ASFI Letter sent to Senators Chris Coons and John Cornyn supporting the U.S. Civics Act

 

The Association for the Study of Free Institutions
16 Stockton Street, Princeton, New Jersey, 08540   609-462-7217

July 30, 2019

The Honorable Chris Coons
218 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable John Cornyn
517 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senators Coons and Cornyn:

We are writing to endorse the Understanding and Studying American Civics Act (U.S.A. Civics Act; S. 2024) which you have jointly introduced in the Senate. Each of us directs a higher education program that could take part in this program should it be signed into law. Nonetheless, our reason for joining our names to this letter is to highlight the benefits the bill’s enactment would have nationwide for the study of the ideals, practices and origins of American freedom.     

Numerous studies have shown how little American undergraduates, even at our country’s most prestigious universities and colleges, tend to know about our democratic institutions, the struggles that created and enhanced them, and the great thinkers and ideas that shaped their development.

This ignorance has become a serious national problem. As these students move through life they will have the responsibility of preserving our institutions and ideals. Their ability to do so, to guarantee that America’s commitment to freedom is continually renewed and not squandered or deformed, requires a stronger national effort to overcome this general lack of knowledge.

America’s colleges and universities provide homes to many fine programs, but teaching about the nature and evolution of our free institutions is frequently slighted within them – a pattern reflected in our elementary and secondary schools as well. Programs having this special mission are typically small and insufficiently funded. With greater resources, such as those the U.S.A. Civics Act could provide, these programs would not only begin to reach more students but attract more private philanthropy due to heightened activity and visibility.

There’s much in American civic life today that anyone, of whatever political persuasion, could find to deplore. The most important place to start reversing the deterioration of our civic culture is in higher education. This is because it is precisely from higher education that the lower educational levels take their cues. For that reason we enthusiastically applaud the bipartisan effort that you both are making to rebuild the study of America’s free institutions via sponsorship of the U.S.A. Civics Act.*

Sincerely,

Stephen H. Balch, Director, Texas Tech University Institute for the Study of Western Civilization, and Chairman of the Association for the Study of Free Institutions

Patrick N. Allitt, Director, Emory University Voluntary Core Curriculum

Daniel Asia, Coordinator, University of Arizona American Culture and Ideas Initiative

Richard Avramenko, Director, University of Wisconsin Center for the Study of Liberal Democracy

Jeremy D. Bailey, Director, University of Houston “Phronesis” Minor in Politics and Ethics

Shilo Brooks, Faculty Director, University of Colorado Engineering Leadership Program

Paul Carrese, Director, Arizona State University School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership

James W. Ceaser, Director, University of Virginia Program on Constitutionalism and Democracy

Kody Cooper, Director, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga C.S. Lewis Lecture Series

David Clinton, Chair, Baylor University Department of Political Science

Justin Dyer, Director, University of Missouri Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy

Lucien Ellington, Director, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Center on Reflective Citizenship

Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde, Director, The University of Pennsylvania Penn Initiative for the Study of Markets

Joseph Fornieri, Director, Rochester Institute of Technology Center for Statesmanship

David Fott, Director, University of Nevada, Las Vegas Great Works Academy Certificate Program

Robert P. George, Director, Princeton University James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions

Kenneth Grasso, Chair, Texas State University Political Science Department

Jay Greene, Head, University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform

Mark David Hall, Director, George Fox University John Dickinson Forum for the Study of America’s Founding Principles

Stephen Hicks, Executive Director, Rockford University Center for Ethics and Entrepreneurship

Mark Hijleh, Provost, The King’s College, NYC 

Robert Ingram, Director, Ohio University George Washington Forum

Anita Johnson, Coordinator, Monterey College Great Books Program, and Paola Gilbert, Immediate Past Coordinator 

Robert Kraynak, Co-Director, Colgate University Center for Freedom and Western Civilization

Alan Levine, Director, American University Political Theory Colloquium

Daniel Hays Lowenstein, Director, University of California, Los Angeles Center for Liberal Arts and Free Institutions

Harvey Mansfield, Director, Harvard University Program on Constitutional Government

Wilfred McClay, Director, University of Oklahoma Center for the History of Liberty

Allen Mendenhall, Executive Director, Faulkner University Blackstone and Burke Center for Law and Liberty

Montserrat Miller, Executive Director, Marshall University John Deaver Drinko Academy

Jeffrey S. Morton, Director, Florida Atlantic University Jack Miller Forum for Civic Education

James Murphy, Director, Dartmouth College Daniel Webster Project

J. Judd Owen, Director, Emory University Program in Democracy and Citizenship

Thomas L. Pangle, Executive Director, University of Texas Thomas Jefferson Program for the Study of Core Texts and Courses

Robert Paquette, Director, Alexander Hamilton Institute, Clinton, New York

Anthony Peacock, Director, Utah State University Center for the Study of American Constitutionalism

Michael Petersen, Director, Wilbur Wright College’s Great Books Program    

Patricia Proctor, Founding Director, Marshall University Simon Perry Center for Constitutional Democracy

Charles Quigley, Executive Director, University of Delaware Center for Civic Education

Ronald J. Rychlak, Administrator, University of Mississippi Declaration of Independence Center

Robert Saldin, Director, University of Montana Project on American Democracy and Citizenship

Abbylin Sellars, Director, Azusa Pacific University Koch Fellows Program

Colleen A. Sheehan, Director, Villanova University Mathew J. Ryan Center for the Study of Free Institutions and the Public Good  

Andrew Spiropoulos, Director, Oklahoma City University Center for the Study of State Constitutional Law and Government

James Stoner, Director, Louisiana State University Eric Voegelin Institute

John Tomasi, Director, Brown University Political Theory Project

Candace Vogler, Director, University of Chicago Department of Philosophy Moral Philosophy Seminar

Bradley Watson, Co-Director, Saint Vincent College Center for Political and Economic Thought

Bradford P. Wilson, President, Association for the Study of Free Institutions and Executive Director Princeton University James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions

Christopher Wolfe, Professor of Politics University of Dallas and President of the American Public Policy Institute at the University of Dallas

Scott Yenor, Director, Boise State University American Founding Initiative

         * Affiliations included for identification purposes only, which, unless otherwise indicated, are the main campuses of the institutions named.

