UM students work to reduce political polarization by drafting a bipartisan proposal on immigration in Miami, tackling areas like education and housing, which will be presented to elected officials through the Civic Synergy program at the end of the semester.
Civic Synergy is a six-week nationwide program focused on the discussion of politics and public policy. The George P. Hanley Democracy Center hosts the Civic Synergy x HDC On-Campus program, a local, in-person branch of the program focused on Miami.
“As it pertains to the local program, the Miami program, we like to look at what are pertinent issues in the Miami community, in the Miami region,” Emily Danzinger, Director of Student Relations at the Hanley Democracy Center, said on the topic of immigration.
But Civic Synergy focuses on more than local issues. The main “problem” they work to solve is the U.S.’s ideological division.
“Political polarization, or a widening gap between political groups, is ravaging our country: from political gridlock to damaged interpersonal relationships, our democracy is broken in many ways,” their website says.
Danzinger witnessed this divide firsthand in the clashes she had in her household and people’s online behavior during the pandemic.
“Because the thing is, I think a lot of the sentiment regarding partisanship in America is, in ways, nihilist, because we almost perceive it’s like, okay, this partisanship is as much a part of American politics as is the donkey and the elephant,” Danzinger said.
After being part of the national program in 2020, she now believes Civic Synergy is the solution to the “partisan plague” in the U.S.
“I was a participant in the national program. Changed my life,” Danzinger said.
Civic Synergy made her realize she needed to shift her focus from international conflicts to those in the U.S.
“I wanted to do international law, and then I said: no, we need to turn our focus domestic. We can’t go wanting to solve other countries’ issues until we solve our own problems, which are so many here at home.”
Now, it is her goal to empower other students.
“I was responsible for the planning and offset of the program itself,” Danzinger says.
She pitched the on-campus Civic Synergy program to Koger in 2023, the same year that the Hanley Democracy Center opened. It was a success, and they presented two drafted resolutions on public safety to Miami-Dade Director of Policy and 2024 Senate nominee, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell.
More importantly, the program has already impacted those involved in it despite this being only their second year.
“My experience with Civic Synergy was really eye-opening. It gave me a chance to engage with people who had different perspectives and work toward finding common ground on important political issues,” Ulysses Andreus, an intern at the Hanley Democracy Center, said. “The workshops were super interactive, and I got to collaborate with other students on policy proposals. It helped me sharpen my communication and problem-solving skills, especially when it came to navigating political disagreements in a constructive way.”
It is not only UM students that share this sentiment. Participants nationwide have been benefitted.
“We’ve seen both at the national level and the local level that 100% of our participants come out of the program having an improved sense of political efficacy,” Danzinger said.
Members of Civic Synergy meet every week to discuss current issues. Every semester, new topics are proposed. Previously, Civic Synergy has delved into climate and public safety. Participants are divided into two groups, each proposing a different resolution they work on for six weeks.
This fall, the theme was immigration, encouraging participants to tackle specific interest areas, including education, housing and mental health. Students presented their drafts to elected officials and UM professors, including West Miami Mayor Eric Diaz-Padron on Monday, Nov. 18 at the Newman Alumni Center.
Through a PowerPoint presentation, students showed financial estimates and similar programs that had been implemented before. Finally, they answered questions on the draft and their experience working together.
The George P. Hanley Democracy Center aims to expand people’s understanding of democracy through public events. They hold lectures every semester and bring prominent speakers to campus. Earlier this semester they hosted a conversation with Miami native, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Civic Synergy welcomes students from all years and majors. The only requirement is a commitment to learning and curiosity on how they can impact others lives.
“This is a program that’s valuable for any kind of student who’s interested in not just politics, but also learning how public policy can shape their lives and how to come up with effective proposals,” said Gregory Koger, director of the Hanley Democracy Center.
Through their focus on politics and public policy, Civic Synergy’s goal is to create an open conversation between participants and improve their negotiation skills.
Koger helps as an organizer, but Danzinger leads the weekly meetings alongside three Hanley Democracy Center interns: Molly Sipe, Dylan Long and Ulysses Andreus. All of them participated in the program before.
Follow the Hanley Democracy Center on Instagram at @hanleydemocracycenterum to keep informed on upcoming events.