the next generation of leaders
Educating Engaging Encountering
citizenship and community
history with in-person retreats
Message from the Director
Established in 2022, the ASU Center for American Institutions has one non-partisan purpose: Preserving and renewing our fundamental American institutions to maintain well-ordered liberty in an exceptional nation through the fostering and renewal of foundational American institutions including, civic, religious, legal, financial, military and family.
I want to thank our many community donors who have made it possible for us to meet this goal in the last three years. With their support, the center has secured $2,170,759 in private funding.
Because the center does not receive state or federal funding, these generous gifts and grants allowed us to teach nearly 1,400 undergraduate students, provide high school leadership training to over 300 students, research and publish three National Commission Reports, provide 77 undergraduate students with opportunities to encounter history in person in Washington D.C. and at the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara, create opportunities for the community to engage with experts in politics, religion, foreign policy, media, the U.S. military, and much more.
I encourage you to read about the success of the center in this three-year impact report.
I want also to thank our very small staff who work tirelessly to make all of our efforts a success: Roxane Barwick, Program Manager and Amy Shepard, National Community Outreach Coordinator. With the amount of programming the center provides each year, one might think we had a staff 10 times this size. The center is very fortunate to have them both working on multiple fronts each year toward our common goals.
In support of our educational mission, a huge thank you goes to our postdoctoral teaching fellows, Matthijs Tieleman, Michael Kenny and Joel Webster, and to the center’s Associate Director, Professor Jonathan Barth, all of whom are in the trenches each semester providing a well-rounded history of this great country.
Finally, thank you to our research team Professor Paula Baker and Professor James Strickland and our student researchers who spent the past three years researching, writing, and positing new policy ideas to strengthen our American institutions.
The Center for American Institutions is making an impact!
Donald T. Critchlow Director, ASU Center for American Institutions Katzin Family Professor of History
Undergraduate Students Impact
Impact
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Political History and Leadership Certificate Program
Teaching History and Political Science
Politics and Leadership Club
Encountering History Retreats
Scholarships
Political History & Leadership Certificate Program
The purpose of this program is to develop students into leaders in their chosen fields by providing an understanding of the complexities of real decision making beyond simple abstractions of the qualities that make a good leader. At the same time, students learn foundational principles about the nature of democracy, and representative and constitutional governments.
The certificate in Political History and Leadership is awarded with completion of two required classes – HST/POS 112 “Foundations of Democracy,” an introductory course; and HST/POS 414 “Political Thought and Leadership,” a senior research seminar – together with three upper-division electives in humanities, social sciences, business, or other related fields for a total of fifteen credit hours. Students are encouraged to enroll in courses taught by program affiliated faculty.
The rise in popularity in the program has been growing year over year among students. With an average of 100 students enrolled each of the past three years, it is now one of the largest certificate programs in The College.
I joined the program my sophomore year at ASU and the community leaders that I have heard from have changed my entire perspective on success and leadership. Dr. Critchlow cares about the success of every student in the PHL capstone course and actively works with them to encourage civic engagement and internship positions. He has connected students with bold leaders in the community who truly have inspiring stories.”
Mallory Staley (2017 PHL graduate)
Visit cai.asu.edu/phl
Political History & Leadership Certificates awarded as of spring 2025
CAI was honored to be welcomed by The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) into its Oases of Excellence network in 2024. Oases of Excellence are outstanding programs at colleges and universities across the country that are dedicated to educating students for informed citizenship in a free society by maintaining the highest academic standards, introducing students to the best of the foundational arts and sciences, teaching American heritage, and ensuring free inquiry into a range of intellectual viewpoints. ACTA’s Oases of Excellence network includes over 90 programs at a wide range of institutions. The network is a forum for sharing ideas and best practices for running an independent liberal arts program and serves as a valuable resource for donors who are committed to supporting academic excellence.
Teaching History and Political Science
In the first three years of operation, faculty in the Center for American Institutions taught 1,383 undergraduate students in 31 history and political science courses.
Center faculty take seriously their academic and civic responsibility to teach the founding principles of American that extend beyond a limited perspective of race, gender or colonization. Students in our classes are spared an extremely biased interpretation of American and European history.
