Skip to main content
University of Nebraska Omaha logo University of Nebraska Omaha
APPLY MY UNO DIRECTORY

University of Nebraska Omaha logo
College of Arts and Sciences Political Science
APPLY MY UNO DIRECTORY
  • About Us Backback to Main menu
    • About the Department of Political Science
    • Contact Us
    • Faculty & Staff Directory
    • Political Science News
  • Academics Backback to Main menu
    • Undergraduate Programs
    • Graduate Programs Overview
    • Academic Advising
    • Knowledge & Skills Gained
    • Political Science Minor
  • Student Opportunities Backback to Main menu
    • Career Opportunities
    • Deterrence and Assurance Summer Institute
    • Internships
    • Scholarships
    • Student Organizations
    • Study Abroad
  • Community Engagement Backback to Main menu
    • Community Engagement
    • BOLD Civic Engagement Fellowship Program
    • Teachers' Law School
    • Constitutional Studies Forum
  • Research Backback to Main menu
    • U.S. Strategic Command Academic Alliance
    • Undergraduate Research Initiative
  • Support Us

Constitutional Studies Forum

  1. UNO
  2. College of Arts and Sciences
  3. Political Science
  4. Community Engagement
  5. Constitutional Studies Forum

The University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Constitutional Studies Forum brings academic programming at UNO that educates students, faculty, and the wider Omaha community about the Constitution of the United States, America’s constitutional traditions, their origins and development, and competing arguments over their meaning and proper application.

The forum’s events teach participants about the thought that informed the Constitution at the time of the American Founding, but also about the thought that has informed its evolution over the course of our history, as well as present-day debates about the Constitution’s meaning, and the various defenses and criticisms of America’s constitutional arrangements.

By sponsoring such events, the Forum aims not only to increase knowledge of America’s constitutional traditions, but also to model for students — and to invite students into — reasoned, intellectually serious, respectful, and civil dialogue about contested public questions.

The Forum’s events have been sponsored by the Department of Political Science, with the generous support of the Jack Miller Center.

Upcoming Constitutional Studies Forum Events​

descartes-web.jpeg

March 30, 2023 from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM in CPACS 132 | Politics, Philosophy, and the Origins of Modern Science

This seminar will be presented by Arthur Milikh, Executive Director of the Claremont Institute’s Center for the American Way of Life. Science used to be the preserve of a tiny handful of scholars, but it has risen to become one of the dominant authorities in our society. How did this come about? This lecture explores how Rene Descartes (1596-1650) sought to establish a new kind of science — one that could not only understand but also transform the world.


toqueville.jpeg

March 30, 2023 from 2:30–3:45 PM | Seminar: Alexis de Tocqueville on Democracy and the Freedom of the Press

This seminar will be presented by Arthur Milikh, Director of the Claremont Institute’s Center for the American Way of Life. Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America still stands as one of the most profound accounts of the promises and perils of modern self-government. This seminar will explore his understanding of the freedom of the press and address the following questions: How does a free press facilitate self-government? What dangers accompany the power of the press? How can modern democracies maximize the benefits of a free press while minimizing its drawbacks?

Seating is limited. If you are interested in attending, please contact Carson Holloway, Professor of Political Science at cholloway@unomaha.edu


pope-lecture.jpeg

May 4, 2023 from 10-11:30 AM in the Thompson Alumni Center, Centennial Hall | Pope Benedict XVI on the Moral Foundations of Politics

R.R. Reno, editor of the journal First Things, will deliver a public lecture on Pope Benedict XVI's understanding of the moral foundations of politics. The lecture will be followed by a panel discussion including Reno, Omar Gutierrez (of the Archdiocese of Omaha), and Carson Holloway (Chair, Department of Political Science).


pope-seminar.jpeg

May 4, 2023 from 1-2:15 PM | Seminar: Pope Benedict XVI on Freedom, Religion, and Politics

Presented by R. R. Reno, who has served as Editor of First Things since 2011. He received his Ph.D. in theology from Yale University, and taught theology and ethics at Creighton University in Omaha for 20 years. Reno has published in many academic journals, and his opinion essays have appeared in Commentary, National Review, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and New York Times, and other popular outlets. His most recent books include The End of Interpretation, Return of the Strong Gods, Resurrecting the Idea of a Christian Society, Fighting the Noonday Devil, Sanctified Vision, and a commentary on the Book of Genesis.

