Lecture Series
The School of Civic Leadership regularly brings world-class academics, public intellectuals, policymakers, and leaders from a variety of fields to the University of Texas at Austin campus. With a robust calendar of lectures, debates, and roundtables, the School of Civic Leadership’s events model civil discourse, intellectual pluralism, and the shared pursuit of truth. For a full list of upcoming and past events, please see the SCL Events webpage.
April 2026
Disputed Question: Is the American Presidency a Constitutional Dictatorship?
A Conversation with William Galston, John Yoo, and Sanford Levinson
SCL Visiting Professor John Yoo and Wall Street Journal columnist William A. Galston took part in a debate moderated by UT Law Professor Sanford Levinson on the question: Is the American presidency a constitutional dictatorship? The conversation centered on a question first raised in Clinton Rossiter’s classic 1948 study Constitutional Dictatorship. In the closing discussion, the speakers took questions on checks and balances, the growth of executive power, and the shifting role of Congress. This debate is part of a growing series at SCL designed to foster thoughtful conversation on serious questions affecting our country.
Rebels: Jews vs. Rome
A Lecture by Dr. Barry Strauss
The School of Civic Leadership welcomed Dr. Barry Strauss for a discussion on his recent book, “Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World’s Mightiest Empire.” Barry Strauss is the Corliss Page Dean Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and Professor Emeritus at Cornell University. A noted classicist and historian, his work examines leadership and the ancient world through figures like Caesar, Hannibal, and Alexander.
March 2026
Who Lays Down the Law? Congress, the President, or Someone Else?
A Lecture by Dr. James Stoner
Executive orders can shape policy fast, but where do they fit in the Constitution? During his visit to campus, Dr. James Stoner of Louisiana State University gave a lecture exploring the tension between Congress’s lawmaking power and presidential action. A professor of political science and director of LSU’s Eric Voegelin Institute, Stoner also examined when executive orders may be legitimate, when legislation is the better path, and how courts respond to each.
February 2026
Lincoln and the Challenge of American Statesmanship
A Presidents’ Day Discussion with Dr. Benjamin Kleinerman, Dr. Diana Schaub, and Dr. Dana Stauffer
How should an American leader act in times of crisis? Can a statesman be both a practical politician and a moral leader for a nation? In what ways does the American constitutional system shape presidential leadership? President Abraham Lincoln confronted these questions in his quest to save the American union and to end the evil of slavery.
In a conversation moderated by Dr. Dana Stauffer (UT Austin), SCL Visiting Professors Benjamin Kleinerman (Baylor University) and Diana Schaub (Loyola University, Maryland) discussed Lincoln’s approach to leadership, the crucial decisions of his wartime presidency, and the lessons he can teach modern American statesmen.
Co-sponsored by the Thomas Jefferson Center for Core Texts and Ideas.
January 2026
Venezuela after Maduro: On-the-Ground Perspectives on Democratic Transition
A Discussion with Dr. Juan Miguel Matheus, Dr. Diego Zambrano, and Dr. Kurt Weyland
Dr. Juan Miguel Matheus (Bowden Resident Fellow at Texas Law and member of the opposition parliament in Venezuela), Dr. Diego Zambrano (Stanford Law), and Dr. Kurt Weyland (UT Austin) discussed the constitutional consequences of Nicolás Maduro’s removal and the challenges facing the democratic opposition in achieving genuine democratization.
Will the Life of the Mind Help You Succeed?
A Lecture by Dr. Zena Hitz
What does it mean to succeed, and what does reading long and difficult books have to do with it? Dr. Zena Hitz (St. John’s College) discussed the relationship between the intellectual life and a successful life to a room full of UT students, faculty, and guests. Citing examples ranging from classical Greece to twentieth-century Europe, Dr. Hitz noted that thinkers had long lamented the futility of earthly success and looked to the intellectual life as a source of meaning. In considering the importance of the great texts, Dr. Hitz highlighted the role of failure in fostering the inwardness necessary for the intellectual life and in providing the tools for eventual success.
November 2025
The War for Middle Earth
A Lecture by Dr. Joseph Loconte
Historian Joseph Loconte explained how the catastrophe of World War II trans-formed the lives and literary imagination of Tolkien and Lewis. Loconte explored how their most beloved works—The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, Mere Christianity—were conceived in the shadow of the most devastating and dehumanizing war in history. Like no other authors of their age, Tolkien and Lewis used their imagination to reclaim for their generation—and for ours—those deeds of valor and virtue and love that have always kept a lamp burning, even in the deepest darkness.
September 2025
Constitution Day
A Conversation with John Yoo and Provost William Inboden
The School of Civic Leadership celebrated Constitution Day with a luncheon discussion between SCL Distinguished Visiting Scholar John Yoo (University of California at Berkeley) and UT Provost William Inboden on the enduring significance of America’s founding charter. Moving through a range of contemporary social and political challenges, both speakers emphasized that on their own, neither the Constitution nor the law can carry the weight of sustaining republican government. Enduring self-rule depends on the character, institutions and shared commitments of civil society.
Truth Matters
A Book Talk with Dr. Robert George and Dr. Cornel West
The School of Civic Leadership welcomed Professor Robert P. George (Princeton University) and Professor Cornel West (Union Theological Seminary) for a conversation on a question at the heart of both university life and democratic citizenship: why does truth matter? Moderated by SCL Dean Justin Dyer, the discussion unfolded in a Q&A format that invited the two scholars to reflect on the nature of truth, how it has been understood across philosophical traditions, and how individuals can cultivate the moral and intellectual habits needed to perceive and defend it.