Evidence that the students appreciate and want this type of teaching bears out in terms of student demand for our courses. In order to meet student demand for courses in the Political History & Leadership undergraduate certificate program, faculty in the center now offer four sections of HST 112 Foundations of Democracy each year, which are consistently at capacity enrollment with waiting lists following a trend that started in AY22-23.
Undergraduate students educated in 31 history courses
AY22-23
500 students 10 courses
Fall 2022
HST 104 Modern Europe: French Revolution to European Union – Kenny
HST 109 United States History to 1865 – Tieleman
HST 112 Foundations of Democracy – Barth and Kenny
HST 302 History of Money – Barth
HST 306 American Political Conspiracy – Critchlow
HST 317 History of Postwar Conservatism – Critchlow
HST 354 Revolutionary Europe – Tieleman
Spring 2023
HST 112 Foundations of Democracy – Kenny and Tieleman
HST 112 Foundations of Democracy – Critchlow
HST 414 Political Thought and Leadership – Critchlow
Fall 2023
AY23-24
400 students 10 courses
AY24-25
483 students 11 courses
HST 109 United States History to 1865 – Barth
HST 112 Foundations of Democracy – Critchlow
HST 112 Foundations of Democracy – Kenny and Tieleman
HST 302 History of Money – Barth
HST 306 Debating the Constitution – Critchlow and AZ Supreme Court Justice John Lopez
Spring 2024
HST 112 Foundations of Democracy – Barth and Tieleman
HST 112 Foundations of Democracy – Critchlow
HST 317 History of Postwar Conservatism – Critchlow
HST 330 Historical Thinking – Barth
HST 414 Political Thought and Leadership – Critchlow
Fall 2024
HST 109 United States History to 1865 – Barth
HST 109 United States History to 1865 – Barth
HST 112 Foundations of Democracy – Kenny and Webster
HST 112 Foundations of Democracy – Kenny and Webster
HST 306 Debating the Constitution – Critchlow and AZ Supreme Court Justice John Lopez
Spring 2025
HST 104 Modern Europe: French Revolution to European Union – Kenny
HST 109 United States History to 1865 – Barth
HST 112 Foundations of Democracy – Barth and Webster
HST 112 Foundations of Democracy – Kenny
HST 317 History of Postwar Conservatism – Critchlow
HST 414 Political Thought and Leadership – Critchlow and Webster
*HST 112, HST 414 and HST 317 are cross-listed as political science courses.
*Salaries for Postdoctoral Teaching Fellows (Michael Kenny, Matthijs Teieleman, and Joel Webster) are 100% funded by CAI. Salaries for Professors Critchlow and Barth are funded by their tenure home in the School of Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies.
Politics and Leadership Club
The purpose of the ASU Politics & Leadership Club is to promote leadership and civic involvement by imparting a deeper understanding of political liberty and civic institutions to undergraduate students.
To achieve this, the club provides a forum for students to learn and discuss political thought and leadership in order to foster a better understanding of the current world of politics. The club seeks to teach students how to apply the lessons they learn from each other, faculty, and guest speakers at each meeting to their own life so they can achieve their goals and aspirations. This club is affiliated with the ASU Center for American Institutions and the Political History & Leadership certificate program.
In the last three years, the club has dramatically increased in membership from 30 students to over 100 students by the end of the 2024-25 academic year.
Monday Dialogues (weekly club meetings)
Under the direction of center faculty, undergraduate students in both the Political History & Leadership undergraduate certificate program (PHL) and the Politics & Leadership Club meet every Monday during the fall and spring semesters to discuss a range of topics including “Will Public Opinion Change in the Israel-Hamas War?,” “Are College Classes Overly Politicized?,” “Title IX and Female Athletics: Under Threat?” “Solving America’s Immigration Crisis”, “Free Speech on Campus and Academic Freedom” and other current events topics.
