Our Constitutional Founding: From Ideas to Institutions
Gain a deeper understanding of our Constitution by studying the political debates surrounding its founding.
Summer 2025
Constitutional Studies Program
Washington, DC
Applications Open Soon
The Supreme Court unites us. That was the point. In a nation governed by the rule of law under a federal constitution, judicial administration of that constitution could not be left scattershot to 13 state supreme courts, let alone 50. So we established one court, supreme to all the others, singularly capable of unifying our rule of law.
And the Supreme Court divides us. That is unavoidable. A case involves two sides—one wins, one loses. And precisely because the Court was made to decide cases of national consequence, its decisions stir outrage, and have from the start.
This program examines American constitutional law and the controversies it has occasioned in light of America’s constitutional history, institutions, principles, and statesmanship. Led by legal expert Adam J. White, the program will also feature guest lectures from Supreme Court advocates, leading legal scholars, and judges who will bring their practical experience to bear on key constitutional questions.
Learn more about the Constitutional Studies Program.
Faculty & Speakers
- Faculty
- Speaker
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Adam J. White
AEI
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Vincent Phillip Muñoz
University of Notre Dame
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Gary J. Schmitt
AEI
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Richard Brookhiser
Historian
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Michael Fragoso
U.S. Senate
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Sarah Isgur
The Dispatch
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Lucas Morel
Washington & Lee University
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Cameron Norris
Consovoy McCarthy PLLC
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Judge Amul Thapar
U.S. Court of Appeals
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Michael Zuckert
University of Notre Dame
Summer 2024 Courses
Past Courses
The Words That Made Us
Revisit key constitutional questions through the lens of history and law.
The Supreme Court & American Politics
Explore how the new conservative supermajority will change the Court.
The Constitution, The Courts, and Conservatism
Explore the debates within conservative legal thought on the courts and the Constitution.
The Supreme Court’s 2017-18 Term
Study two landmark cases from a momentous Supreme Court term.
Landmark Supreme Court Cases
Study five landmark Supreme Court cases with a view to exploring how politics and law interact.
Deadlines & Eligibility
Who Should Apply? Advanced undergraduates, recent graduates, law students, and young professionals are all eligible to apply. Fellows may apply for, and participate in, multiple seminars.
Dates & Times: Seminars meet in-person over Summer 2025. See the individual course pages for full details.
Commitment: Seminars meet for morning seminars, with afternoon guest speakers and some evening activities. Fellows are expected to attend all sessions and activities.
Housing, Stipend, & Course Materials: Residential hotel accommodations will be provided, as will all course materials. Fellows will receive a stipend contingent upon full participation in the course.
Deadline: Applications open soon.
Early Decision candidates will receive priority consideration. Those who apply Early Decision are expected to participate in the fellowship if admitted and to withdraw applications from other opportunities that would pose a conflict. If not admitted in the Early Decision round, applicants may defer to Final Decision to be reviewed again.
APPLICATION MATERIALS
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A CV OR RÉSUMÉ
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PERSONAL STATEMENT
Describe, in 1,000 words, or less the political questions you find most interesting, your future ambitions, and how these relate to your preferred program(s).
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ACADEMIC TRANSCRIPT
Unofficial; required only for currently enrolled students & recent graduates.
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ACADEMIC OR PROFESSIONAL WRITING SAMPLE
12 pages maximum; double-spaced. Please send academic writing that best showcases your ability to invent and sustain a persuasive argument, no matter the subject-matter.
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RECOMMENDATION LETTER & REFERENCE
Provide the name and contact information of a professor, mentor, or supervisor. (Letter not required for nominated applicants.)
Alumni Spotlight
View Full Bio
Julia Gorman
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Current Position:
Associate
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Past:
Morgan Stanley, Charles River Associates
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Education:
Boston College, University of Michigan Law School
Julia Gorman is an associate at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton. As a recent college graduate, she participated in the 2015 Political Studies Program, and later returned to Hertog as a young professional for the “Great Figures of the 20th Century” Weekend Seminars.
- HOW DID YOU FIRST HEAR ABOUT THE HERTOG FOUNDATION? WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO APPLY?
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I heard about the Political Studies Program through professors in Boston College’s Political Science Department. It struck me that that despite varying political beliefs and principles, each spoke highly of the Program. One professor said that the students in seminars at Hertog are “among the best of the best.” Such high praise paired with the possibility of an intensive study of politics and political theory motivated me to apply.
- WHAT STICKS OUT IN YOUR MEMORY ABOUT YOUR EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE WITH HERTOG PROGRAMS?
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I was impressed by the mixture of ideas and activities at the Political Studies Program. We studied materials ranging from the Students for a Democratic Society’s Port Huron Statement to Augustine’s City of Godwith outstanding professors and visiting lecturers. Justice Scalia taught us about philosophy applied to law, and Marine Corps General James Mattis explained that duty often supersedes politics. We visited the Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National Gallery, we participated in a staff ride at Gettysburg, and we got to know one another and our nation’s capital while wandering the monuments. The Political Studies Program provided a wide-ranging education, much of which took place outside of the classroom.
