Gerald R. Ford Leadership Forum
By Jeff Polet, Director of the Ford Leadership Forum, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation We celebrate Constitution Day, September 17th, amidst concerns about its future. We would do well to reflect on its successes. We can imagine a variety of items being offered up as evidence of “success”: Others may find fault with America, but …
by Jeff Polet, Director of the Ford Leadership Forum, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation Our Constitution promises to “secure the blessings of liberty” to “ourselves and our posterity.” The emphasis on posterity often escapes our attention, but it highlights an essential function of a well-ordered polity: the ability and obligation of a generation to pass …
by Richard Gunderman, IUPUI Nine times in our nation’s history a US vice president has ascended to the office of president. In eight of these cases, the vice president assumed the office on the death of the president, and in one case, as the result of a presidential resignation. The fact that Joe Biden would …
by Jeff Polet, Director of the Ford Leadership Forum, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation Aristotle argued that the only just polity had to be a “mixed regime,” and that meant one that blended popular and aristocratic elements. Too much power concentrated in a ruling class would become an oligarchy, and too much in the people …
by Gary L. Gregg This is the second installment in a series based on questions asked about the Electoral College. The previous one outlined the origins of the selection system that emerged from the Constitutional Convention in 1787. As I detailed previously, the Electoral College was designed by the Framers of the Constitution as a …
On Tuesday, September 12, 2023, students and young professionals were able to stop by the Ford Museum Plaza for free Pronto Pups, permanent jewelry, and networking opportunities with other students. Ford Fellows also helped decorate bags for Kid’s Food Basket.
by Jeff Polet, Director of the Ford Leadership Forum, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation We may not live in “unprecedented” times — you’d need to have a narrow historical horizon to think so — but that hasn’t stopped us from profligate use of the modifier. We can fairly say we have experienced things unprecedented for …
by Jeff Polet, Director of the Ford Leadership Forum, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation I’ll start with a claim that is both non-controversial and controversial: to be a conservative (of the sort I am) is to be skeptical of abstractions. As Edmund Burke once said, their metaphysical perfection is their practical defect. The statement is …
by Don Cooper, Director of Civic Initiatives, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation Civics education is often taught to students as if being a good citizen is like following a recipe. Take certain steps—be courteous to your neighbors, read the news, pay attention to the debates, listen to both sides, vote once you turn 18, show …
What Grounds Engaged Citizens? A Shared Understanding of Our Democratic Values Read More »
by Jeff Polet, Director of the Ford Leadership Forum, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation The idea of reflecting on a political order has an interesting history and generally occurs under two circumstances: the first, when the polity is in a state of crisis; and the second, when a distinction has been made between the order …