The center also invites experts to these meetings to enhance discussion of topics including “The State of Trust in the Justice System” (AZ Supreme Court Justice James Beene), “The Future of AI: Hopeful or Horrible?” (Bradley Hillstrom), “2024 Post-Election Analysis” (Professor James Strickland), “The Politics of Green Energy” (Henry Thompson), “Slavery, Capitalism and Economic Development (Gavin Wright), “Adapting and Succeeding in a Time of Accelerated Change (Ben Lytle), “The Rise and Fall of Marxism” (Phil Magness), “Solving America’s Water Crisis” (Sarah Porter), and “Ideology and Partisanship in America” (Paul Johnson) among others.
Visit cai.asu.edu/PAL for a complete list of topics
100+
Politics & Leadership Club
Attendance at these voluntary meetings grew to an average of 35 student attendees every week by the end of the 2024-25 academic year.
Encountering History Retreats
The Center for American Institutions (CAI) is committed to teaching American history and political philosophy in the classroom and beyond.
CAI Encountering History Retreats are designed to give undergraduate students an opportunity to encounter history first hand in Washington D.C. and in Santa Barbara at the Reagan Ranch. In addition to visiting historic sites and monuments, students participate in a moderated debate on topics such as free speech, America’s right to revolution, religious liberty, and others.
CAI Encountering History Retreats are funded by our generous donors. Students pay nothing to attend. Airfare, ground transportation, public transportation, hotels, tickets for activities, hard copy curriculum workbooks and most meals are covered.
Encountering History in Washington D.C.
In AY2023-24, the center organized a new undergraduate retreat to Washington D.C. At the ASU Barrett & O’Connor Center the students participated in a debate on “Did American Colonists Have a Right to Revolution,” by reading and defending or refuting primary documents compiled by Professor Jonathan Barth. The students also learned first-hand about the history of America by visiting the White House, the U.S. Capitol, Mount Vernon, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, Arlington National Cemetery, the American History Museum, the National Archives, and national monuments.
Students attended the Encountering History in Washington D.C. retreat between 2023-2025
Reagan Ranch Retreat
In partnership with the Young America’s Foundation, CAI founded the Reagan Ranch Retreat where students learn about the Reagan presidency at the Reagan Ranch Center and on private tour of Racho del Cielo (the Reagan Ranch). On the retreat, the students also learn about free speech by participating in a moot court on the Village of Skokie v. National Socialist Party of America.
“Reagan” Movie Screening
On September 23, 2024, the center rented out a theater in Tempe for a private screening of “Reagan.” Nearly 100 students attended. Rental costs for this event were covered by donors sponsoring student attendees.
Many college students self-censor or view their ideological opposites through the lens of suspicion. Yet at the Reagan Ranch, our group, liberals and conservatives alike, engaged in genuine dialogue. We found that meaningful discourse doesn’t require abandoning our principles; it requires understanding others’… Programs like this are vital for America’s future. They create spaces where students can explore different viewpoints without fear, where we learn to disagree while maintaining respect…”
Retreat student
Visit cai.asu.edu/ encounteringhistory
Students attended the Regan Ranch Retreat between 2022-2025
Scholarships
The Political History & Leadership (PHL) undergraduate certificate program offers opportunities for students to apply for generous scholarships funded by individual donors to the program and/or to the Center for American Institutions. Preference for scholarship awards is given to students in the PHL program or to students who have enrolled in HST 112 “Foundations of Democracy” or HST 414 “Political Thought and Leadership” courses.
Donations to the following scholarship funds allowed the center to award $58,209 in scholarships to 40 students in the last three years.
Palo Verde Republican Women Scholarship
Thomas H. Critchlow Scholarship
Political History & Leadership General Scholarship
Pebble Creek Republican Club Scholarship
Schultz Family Scholarship
To learn more about how you can support our students through scholarship donations contact Amy.Shepard@asu.edu
$58,209 hand-holding-dollar in Scholarships Awarded
Mentoring Impact
Impact
Postdoctoral Fellows
The postdoctoral experience at Arizona State University provides individuals who have recently completed a doctoral degree with a full-time program of advanced academic preparation and research training under the guidance of a supervising faculty mentor. Postdoctoral appointments are by their nature temporary, and are designed primarily to benefit the postdoctoral scholar’s future career development.
