Dr. Thomas Pope
Dr. Thomas Pope, professor of political science and director of Lee University’s Center for Responsible Citizenship, has been awarded a $40,000 grant from the Jack Miller Center to fund its second annual Founding Civics Institute, a professional development program for regional middle and high school teachers.
The year-long initiative will support a summer institute and follow-up sessions focused on deepening educators' understanding of America's founding principles and constitutional concepts, with particular emphasis on the relationship between the executive and legislative branches of government. This timing is especially significant as the nation prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. Teachers will bring this enhanced knowledge back to their classrooms, directly impacting hundreds of middle and high school students across the region at this historic moment in American civic education.
“The title of this year's event, ‘The Defect of Better Motives,’ is a line taken from James Madison's Federalist 51 to describe the institutional rivalry at the heart of our Constitutional system of government,” said Dr. Mark Scully, faculty co-lead and associate professor of political science at Lee. “We will explore that theme this year by looking at primary source documents addressing the balance of power between the presidency and Congress, a topic of no less controversy in 1789 than it is today."
Building on the success of last year's inaugural program, which welcomed 25 teachers from 14 schools across four Tennessee counties, the 2025-2026 Founding Civics Institute will host 18-24 educators from Bradley, Hamilton, McMinn, and Polk counties. The program features a three-day intensive summer session with Socratic seminars led by Lee University faculty and guest scholars, followed by monthly discussion sessions throughout the academic year.
Dr. Pope will collaborate with Dr. Scully to develop a curriculum aligned with Tennessee state standards for social studies education in grades 8-12. The program emphasizes primary source documents from the founding era and key moments in American history, providing teachers with both content knowledge and practical strategies for classroom implementation.
“In a moment when civic trust is fragile and historical understanding is increasingly politicized, it’s essential that we equip educators with the tools and community they need to teach America’s principles with confidence and clarity,” said Dr. Pope. “The Founding Civics Institute reflects our commitment to renewing civic education at its root by supporting the teachers who shape not only what students know, but who they become.”
Participating teachers will engage with foundational texts such as Gordon Wood's "Power and Liberty: Constitutionalism in the American Revolution" and Thomas G. West's "Vindicating the Founders." The Center for Responsible Citizenship will complement the Founding Civics Institute with additional programming throughout the year, including the annual Constitution Day Quiz Bowl and symposium events.
The Jack Miller Center is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to advancing education in America's founding principles and history. For more information visit jackmillercenter.org.
For more information about the Founding Civics Institute or to partner with the Center for Responsible Citizenship, please contact crc@leeuniversity.edu or visit leeucrc.com.
The Center for Responsible Citizenship at Lee University promotes civic education and engagement through academic programming, public events, and educational outreach designed to foster understanding of America's founding principles and constitutional government. Its mission is to rebuild social fabric at the local level through cultivating charitable dialogue on the questions that connect us.