 

§1161e. American Civics Education Program

(a) Grants authorized

From the amounts appropriated under subsection (f), the Secretary is authorized to award three-year grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible institutions to establish or strengthen postsecondary academic programs or centers that promote and impart knowledge of-

(1) American political thought and history;

(2) the history and nature of, and threats to, free institutions;

(3) the history, achievements and the impact of American representative democracy and

constitutional democracies globally; or

(4) means of participation in political and civic life.

(b) Definitions

In this section:

(1) Eligible institution

The term "eligible institution" means an institution of higher education as defined in section 1001 of this title or a partnership of such an institution and one or more nonprofit organizations whose missions and demonstrated expertise are consistent with the purpose of this section.

(2) Free institution

The term "free institution" means an institution founded on the principles of representative democracy, constitutional government, individual rights, market economics, religious freedom and religious tolerance, and freedom of thought and inquiry.

(3) American political thought and history

The term "American political thought and history" means-

(A)  the significant constitutional, political, intellectual, economic, social, and foreign

policy trends and issues that have shaped the course of American history; and

(B)  the key episodes, turning points, texts, and figures involved in the constitutional,

political, intellectual, diplomatic, social and economic history of the United States.

(c) Application

(1) In general

Each eligible institution that desires a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably require.

(2) Contents

Each application submitted under paragraph (1) shall include a description of-

(A)  how funds made available under this section will be used for the activities set forth

under subsection (e), including how such activities will increase knowledge with respect to American political thought and history, free institutions, the impact of American representative democracy and constitutional democracies globally, or means of participation in political and civic life;

(B)  how the eligible institution will ensure that information about the activities funded

under this section is widely disseminated pursuant to subsection (e)(1)(B) which may include the creation or use of open educational resources;

(C)  any activities to be undertaken pursuant to subsection (e)(2)(A), including

identification of entities intended to participate;

(D)  how funds made available under this section shall be used to supplement and not

supplant non-Federal funds available for the activities described in subsection (e); and

(E)  such fiscal controls and accounting procedures as may be necessary to ensure

proper disbursement of and accounting for funding made available to the eligible institution under this section.

(d) Award basis

In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall take into consideration the capability of the eligible institution to-

(1)   increase access to quality programming that expands knowledge of American political

thought and history, free institutions, the impact of American democracy and constitutional democracies globally, or means of participation in political and civic life;

(2)   involve personnel with strong expertise in American political thought and history, free

institutions, the impact of American democracy and constitutional democracies globally, or

means of participation in political and civic life; and

(3) sustain the activities funded under this section after the grant has expired.

(e) Use of funds

(1) Required use of funds

Funds provided under this section shall be used to-

(A)  establish or strengthen academic programs or centers focused on American political thought

and history, free institutions, impact of American democracy and constitutional democracies globally, or means of participation in political and civic life, which may include-

(i) design and implementation of programs of study, courses, lecture series, seminars, and symposia;

(ii) development, publication, and dissemination of instructional materials;

(iii) research;

(iv) support for faculty teaching in undergraduate and, if applicable, graduate programs;

(v) support for graduate and postgraduate fellowships, if applicable; or

(B) teacher preparation initiatives that stress content mastery regarding American political thought

and history, free institutions, the impact of American representative democracy and

constitutional democracies globally, or means of participation in political and civic life; and(C)

collaboration with local educational agencies, for the purpose of providing elementary and

secondary school teachers an opportunity to enhance their knowledge of American political

thought and history, free institutions, the impact of American representative democracy and

constitutional democracies globally, or means of participation in political and civic life; and(D)

conduct outreach activities to ensure that information about the activities funded under this

section is widely disseminated-

(i) to undergraduate students (including students enrolled in teacher education programs, if applicable);

(ii) to graduate students (including students enrolled in teacher education programs, if applicable);

(iii) to faculty;

(iv) to local educational agencies; and

(v) within the local community.

(2) Allowable uses of funds

Funds provided under this section may be used to support-

(A) collaboration with entities such as-

 (i) nonprofit organizations whose missions and demonstrated expertise are consistent with the

purpose of this section, for assistance in carrying out activities described under subsection (a);

and

(ii) federal or state humanities programs which may include those funded by the National

Endowment for the Humanities

(B)  the creation and use of open educational resources on American political thought and history,

free institutions, the impact of American democracy and constitutional democracies globally, or means of participation in political and civic life.

(C) other activities that meet the purposes of this section.

(f) Authorization of appropriations

For the purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020 and each of the five succeeding fiscal years.

(Pub. L. 89–329, title VIII, §805, as added Pub. L. 110–315, title VIII, §801, Aug. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 3388 .)

 

To be added by LEG COUNSEL:

(G) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION: prohibition on Secretary of Education from prescribing anything related to curriculum… (however leg counsel drafts it).

 

3 year grant cycle- Dept of Ed will hold competition once every three years. 


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