The success of postdoctoral fellows is measured in publications and permanent job placements. Under the mentorship of Professor Critchlow and the Center for American Institutions, center postdoctoral fellows have flourished in a very difficult academic job market.
Since his arrival at ASU, Professor Critchlow has mentored eight postdoctoral fellows. As a testament to his ability to work with junior scholars and guide them toward success, four of the eight are in tenure-track positions, two are in higher education teaching positions, and one is a policy analyst for the Canadian government. He is currently mentoring one postdoc with plans to hire and mentor a ninth in 2025-26.
Having a mentor in Professor Critchlow was extremely valuable,”
Professor Jonathan Barth said. “He read my full dissertation, which surprised me in some ways because it was over 400 pages. He was familiar with it. He gave me candid advice on how to improve it and he also would ask for updates on how the revisions were going. He kept me accountable for continuing the process. He also encouraged me to publish articles and in some prestigious journals. I ended up getting a piece accepted with the William and Mary Quarterly and he encouraged me along the way for that.”
Professor Barth’s dissertation was published in 2021 by Cornell University Press as a book titled “The Currency of Empire: Money and Power in Seventeenth-Century English America.”
Professor Critchlow Postdoctoral Mentees
Jonathan Barth Associate Professor of History, ASU
James Hrdlicka Lecturer, ASU
Matthijs Tieleman Assistant Professor of History, Illinois State University
Michael Kenny Lecturer, ASU
Mark Power Smith Assistant Professor of Humanities, University of Florida
Mauricio Suchowlansky Policy Analyst, Canadian First Nations Education Council
Daniel Strand Assistant Professor of Ethics, USAF Air War College
Joel Webster Postdoctoral Fellow, ASU Center for American Institutions
Next year the center will welcome Critchlow’s ninth mentee, Robert Ferguson.
Before being hired by the center, Ferguson, a scholar of American political economy, “was amazed at how much interest Dr. Critchlow took in helping me frame some of my research. For such an established and renowned scholar to have taken that time with me, when he had no obligation to, struck me as unbelievably magnanimous.”
Under the guidance and Professor Critchlow, the center is seeding academia with excellent scholars who understand and perpetuate the idea that we stand as benefactors of institutions that preserve liberty, and that it is incumbent upon teachers of history and political science to protect the fundamental freedoms of America by conveying that liberty is not automatically guaranteed, but rather requires active preservation and support from an educated citizenry.
Impact Research
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National Commission Reports
Policy History Conferences and Workshops
Journal of Policy History
National Commission Reports
The Center for American Institutions undertook research projects that were directly related to the center’s mission of “preserving and renewing our fundamental American institutions to maintain well-ordered liberty in an exceptional nation through the fostering and renewal of foundational American institutions including civic, religious, legal, financial, political, military and family.”
The reports do more than gather objective data about the current state of the health of our institutions. They offer concrete and realizable recommendations for restoring and strengthening our failing institutions.
Published in January 2024, the first of these national commission reports, “The Study of American History in Our Universities,” shows that many teachers of introductory American history courses are not conveying foundational historical knowledge to students. Instead, a heavy emphasis rests on racial, ethnic, and gender identity, usually to the detriment of a comprehensive and necessary knowledge of our nation’s past.
These curricular choices stoke the flames of personal grievance and identity politics, speeding up the erosion of our civic culture when they should instead be working to mend it. This report makes recommendations for educational transparency, intellectual diversity, an overhaul of curriculum through interdisciplinary departments, and changes to teacher evaluations. Commissioners for the report included Gov. Scott Walker, Gov. Mary Fallin and Newt Gingrich.
Center researchers of the report and report commissioner Gov. Scott Walker presented the findings to the Arizona State Legislature at a luncheon on February 26, 2024.
In August, 2024, the center published a national commission report on “Civic Education in the Military,” which found that cadets and midshipmen at our military service academies are receiving extensive training in so-called civic education about racism, sexism, unconscious bias, and intersectionality that subverts our ideals. Furthermore, soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen across all branches of the military are occasionally subject to similar trainings across the military at all organizational levels. These trainings rely heavily on the tenets of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and are provided with the express goals of fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace, and of rooting out alleged white supremacy in the military. Training is implemented by a vast, tax-payer funded DEI bureaucracy that extends from senior leaders at the Pentagon to the lowest ranks.
