Civic Thought and Leadership: A Higher Civics to Sustain American Constitutional Democracy

Paul O. Carrese ()
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Paul O. Carrese: School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA

Laws, 2024, vol. 13, issue 2, 1-16

Abstract: Multiple civic crises facing American constitutional democracy—deepening political polarization and dysfunction, loss of confidence in major institutions and professions, and collapse of confidence in higher education—can be simultaneously redressed by restoring traditional civic education in universities and colleges. A nascent national reform in public universities, establishing departments of civic thought and leadership, reintroduces a blend of classical liberal arts and American civic education. This restores a core mission of truth-seeking and Socratic debate to universities, while providing the higher civics needed to perpetuate the American legal and constitutional order through non-partisan, non-ideological preparation of thoughtful citizens and leaders with the necessary civic knowledge and civic virtues, including commitment to the rule of law and American constitutionalism.

Keywords: America; civics; civic education; constitutional democracy; higher education; leadership; liberal arts; patriotism; rule of law (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D78 E61 E62 F13 F42 F68 K0 K1 K2 K3 K4 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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