Seating is limited. If you are interested in attending, please contact Carson Holloway, Professor of Political Science at cholloway@unomaha.edu


2023 Past Events​

Date Topic Recording

March 2, 2023

Has Liberalism Failed? A panel discussion featuring Patrick Deneen (University of Notre Dame), Vincent Phillip Munoz (University of Notre Dame), and Carson Holloway (UNO). N/A

2022 Events​

Date Topic Recording

Feb. 22, 2022

The U.S. Constitution as a Politics of Imperfection — presented by David McPherson, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy at Creighton University. Watch Now

Feb. 22, 2022

Somewheres and Anywheres: Patriotism versus Cosmopolitanism — presented by David McPherson, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy at Creighton University. N/A

March 30, 2022

The Original 1619 Project: Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural — presented by Diana Schaub, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science at Loyola University Maryland and a non-resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. Watch Now

April 21, 2022

Was John Locke a Libertarian? — presented by David Azerrad, Assistant Professor and Research Fellow at Hillsdale College’s Van Andel Graduate School of Government in Washington, D.C. Watch Now

April 21, 2022

Nihilism and the Origins of Modern War — presented by David Azerrad, Assistant Professor and Research Fellow at Hillsdale College’s Van Andel Graduate School of Government in Washington, D.C. N/A

April 28, 2022

American Constitutional Democracy in the Age of Social Media — presented by Alan Gibson, a Kinder Institute Distinguished Faculty Fellow at the University of Missouri. N/A

April 29, 2022

Kent A. Kirwan Lecture: The Consistency of James Madison — The Case of the Bill of Rights — The 2022 Kent A. Kirwan Lecture was presented by Michael Zuckert, University of Notre Dame. A panel discussion on "The Legacy of James Madison" followed the lecture. Panelists included:

  • Michael Zuckert, University of Notre Dame
  • William B. Allen, Michigan State University
  • Alan Gibson, University of Missouri
Watch Now

Aug. 25, 2022

The Separation of Science and State — presented by Michael Kochin, Professor Extraordinarius in the School of Political Science, Government, and International Relations at Tel Aviv University. N/A

Aug. 31, 2022

The Constitution Viewed From Without: The Security Dilemma and the Constitution of 1787 — presented by Michael Kochin, Professor Extraordinarius in the School of Political Science, Government, and International Relations at Tel Aviv University Watch Now

Sept. 22, 2022

Public Lecture: The State of the Supreme Court Today — presented by Derek Webb, a Senior Managing Associate at Sidley Austin, LLP in their Supreme Court and Appellate Practice Group and the Dean's Visiting Scholar at Georgetown University Law Center. N/A

Oct. 6, 2022

Freedom from Religion or Freedom for Religion: Rethinking the First Amendment's Protection for Religious Liberty — presented by Vincent Phillip Muñoz, the Tocqueville Associate Professor of Political Science and Concurrent Associate Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame. He is also the Founding Director of ND’s Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government. Watch Now

Nov. 10, 2022

Liberty, Union, and the Constitution: Lessons from the Nineteenth Century — This panel featured three distinguished scholars presenting on the constitutional thought of three important 19th-century American leaders. Lucas Morel of Washington and Lee University spoke on Abraham Lincoln, Pete Myers of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire presented on Frederick Douglass, and John Grove of Liberty Fund presented on John C. Calhoun.

Contact Us

  • Main Office
  • 6001 Dodge Street | 275 ASH
  • Omaha, NE 68182-0271
  • Phone: 402.554.2624

College of Arts and Sciences

  • Contact Us
  • 220 Arts & Sciences Hall
  • College Advising Office
  • College Resources
  • For Faculty and Staff
  • Math-Science Learning Center
  • The Writing Center
  • Next Steps
  • Visit UNO
  • Request Information
  • Apply for Admission
  • The UNO Advantage
  • Our City (Omaha)
  • Just For You
  • Future Students
  • Current Students
  • Work at UNO
  • Faculty and Staff
  • A-Z List
  • Popular Services and Resources
  • my.unomaha.edu
  • Academic Calendar
  • Campus Buildings & Maps
  • Library
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Course Catalogs
  • Internships & Career Development
  • Bookstore
  • MavCARD Services
  • Military-Connected Resource Center
  • Speech Center
  • Writing Center
  • Human Resources
  • Center for Faculty Excellence
  • Affiliates
  • University of Nebraska System
  • NU Foundation
  • Buffett Early Childhood Institute
  • Daugherty Water for Food Institute
  • National Strategic Research Institute
  • Peter Kiewit Institute
  • Rural Prosperity Nebraska
  1. University Policies
  2. Privacy Statement
  3. Accessibility
  1. 402.554.2800

University of Nebraska Omaha
University of Nebraska Omaha, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE, 68182
  • © 2023  
  • Emergency Information Alert
  • Report an Incident or Concern

Omaha Skyline

Our Campus. Otherwise Known as Omaha.

The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its education programs or activities, including admissions and employment. The University prohibits any form of retaliation taken against anyone for reporting discrimination, harassment, or retaliation for otherwise engaging in protected activity. Read the full statement.

scroll to top of page