Listen Live
Listen Live
Source: Civic Media
Feb 17, 2025, 6:01 PM CST
Have you heard of the Wisconsin Civics Games? Eve Galanter is the founder of the annual trivia contest which inspires students to develop an interest in democracy. She is the former director of Senator Herb Kohl’s Madison office and knows the importance of making civic participation more accessible, especially for young people. Galanter joins Todd Allbaugh, host of The Todd Allbaugh Show, to talk about the ways the games ignite a passion about government for students.
Listen to the entire interview here:
No episode found
“The more I saw the lack of engagement in local races—like uncontested school board elections—the more I realized we had to do something,” Galanter explains.
She launched the Wisconsin Civics Games in 2019 with hopes of reversing what she describes as a disinterest in civics and the political system. The games are in conjunction with the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation and brings together teams of high school students to compete in a fast-paced, quiz-style competition. It tests their knowledge of U.S. and state history, government, and the Constitution.
What are these games like for the students? Galanter asks Allbaugh an example of a question during her visit:
Galanter: What are the five freedoms identified in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution?
Allbaugh: Wow.
Galanter: You have 10 seconds.
Allbaugh: Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to peaceably assemble, freedom of organizing, demonstration. I don’t know. How many did I get?
Galanter: Well, you repeated one, but said it differently. So, you have the press, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, right to petition, and the right to assemble. But during the games, you would have a buzzer in front of you, and you would buzz in.
Allbaugh: Like jeopardy or something.
Galanter: If you buzz in and you’re sitting there, or if you buzz in too soon, because perhaps the question had more than one element to it, it would be, you know, name this and then this and you wouldn’t know and then you would get it wrong. And then it would be repeated in full for the opposing team.
“It’s not just about knowing facts. It’s about getting young people to realize how critical their participation is,” she says.
The competition is open to high schools across Wisconsin, including private schools and home-schooled students. Teams of up to four students compete against each other in both written and live questions. Regional playoffs lead up to the finals, which are streamed to students and families across the state.
Watch the entire interview. Eve joins Todd at 17:00 here:
“I want these students to not just leave with knowledge, but to leave feeling empowered to contribute to their communities,” Galanter says. “I’m hopeful that the next generation of leaders will rise from the ranks of the Wisconsin Civics Games.”
DATES TO KNOW:
Civic Media Inc.
Put us in your pocket.
