Center for American Studies and Civic Leadership (CASCL)

FAIN: CZ-50196-09

Christopher Newport University (Newport News, VA 23606-2949)
Elizabeth Kaufer-Busch (Project Director: February 2008 to October 2012)

Endowment for programs in the university's Center for American Studies and Civic Leadership.

The Center for American Studies and Civic Leadership (CASCL) will provide a forum for genuine intellectual engagement on the foundations, evolution, and future of American's Experiment in liberty, democracy, free-enterprise, and consent-based governance. The Center is premised on the belief that the perpetuation of America's democratic institutions requires a proper understanding of the ways in which America's intellectual foundations have shaped the nation's practices, values, and ideals. The uniqueness of our Center lies not only in these goals, but also in its interdisciplinary approach. The Center's methodology encourages an examination of the American experiment from interdisciplinary perspectives, such as literature, art, history, politics, religion, and economics, and stresses the intersection between America's philosophical roots and the practical applications of those theories.