Mark your calendars, educators and democracy enthusiasts: the Mountain West Center for Regional Studies at Utah State University is gearing up to invite in-service and pre-service teachers to critically examine our electoral systems during the 26th annual Bennion Teachers’ Workshop, as reported by USU Today. Slated to run from June 2-6 on the Logan campus, this year's event will focus on Presidential Elections and the Future of American Democracy.
Tapping into the minds of political scientists Damon Cann and Robert Ross, the workshop promises, or so they say, to dissect and propose enhancements to the American electoral processes, a dive that includes, but isn't limited to, the Electoral College, the convention system, and how party nominations are currently secured. It's not just a theoretical talkfest; the hands-on sessions are designed to be a chisel for carving out potential reforms—think direct national primaries, ranked-choice voting, and Electoral College tweaks.
On June 4, at 6 p.m., following a 5:30 p.m. reception, former Utah Congressman Rob Bishop will grace the stage with his keynote address where he will sprinkle the audience with insights harvested from his rich crop of experiences as a teacher and political figure; the session will take place in the Carolyn Tanner Irish Pavilion room 201, with its doors open to the public. The workshop itself is a testament to Ione Bennion's vision, who with an endowment to the university's Mountain West Center, sought to "provide an atmosphere and the educational resources to explore the concepts upon which democracy is built, the conditions under which it flourishes, and the dangers to its existence," as per USU Today.
