Providence College Students and Election 2020

Beyond Your News Feed: Understanding Contemporary Politics

Today Bill Hudson, host of Beyond Your News Feed, interviewed six PC students: Megan Labbe, Sienna Strickland, Cole Dougherty, Carson Giles, Sofia Belen Carrillo, and Dean Williams, about their experiences as first time voters in the 2020 election. Our conversation probed how they went about making their voting choice, what characteristics of the candidates and issues were most important in their decision, what campaign events – such as the political conventions, debates, rallies, and campaign advertising mattered in the decision, and what media sources they found most valuable as they made up their minds. We also discussed their conversations and inter-actions with their peers about the election and whether it was possible to have civil discussions across partisan and political differences. Finally, I asked the students to describe their hopes and fears for the future of American democracy and society. Listeners will find this podcast full of insight into how a group of thoughtful young people think about our contemporary political situtation.