On Tuesday, September 17th more than 300 Texas State students and faculty attended the department’s annual “Constitution Day” lecture hosted by Discourse in Democracy. Delivered by the University of Virginia’s Dr. James W. Ceaser, the lecture explored “James Madison: The Founder of the Modern Founding.” William Lawrence, a first-year master’s student in political science noted the lecture was, “refreshing” saying that he appreciated Ceasar’s “defense of our Constitution.” The lecture was followed by questions, and, after the formal program concluded, several students stayed behind to talk informally with Dr. Ceaser. Jean-Marc Pruit, a graduate student in the department, commented that “Dr. Ceaser reminds us that although deadlock can be frustrating, Madison was right that hasty change can be much worse.”
Prior to the lecture, a group of a dozen students and faculty met informally with Dr. Ceasar over dinner. Earlier that day, Dr. Ceasar conducted a seminar attended by 15 majors examining the evolution of America’s political institutions and how the U.S. Constitution compared to others. Austin Lyttle, a senior political science major, noted that he really enjoyed “the opportunity to get know Dr. Ceasar, as a person” adding that it “makes me all the more impressed with the academic prowess” he displayed.
Dr. Ceasar’s books include Presidential Selection: Theory and Development, Liberal Democracy and Political Science, and Nature and History in American Political Development. The department’s Constitution Day activities were made possible by a generous grant from the Jack Miller Center for Teaching America’s Founding Principles and History. Constitution Day and Citizenship Day is an American federal observance recognizing the adoption of the United States Constitution and those who have become United States citizens by birth or naturalization.
