Gerald R. Ford Leadership Forum

Our American Heritage

Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789

By President George Washington With this Address President Washington officially began the tradition we celebrate today. But that’s not the only reason this proclamation is of interest. Washington carefully highlights the relationship between the American experiment, gratitude, and belief in God. Granted, he uses somewhat abstract terms, but we shouldn’t take this as evidence of …

Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789 Read More »

Kirk’s Founders and the unWritten Constitution

by Gary Gregg, director of the MCCONNELL CENTER 2023 is the 70th year since Regnery Publishing brought Russell Kirk’s The Conservative Mind to the reading public.  The book helped transform modern American politics and inform many emerging conservative minds. When I was interning in Washington, DC more than thirty years ago, I remember answering a question …

Kirk’s Founders and the unWritten Constitution Read More »

The Electoral College—After the People Vote

by Gary L. Gregg, director of the MCCONNELL CENTER This is the fourth installment of a series of articles on the Electoral College and our presidential election system. Today’s installment deals with what happens after the American people go to the polls. What happens after we vote? Despite the most passionate arguments against the Electoral …

The Electoral College—After the People Vote Read More »

How the Electoral College Works Today

by Gary L. Gregg, director of the MCCONNELL CENTER This is the third installment of columns exploring the history and operation of the Electoral College. The previous two explored the origins and evolution of the institution. Today we look at the underlying mathematical assumptions that shape our elections. How does the Electoral College work today? Over …

How the Electoral College Works Today Read More »