 election season, 15 students participated in a qualitative study, sharing their lived experiences of nonpartisan political engagement through their work as peer educators with the Campus Vote Project (Kappus, 2021). The students educated their peers about voting, provided access to nonpartisan educational materials, and encouraged political discourse through programs such as debate watch parties, discussion groups, and more. The study employed semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and on-going communication to co-construct findings with participants. This article examined the study’s key findings to offer a rich illustration for corresponding components of a healthy civic identity (Schnaubelt et al., 2022). By embracing nonpartisanship, students demonstrated unwavering commitment to integrity as a civic duty. In countering misinformation, confronting voter suppression, and enduring hostility, students exemplified resilient minds, bodies, and spirits. The article centers a promising practice, peer-to-peer political engagement and makes a case for institutionalized support for student-led nonpartisan education, and outreach.