Intercollegiate Studies Institute

Democracy in America Today: Tocqueville, Congress, and Centralized Power (0:00) Why Congress must predominate in a republic (7:22) Andrew Jackson and the paradox of executive power (20:50) Who was Alexis de Tocqueville? (27:18) Tocqueville's reception in America through history (36:14) The pathologies of democracy and soft despotism (51:37) The bank war and Hamiltonian vs. Jacksonian visions (1:11:00) The New Deal, progressivism, and centralized power (1:25:25) Markets, government, and the problem of centralization (1:29:27) The democratic soul and forming citizens (1:40:30) Religion, morality, and American democracy today (1:50:25) Reforming institutions and educating the next generation @johnnyburtka is joined by Yuval Levin, @SohrabAhmari, @sarahhgustafson, and @VPhillipMunoz for our latest episode of Project Cosmos!

Are Podcasts Sufficient For Deep Learning?

How This College Integrates The Intellectual Life And Manual Labor

CN Spotlight of the Week: The Lemur (Duke) Launched in spring 2024, The Lemur was founded to spark more vibrant intellectual conversation at Duke. Its founders, Zachary Partnoy and Sherman Criner, a liberal and a conservative, saw a lack of depth and ideological range in campus discourse and set out to create a publication that would engage the most pressing ethical, political, and cultural questions facing students. In just over a year, The Lemur has done exactly that through its "Uncommon Ground" series and its student publications that span history, philosophy, and politics. The Lemur's most ambitious work is its six-month investigation into Duke Kunshan University, the school's international Chinese outlet. They sought to evaluate whether DKU serves as a vehicle for CCP influence, a salient topic as of late. The DKU report arrives as criticism of Chinese academic partnerships has increased, with the University of Michigan ending its institute in Shanghai over national security concerns and a Stanford Review exposé of CCP incursions at Stanford. Read the report at: thelemur.org/2026/02/23/the…

How Can We Integrate Manual Labor With Education?

Is AI making humans less competent?

Why Young Men Are Untrusting of Institutions

What Can Tocqueville Teach Us Today?

CN Spotlight of the Week: The Stanford Review Founded in 1987, the Stanford Review is one of the longest-running publications in ISI’s Collegiate Network, with notable alumni including Peter Thiel, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, and Senator Josh Hawley. This past year, the Review produced a major investigative series on academic espionage by the Chinese Communist Party at Stanford. The reporting reached national audiences, as it was republished by The Free Press and cited by outlets such as The Washington Post. Most recently, Elsa Johnson, the journalist behind the series and editor-in-chief of the Review, testified before Congress about digital and on-campus harassment she has faced from CCP agents as a result of her reporting. ISI is proud to support student journalists producing serious, consequential reporting. Follow @StanfordReview

How Much of the Younger Generation was Taken to Church?

Can the Government Protect us from Corporate Power?

Does Power in the "Right Hands" Ever Work?

What can Government do to Help Poverty?

What are the Pros and Cons of Democracy?

On Monday, March 23, a panel on Wendell Berry brought students together for a thoughtful conversation about place, community, and what it means to live a fully human life. Prof. Sarah Berry (University of Dallas), Madeleine Austin (Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal), and Kate Meyer (Juniper Farm, Wisconsin) each offered a unique perspective on how love of place develops and how it can shape the way we live and act. About 40 students attended, and the discussion afterwards was lively and engaged. Several students shared that the evening marked a turning point in how they think about their future, especially where and how they hope to live after college. ISI is proud to make discussions like this possible for students across the country.

The Response to Tocqueville's Democracy In America

Can POTUS be representative?

Who was Alexis de Tocqueville? Our newest episode of Project Cosmos is LIVE on YouTube!