Our vibrant religious, economic, and political history, with all its nuance, is simply glossed over or criticized, and little or no training is offered as a means of helping servicemembers, cadets, and midshipmen understand and appreciate America’s founding philosophy or the Constitution servicemembers swear an oath to uphold and defend.
This report suggests ways to combat this disturbing trend in our military. Commissioners for the report included Matt Lohmeier, Karrin Taylor Robson,
and John Cauthen. They presented the findings of the report to the community at an Oct. 15, 2024 Engaging Citizenship Luncheon titled “The Depth of DEI in our Military”.
In November, 2024, the center published a report on religion, charity and American life titled “A Thousand Points of Light Still Shine.”
The research began with a survey to over a thousand congregations and over two hundred clergy in four regionally representative cities: Detroit, Michigan; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Miami, Florida; and Phoenix, Arizona. Clergy surveyed included over eighteen denominations. Following this survey, the research team explored websites and reports of churches and synagogues in these cities, as well as city and county faith-based social welfare agencies.
The findings of this commission are astounding. Most of the activities of these congregations and social welfare services are not publicized or reported in our media. The good work of these congregations rely largely on volunteers who contribute to their community’s health out of the goodness of their hearts. Their work reaches beyond their congregations and the faithful. These volunteers express a belief that through their efforts, the world can be a better place. They express through their work an optimism so often lacking in our world today.
The irony is that while faith-based organizations are more active in our communities today than at any time in modern American history, these good works coincide with a rise in hate crimes. This report offers an optimistic view of how religious organizations of all faiths can work together to combat this issue.
Commissioners for the report included Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. and Rabbi Pinchas Allouche.
An Engaging Citizenship Luncheon titled “Why Religion is Important in Our Communities” on January 7, 2025 explored ways in which religious communities can coordinate these efforts for increased community impact. Speakers included Rabbi Pinchas Allouche, Elder Broc C. Hiatt, Jamie Rasmussen and Maria Chavira.
cai.asu.edu/commissionreports
Policy History Conferences and Workshops
The ASU Center for American Institutions, Journal of Policy History and Institute for Political History co-sponsor biennial academic conferences on policy history.
Since its first meeting in 2002, the Policy History Conference has provided an interdisciplinary forum for presentations and roundtable discussions on policy history topics and recent policy history research. The conferences bring together academy scholars, independent scholars and graduate students to share their research. Many of the papers presented eventually appear in academic journals and other publications.
In addition to internal research projects, the center sponsored two Policy History Conferences and one Policy History workshop in the past three years.
The June 7-9, 2023 conference was held in Columbus, Ohio and included two plenary sessions: “Environmental Policy” by Christopher Loss (Vanderbilt University), Adam Rome (University at Buffalo), and Bart Elmore (The Ohio State University) and “Political Polarization” by Thomas B. Edsall, New York Times
An academic Policy History workshop on “Policy History Studies: The State and the Future of the Field” was hosted by the center on February 2-3, 2024 in Tempe, Arizona. The workshop was designed for invited senior faculty from universities and colleges across the country to mentor junior faculty on their current policy research projects.
The workshop included plenary sessions by Patrick Kenney, Executive Vice Provost of Arizona State University on “American Voting Behavior” and Professor Jane BoxSteffensmeier (The Ohio State University) on “The Future of the U.S. Supreme Court.”
The June 4-6, 2025 conference was held in Charlotte, North Carolina and included two plenary sessions: “Does Political History Have a Future?” by Richard Bensel (Cornell University), Richard R. John (Columbia University) and Jennifer Burns (Stanford University) and “Immigration Policy and Political History” by Daniel Tichenor (University of Oregon) and Rodney Hero (UC Berkeley). Visit cai.asu.edu/ policyhistory
Journal of Policy History
Published by Cambridge University Press, the Journal of Policy History (JPH) is an interdisciplinary academic journal concerned with the application of historical perspectives to public policy studies.
