In a democracy, universities are 'guardians of fact and truth'

To kick off his Democracy Day breakout session Youth and Democratic Erosion, SNF Agora Fellow Scott Warren asked a small group of first-year students how they feel about the current state of democracy and politics.

A hand in the front row immediately shot up. "Apprehensive," the student said.

Several other students echoed her. One mentioned the "fear that comes with being an immigrant," adding that he's from Brazil and that his parents don't speak English very well. Another expressed anxiety over mounting distrust in science and its potential to wreck American public health. One after the other, students chimed in with their own worries: cuts to research funding, state-sanctioned surveillance, the potential weaponization of artificial intelligence.

Image credit: Will Kirk / Johns Hopkins University

Only one student offered an optimistic perspective: "I was walking around campus and noticed a lot of posters for political organizations," she said. "I think it's cool there are people here who care enough about politics to organize groups and events."

Like those flyers, Democracy Day serves to remind first-year students of their agency and ability to participate meaningfully in civic life. Now in its fifth year, the Orientation Week event introduces new students to the foundational principles of democracy, models methods of engaging with diverse perspectives, and gives students tools to turn their ideas into democratic action.

The morning began in the Ralph S. O'Connor Center for Recreation and Well-Being with opening remarks from JHU President Ron Daniels. He explained to the university's 150th undergraduate class why, in 2025, it is more crucial than ever for young people to recognize their role in upholding democratic norms.

Image caption: President Ron Daniels speaking during Democracy Day

Image credit: Will Kirk / Johns Hopkins University

"Democratic societies face a moment of great precarity," Daniels warned, noting that "nearly three of every four people in the world today live in societies that no longer protect their citizens' individual and collective rights."

Daniels, who authored the 2021 book What Universities Owe Democracy, framed universities like Hopkins as "stewards of the liberal democratic experiment."

He continued, "At our best, universities like Johns Hopkins are engines of social mobility, affording access to the benefits of equal opportunity. We are guardians of fact and truth. We are proponents of pluralism, the core democratic belief that our society is stronger—more innovative and more prosperous—when we harness the varied perspectives, thoughts, and experiences of its people.

Image credit: Will Kirk / Johns Hopkins University

"Of course, like every democratic institution," he added, "we must be open to change and willing to address the fair and actionable critiques lobbed at us."

Daniels' speech was followed by a Democracy 101 panel discussion with Ruth Braunstein, associate professor of sociology, and William Howell, the inaugural dean of the university's School of Government and Policy, both of whom were introduced by Hahrie Han, executive director of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Agora Institute of Johns Hopkins University.

After the panel ended, students headed to breakout sessions led by JHU faculty and SNF Agora fellows to discuss democracy in relation to topics ranging from misinformation to local politics. Students could also opt to attend a debate instead, a tradition begun at last year's Democracy Day. This year, Hopkins experts Tony Dahbura and Peter Najjar tackled the question of how cautious institutions should be in embracing AI.

Image credit: Will Kirk / Johns Hopkins University

To celebrate the end of Democracy Day, a Community Engagement Fair and cookout was held on Wyman Quad. While munching doughnuts and kettle corn from Baltimore-based food vendors, students had the chance to meet faculty who teach community-based learning courses and engage in facilitated dialogues on democracy with their classmates. Service-based organizations from both the university and the wider Baltimore community were present at the cookout to help students explore opportunities to put the day's lessons into practice.

"For Hopkins students, Democracy Day marks the starting line of their democratic journey here," said Mary Bruce, assistant director of public programs for the SNF Agora Institute, "with endless opportunities to explore and strengthen the roles they play in shaping our communities and the world."

Image credit: Will Kirk / Johns Hopkins University