Undergraduate Opportunities in Civic Leadership
The Center provides Jacksonville State University students with meaningful opportunities to engage deeply with American political thought and civic traditions.
Courses
PSC 454 – American Political Thought
Taught every fall semester, this course engages with primary sources to investigate the foundational principles of American government, examine ideas of American democracy, analyze the Constitution, understand political behaviors of Americans, and ask persistence questions of American civics.
Pre-Service Teacher Opportunities
Education majors can strengthen their content knowledge in American history, government, and civics while preparing for the classroom. The Center provides enhanced academic grounding for future social studies educators through its Summer Civics Seminar and other programming being developed.
K–5 pre-service teachers can apply to be part of the 2026 Summer Civics Seminar (June 14th – 19th) through this application. Applications are due by April 17, 2026.
The Tocqueville Lecture Series - YouTube Channel
A non-partisan series funded by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Jack Miller Center that improves students’ understanding of American government through civic discourse.
Compass: An Undergraduate Journal of American Political Ideas
Compass is a biannual peer-reviewed journal that provides a space for the work of talented undergraduates who have original and well-articulated insights on important ideas and issues relating to American democracy understood in the broad contexts of political philosophy, history, literature, economics, and culture. These publications encourage meaningful participation in productive, educated, and broad-minded dialogue about important ideas. The journal publishes articles that interest those within the university and audiences outside of academia.
The Tocqueville Society
A non-partisan student organization focused on exploring the foundations of American democracy through reading and discussing works of American political thought, philosophy, literature, history, economics, culture, academic research, and other sources. To learn more, contact the student organization’s advisor, Dr. Bejamin Gross, at bgross@jsu.edu.