While seeking to inform scholars interested in policy history, the journal also seeks to inform policy makers through a historical approach to public policy. Authors focus on policy origins and development through historical inquiry, historical analysis of specific policy areas and policy institutions, explorations of continuities and shifts in policy over time, interdisciplinary research into public policy, and comparative historical approaches to the development of public policy.
With the assistance of the JPH Editorial Board, the ASU Center for American Institutions manages the editorial process of JPH including submissions, publication decisions, copy editing, etc. and serves as liaison between the board and Cambridge UP.
Community Impact
Impact
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Engaging Citizenship Luncheons
Public Lectures
High School Leadership Academies
Engaging Citizenship Luncheons
The mission of the Engaging Citizenship Luncheons is to provide a deeper understanding of critical political and cultural issues confronting our nation. These meetings provide an opportunity for attendees from the community to deepen their understanding of issues including free speech, elections, constitutional rights, education, biotechnology, technology, religious freedom and other topics.
Luncheons are designed for active community engagement with presentations by subject matter experts followed by audience Q&A.
Due to high demand, the center moved these luncheons to the Omni Hotel in Fall 2023 to accommodate more attendees. As of AY24-25, luncheons attracted an average of 50 community members each month.
Engaging Citizenship Luncheons
Fall 2022
Sept. 6, 2022: “Is Modernity and Traditional Religion Compatible?” (Fr. Christopher Salamy)
Oct. 11, 2022: “Election Integrity” (Scot Mussi)
Nov. 1, 2022: “A Blueprint for Reclaiming American Self-Governance” (Tony Woodlief)
Dec. 6, 2022: “Is Euthanasia a Right?” (Alexandra Snyder)
Fall 2023
Sept. 5: “What to Expect with the Upcoming AZ Legislative Session” (AZ State Senators Jake Hoffman and J.D. Mesnard)
Oct. 3: “Can Sex Trafficking Be Stopped?” (Dawn Hawkins)
Nov. 7: “Is America’s Military Too Woke?” (Lt. Col Matthew Lohmeier)
Dec. 12: “Is China Likely to Invade Taiwan?” (Rich Shields and Claire Christensen)
Fall 2024
Sept. 3: “ASU Students Speak Out About Campus Culture” (Alumni and current PHL students)
Oct. 15: “The Depth of DEI in Our Military (Matt Lohmeier, Karrin Taylor Robson and John Cauthen)
Nov. 5: “Cybercrime: A National Security Threat” (John Iannarelli)
Dec. 5: “The State of Arizona Politics – Post Election (Mike Nobel and James Strickland)
Spring 2023
Jan. 10: “Does It Matter Who Is Elected to Your Local School Board?” (Amy Carney and Carine Werner)
Feb. 7: “2nd Amendment Rights” (AWR Hawkins)
Mar. 7: “The Future of Humanity and Biotechnology” (William B. Hurlbut, MD)
Apr. 4: “Civic Education”(Erik Twist)
Spring 2024
Jan. 9: “The Media and Political Polarization” (Mollie Hemingway)
Feb. 6: “The Politics of Justice” (Ilya Shapiro and AZ Supreme Court Justices John Lopez and Bill Montgomery)
Mar. 12: “Who are the Victims of Crime?” (Steve Twist, Joseph Hinrichsen and Joan Illuzzi-Orbon )
Apr. 2: “Is It a Brave New World?” (Professor William Hurlbut)
Spring 2025
Jan. 7: “Why Religion is Important for Our Communities” (Maria Chavira, Jamie Rasmussen, Rabbi Pinchas Allouche and Elder Broc C. Hiatt)
Feb. 4: “The Family Under Attack” (Mary Rice Hasson)
Mar. 4: “Religious Liberty in the Courts” (Justices John Lopez and William Montgomery)
Apr. 1: “AI: New Reality for the Future?” (Ben Lytle)
Public Lectures
The center provides opportunities for students and the community to engage with national experts on a range of topics. In the last three years, the center has organized 8 public lectures at venues across Arizona.
