Center for the Study of Liberal Democracy

08/29/2026

New semester, new reading groups! This fall we have *five* options for learning, discussion, and community building.

Our popular Classical Philosophy reading group is already full (!), but there's something for everyone in our other offerings. Open to all members of the campus community.

08/27/2026

Welcome back to campus, Badgers! We're looking forward to another great year of classes, reading groups, lectures, and more. Learn more at our Open House at the Law School on 9/8!

08/26/2026

Students, applications are now open for our most popular trip of the year. Hear from world class scholars, meet new friends, and enjoy the beauty of Notre Dame in the fall. Apply today; space fills quickly!

08/25/2026

UW-Madison undergrads, applications opened yesterday for the 2026-27 Deliberation Dinners, a great way to build your listening and discussion skills around challenging topics with a group of ideologically-diverse classmates. Check it out!

Application Information Requirements & Commitments Eligibility Must be an undergraduate. Must be able to attend all six dinners, split between the fall and spring semesters. What are the benefits? Student’s thoughts about the UW-Madison Deliberation Dinners Dates Monday Night Cohort Tuesday Night ...

08/15/2026

Celebrate America’s milestone birthday with a lecture series on civic virtue: what it is, what it’s not, and how it’s contested.

08/13/2026

UW-Madison students: Want to be more involved in the work of the CSLD? Apply today for our student fellowships!

The Madison Fellowship allows you to explore the breadth of the CSLD's programmatic and curricular offerings, while the Newman Fellowship offers a chance to delve more deeply into the work of our Catholic Social & Political Thought Initiative.

Apply to one or both; applications close 9/11.

08/13/2026

Mark your calendars for our annual Constitution Day celebration. We'll celebrate a few days early this year with a talk by Prof. Paul Carrese (ASU), who will kick off our Civic Virtues lecture series with a talk on reflective patriotism. Open to all. We hope to see you there!

07/02/2026

Happy 250th Anniversary of the Day the Continental Congress declared the American colonies independent from Great Britain. (On Saturday, we'll commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence.) John Adams wrote that today's "great anniversary Festival" should "be commemorated with solemn Acts of Devotion . . , Pomp and Parade, with Sh[o]ws, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other."

Let the fireworks begin!

06/30/2026

Just in time for America’s 250th, today we wrapped up our 2026 Civic Literacy and Citizenship Symposium with social studies teachers from across Wisconsin. We considered with expert faculty and our experienced teachers how to teach and cultivate civic virtue.

05/20/2026

Our Catholic Social & Political Thought Initiative is gearing up for a (soon to be) hot-off-the-press summer read. If you're on campus this summer, check it out!