Center for American Studies
Christopher Newport University’s Center for American Studies promotes undergraduate and faculty research on America’s founding principles and history, economic foundations, and national security in order to promote sensible notions of political liberty, economic liberty, and civic responsibility.
We sponsor undergraduate programming, curricular development, annual conferences, national security workshops and research at the undergraduate and postdoctoral levels.
As Thomas Jefferson observed, the survival of a democracy requires an educated public. Unfortunately, there is significant reason to conclude that American universities no longer provide a sufficient education in the major political and military issues of the day. We are dedicated to reversing this troubling trend.
Because the students who are currently enrolled in America’s colleges will soon shoulder the responsibilities of leading this country, it is imperative that American colleges reinvigorate the education of tomorrow’s leaders.
About Us
The Center for American Studies (CAS) was formed in 2007 to respond to the growing lack of civic literacy among college students and citizens. Our goal is to educate the next generation toward becoming enlightened leaders and responsible citizens in order to better secure the future.
Mission
The CAS is an interdisciplinary, nonpartisan center dedicated to teaching and scholarship on America’s founding principles and history, economic foundations, and national security. We are committed to ensuring that Christopher Newport University is known as a premier liberal arts institution where students can study the classical and modern foundations of American constitutionalism, republicanism, rule of law, free enterprise and individual liberty in order to develop sensible notions of liberty and civic responsibility.
Goals
As a nonpartisan center, the CAS builds upon CNU’s strength as a classical liberal arts institution. Our goals and activities include:
- Enhancing CNU’s undergraduate curriculum in American studies, constitutional studies and U.S. national security studies
- Supporting undergraduate and faculty scholarship that advance understanding of the American experiment in economic and political liberty
- Sponsoring postdoctoral fellows and visiting scholars
- Holding annual conferences and national security workshops
- Developing student internship programs
Program Focus
The Center for American Studies has worked to initiate innovative programs exploring America’s foundational principles, economic system and defense policy. We focus on three areas:
Our programming examines the uniqueness of America’s experiment in democracy republicanism, constitutionalism, self-governance and individual liberties. This exploration focuses on the philosophical underpinnings, historical development, legal content and contemporary interpretations of the U.S. Constitution and the writings that influenced its structure.
Our activities also explore the link between political freedom and economic liberty, as well as the role of government in a free society. Programs and research focus on free enterprise, entrepreneurship and capitalism as foundational elements of the original American Experiment, and critically analyze the evolving role of these institutions in the U.S. and the global community.
CAS programming also focuses on the history and evolution of U.S. national security policies, the current threats facing the United States, and the political and military mechanism for addressing those threats at home and abroad. We emphasize the new dimensions of national security, including weapons of mass destruction proliferation, inspections regimes, terrorism, homeland security, intelligence and counterinsurgency operations, and energy security.
For Students
Academic Programs
The American studies major and minor focuses primarily on the American founding and its legacy. The four core courses for the major are centered on the theme of the founding and evolution of the great “American Experiment” in democracy, capitalism and self-government.
The minor in U.S. National Security Studies explores the rich, and often controversial, legacy of U.S. diplomatic and national security policies from its founding to the present, beginning with the principles of U.S. foreign policy rooted in the Constitution and tracing the evolution of U.S. national security through the Cold War and Post-Cold War eras.
The minor also examines the specific internal mechanisms by which national security policies are formulated, as well as the theoretical debates in international relations scholarship on the nature of the international system, the role of power, calculations of national interest, and the effect of institutions such as international law in governing state behavior.
The minor explores the political and historical contexts of current regional conflict areas; and the “new dimensions” of U.S. national security, including WMD proliferation, ethnic conflict and conflict resolution; the “War on Terrorism”; and human, environmental, and energy security.
The classes I have taken through the program have always been interesting, thought-provoking and have challenged me to think critically about a wide range of topics.
Jordan Winnett
Internships
The Center for American Studies offers student internships within the center and facilitates internship programs opportunities with private companies, nonprofits and government agencies, such as Business Executives for National Security and United States Investigations Services. We also offer students networking opportunities through events and conferences.
CAS Junior Fellows
Junior fellows engage in original research with a CAS faculty mentor, present research at academic conferences, receive training in archival research and copy editing, and provide assistance on center programming.
My time with the CAS has given me marketable skills which helped me become a more competitive candidate in today’s job market.
Kelly Hazzard
Contact
Center for American Studies
cas@cnu.edu