Talks from the Hoover Institution

The Alliance for Civics in the Academy held "What's New in Civics for 2026? " with Jenna Silber Storey, William Howell, and Roosevelt Montas on September 10, 2026, from 9:00-10:00 a.m. PT.

To inaugurate the second season of Civics in the Academy, we explore some of the new civics-related programs emerging across American institutions of higher education. ACA Executive Committee member Jenna Storey talks with Roosevelt Montas (Chang Chavkin Center on Liberal Education and Civic Life, Bard College) and William Howell (School of Government and Policy, Johns Hopkins University) about their respective endeavors and assesses with them the broader movement to strengthen civic education in higher education.

The Hoover Institution Center for Revitalizing American Institutions on Thursday, May 14, from 4:00 to 4:50 PM PT in Hauck Auditorium held a panel discussion on The Peril and Promise of Local Journalism in American Democracy.

News media have undergone massive change in recent decades. A variety of new information platforms have emerged, while traditional news outlets have at times struggled to make the transition into a digital-native era. These developments have been particularly acute at the local level, where many Americans now live in “news deserts.” Our eminent panelists discuss how these developments have fundamentally altered American politics, including regional disparities in representation, the accountability of government officials, and electoral campaigns. Additionally, we consider how the changes have shaped journalists’ responsibilities and media innovations.

The Hoover's History Lab and Center for Revitalizing American Institutions held National Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made America, a special book launch with the author, Michael Auslin on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 from 4:00 - 5:15 p.m. PT.

The inspiring story of the Declaration of Independence —the first to take us from its drafting by Thomas Jefferson to today— charts the many lives of a document that captures the soul of America on the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding.

An award-winning historian, Michael Auslin takes us from the boarding house in Philadelphia where Jefferson put quill to paper to the Declaration’s covert signing and its long, harrowing, and ultimately hallowed afterlife. We follow the parchment as it is hauled out of a soon-to-be-burning Washington in 1814 and see it hidden in a dank cellar, posted in classrooms, printed on handkerchiefs, and used to sell insurance and bundle coal. Through it all, Jefferson’s words have inspired implausibly varied causes, from suffragists and civil rights leaders to groups waging war on the US government. As Jefferson had hoped, the principles enshrined in the Declaration became a beacon to the world. But what lessons should we take from it today? Can this statement of ideals in whose name the signers pledged their lives and sacred honor bring a disparate nation together? As we gather to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founders’ bold experiment in democracy, Auslin reminds us that this enduring document was not just a call for freedom and equality but an eloquent statement of the principles that bind us together.

The Alliance for Civics in the Academy hosts "Can Civic Education be Liberal?" with Melinda Zook, Joseph Knippenberg, Benjamin Storey, and Dan Edelstein on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, from 9:00–10:00 a.m. PT.

Civic education and liberal education are often treated as complementary, but their aims can diverge in important ways. This webinar explores how efforts to prepare students for democratic citizenship intersect with, and at times strain against, the broader aims of liberal education, including open inquiry, intellectual autonomy, and critical skepticism. Panelists will consider how institutions can navigate these tensions while advancing a coherent vision of civic learning in higher education.

The Hoover Institution in DC hosts Ideas Uncorked: Competing Systems: U.S. Strategy in the Age of Chinese Authoritarianism on Tuesday, May 5 from 5:00–6:30 pm ET. The event features Elizabeth Economy, Sarah Beran, Matt Turpin, and Miles Yu.

FEATURING

Elizabeth Economy, Hargrove Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution

Sarah Beran, former Special Assistant to the President and NSC Senior Director for China and Taiwan Affairs

Matt Turpin, former NSC Director for China and Senior Advisor on China to the Secretary of Commerce and Visiting Fellow, Hoover Institution

Miles Yu, former China Policy Advisor to the Secretary of State and Visiting Fellow, Hoover Institution