The Madison Program: Defending Civic Education and Free Speech

The Madison Program, founded by Robert A. George, focuses on providing strong offerings in civic education and defending free speech. It serves as a model for universities to emulate, promoting intellectual discourse based on reasons, evidence, and arguments. The program has been successful in attracting diverse students, including both conservatives and liberals, who engage in rigorous academic discussions without ideological bias. Additionally, Robert A. George has been involved in establishing para-academic institutions, such as the Academic Freedom Alliance, which defends faculty members' rights to advocate diverse perspectives, and the Barry Scholarships, which support outstanding graduate students from various backgrounds. Through these initiatives, a small-c conservative approach is upheld, centering around the preservation of American Enlightenment principles rooted in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.