- DO YOU THINK HERTOG PROGRAMS ARE BENEFICIAL FOR YOUNG PEOPLE INTERESTED IN PUBLIC POLICY OR CONSULTING?
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Yes. Aside from the network that Hertog offers, the Program provides a schooling in political philosophy and political history. Both are essential to public policy, since it orders human affairs. One cannot hope to craft good policy without asking big questions, understanding what government and politics are capable of, and more importantly, what they’re not capable of.
- OVERALL, WHAT IS YOUR IMPRESSION OF HERTOG PROGRAMS?
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They’re top-notch. Part of the reason they’re so good is that the Hertog Foundation’s educational mission is simply to form more thoughtful citizens. As a result, Hertog selects students who are bright, driven, and intellectually curious, but who possess a range of beliefs and pursuits. I have no doubt that some of the people I’ve studied with at Hertog will influence the civic, intellectual, and political life of the United States for the better.
- WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? IN A SIMILAR JOB, OR EMBARKING ON SOMETHING DIFFERENT?
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I hope I’ll end up at the intersection of economics and political theory. Each subject is interesting in its own right, but I think it’s important to blend the disciplines because economics provides a sanity check on policy-making, and political theory provides the tools with which to examine the normative assumptions of economics.
Julia Gorman
Julia Gorman is an associate at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton. As a recent college graduate, she participated in the 2015 Political Studies Program, and later returned to Hertog as a young professional for the “Great Figures of the 20th Century” Weekend Seminars.
“The Hertog Foundation’s educational mission is simply to form more thoughtful citizens. As a result, Hertog selects students who are bright, driven, and intellectually curious, but who possess a range of beliefs and pursuits. I have no doubt that some of the people I’ve studied with at Hertog will influence the civic, intellectual, and political life of the United States for the better.”
Other Courses You Might Be Interested In
Constitutional Administration
Learn how policy is translated through the administrative state and the courts.
The Federalist & Contemporary Debates
Consider The Federalist Papers anew through the lens of current events.
Ideas & Public Policy
Examine the influence of ideas in some of our key policy debates.
Slavery & the American Founding
Consider the status of slavery and race in the American Founding.
The Political Thought of Edmund Burke
Study the work of Edmund Burke, the West’s first and arguably greatest conservative thinker.
Virtue & Power
Reflect on the ethical dilemmas implied by the pursuit of power.
Adam J. White
Adam J. White is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he focuses on American constitutionalism. Concurrently, he codirects the C. Boyden Gray Center for the Study of the Administrative State at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University.
Gary J. Schmitt
Gary J. Schmitt is a senior fellow in the Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies program at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he studies issues related to the American presidency, the U.S. constitution and its principles, and American civic life.
Vincent Phillip Muñoz
Vincent Phillip Muñoz is the Tocqueville Professor of Political Science and Concurrent Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame.
Akhil Reed Amar
Akhil Reed Amar is Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University, where he teaches constitutional law in both Yale College and Yale Law School. He is Yale’s only currently active professor to have won the University’s unofficial triple crown — the Sterling Chair for scholarship, the DeVane Medal for teaching, and the Lamar Award for alumni service. His latest and most ambitious book, The Words That Made Us: America’s Constitutional Conversation, 1760-1840, came out in May 2021. He has recently launched a weekly podcast, Amarica’s Constitution.
Greg Weiner
Greg Weiner is President of Assumption University and founding director of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Center for Scholarship and Statesmanship. He is the author of American Burke: The Uncommon Liberalism of Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Old Whigs: Burke, Lincoln and the Politics of Prudence.
Daniel DiSalvo
Daniel DiSalvo is a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute’s Center for State and Local Leadership and an Assistant Professor of Political Science at The City College of New York-CUNY. His scholarship focuses on American political parties, elections, labor unions, state government, and public policy.
Thomas Merrill
Thomas Merrill is an associate professor in the School of Public Affairs at American University. He is the author of Hume and the Politics of Enlightenment. He is also the co-editor of three edited volumes, including The Political Thought of the Civil War.
Alan M. Levine
Alan M. Levine is Associate Professor of political theory in the Department of Government and the founding director of the Political Theory Institute at American University. A specialist in the history of Western political thought, Professor Levine’s research interests include ancient and modern political theory.
Ryan Patrick Hanley
Ryan Patrick Hanley is Professor of Political Science at Boston College. His research in the history of political philosophy focuses on the Enlightenment. He is the author of Our Great Purpose: Adam Smith on Living a Better Life and Love’s Enlightenment: Rethinking Charity in Modernity.
Benjamin Storey
Benjamin Storey is a senior fellow in Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. He recently co-authored a book with Jenna Silber Storey entitled Why We Are Restless: On the Modern Quest for Contentment.