Civics at 250: Teaching Democracy in an Unfinished Nation

As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, how should schools teach this foundational document? Harvard lecturer Eric Soto-Shed joins The Harvard EdCast to discuss how civics education is evolving from patriotic education and action civics to media literacy and reflective patriotism. He explains why students should engage not only with the Declaration’s democratic ideals, but also with its contradictions. In a politically charged moment, Soto-Shed argues that classrooms shouldn’t just prepare students for civic life, they should function as civic spaces themselves. The goal isn’t memorization. It’s helping young people understand that democracy is a work in progress — and that they have a role in sustaining and strengthening it.

You can listen to Civics at 250: Teaching Democracy in an Unfinished Nation online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Civics at 250: Teaching Democracy in an Unfinished Nation is an episode from The Harvard EdCast by Harvard EdCast.

This episode is 00:18:04 long.

This episode was published on Feb 11, 2026.

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