October 14, 2022: Center for American Institutions Launch with keynote address by Bret Weinstein “Cancel Culture: When Protest at a University Goes Too Far” ASU Tempe campus
September 9, 2022: Kimberley Strassel “The State of American Politics” Tempe Mission Palms
February 16, 2023: Katie Pavlich “The New Media” ASU Tempe campus
March 24, 2023: Rosalind Ross “The Making of Father Stu” ASU MIX Center
September 7, 2023: Ross Douthat, Kimberly Strassel, Gov. Scott Walker “Responsibilities of the Media in an Age of Polarization” Desert Botanical Garden
February 29, 2024: Gad Saad “Wokeness in the Universities and Culture” ASU Tempe campus
April 3, 2024: ASU President Michael Crow “ASU’s Support for Intellectual Diversity on Campus” ASU University Club
November 21, 2024: Kimberly Strassel, Mollie Ziegler Hemingway, Mark Hemingway “Ground Game into Actions Game: What to Expect in the First 100 Days” Hotel Valley Ho
Public Lectures
High School Leadership Academy
The Center for American Institutions hosted 6 High School Leadership Academies in which over 300 students from 47 different high schools enrolled. The academies were made possible by generous donations from the Bradley Foundation, the Apgar Foundation, the Katzin Family and other private donors.
In partnership with the Truman Presidential Library’s White House Decision Center (WHDC), the academies provided students with first-hand experience in crisis management, world affairs, political science and history. Participants stepped into the role of President Harry S. Truman and his advisors to tackle some of the greatest challenges faced by any world leader. The academies challenged students’ abilities to quickly synthesize complex information gleaned from the now-declassified primary sources that President Truman and his advisors read.
300 users
In addition to the WHDC curriculum, Professor Barth created a curriculum on Religious Liberty in the U.S. using the 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis U.S. Supreme Court case as an example. Students who attended the January 20, 2025 academy participated in a mock debate on the topic.
January 16, 2023: Ending the War with Japan
August 1, 2023: Ending the War with Japan
January 15, 2024: The U.S. Recognition of Israel
July 29, 2024: Responding to the Communist Invasion of South Korea
January 20, 2025: Religious Liberty in the U.S.
July 24, 2025: Ending the War with Japan
In response to community requests, the center also offered the High School Leadership Academy curriculum to adult learners on two occasions. Feedback from participants was very positive. The center intends to continue offering these opportunities to community members and undergraduate students.
July 30, 2024: Responding to the Communist Invasion of South Korea
July 25, 2025: Ending the War with Japan
Students from 47 Different High Schools Enrolled
Financial Impact
Impact
Donations, State Appropriation and Grants
The Center for American Institutions is grateful to the Arizona State Legislature for start-up funding, community donors, and granting organizations* who have generously funded our mission over the past three years.
With the exception of start-up funding in 2022, the center does not receive any state or federal funding.
Our annual budget of $1.2 million funds classroom teaching, high school leadership training, encountering history retreats for undergraduate students, research, and community building through monthly luncheons and a speaker series.
See page 36 for information about how you can help us continue making an impact in education, building renewed trust in American institutions, and encouraging policy changes to strengthen our shared communities.
Center for American Institutions
Funding 2022-2025
Gifts $1,520,759
Grants $650,000
Registration Fees $78,294
*Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation and APGAR Foundation
Your Support will Make an Impact
The Center for American Institutions relies exclusively on philanthropic community and foundation support. The center does not receive any state or federal funding. These resources provide support for all of the programming in this report as well as teaching fellows, undergraduate research fellows and a dedicated team of staff members.
Your contribution to the Center for American Institutions is essential to the education and training of a future generation of leaders in their communities, the state and the nation. In this way the center fulfills Thomas Jefferson’s admonition for universities to combine academic knowledge with public life.
asufoundation.org/ CA124574.html
Make check payable to: ASU Foundation/CAI Send to: Arizona State University Center for American Institutions c/o Amy Shepard PO Box 872901 Tempe, AZ 85287-2901
To learn more about giving to CAI with IRA qualified charitable distributions, appreciated property, or other non-cash gifts and legacy gifts, email: Jennifer.Marsteen@ asufoundation.org
I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of society, but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is, not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education.”
Thomas Jefferson, Sept. 28, 1820