Upcoming Events
Tuesday, March 26"Global Economic Integration After the Great Recession,
and the Importance of Free Trade"with Simon Lester of the CATO Institute
5:30 PM
Cole Cinema
Thursday, March 28 "Free Trade vs. Fair Trade: Where Economists Get it Right, and Wrong"A Lecture by George DeMartino Josef Korbel School of Internation Studies
University of Denver6:00 PM Cole Cinema
Monday, March 25
Maryland Day
Friday, April 5
Margaret Brent Lecture
Ms. Elsa Walsh
5:30 pm St. Mary's Hall
Co - sponsored with the
Women, Gender and Sexuality Minor
Tuesday - WednesdayApril 23 - 24
Patuxent Defense Forum 2013:
"Rivalries and Conflicts
in the South China Sea:
How Can the U.S. Promote
Greater Stability?8 am Cole Cinema
Recent Events:
Monday, February 25The Future of Fracking
in the Chesapeake
5:30 PM | St. Mary's Hall
Co - sponsored with the
St. Mary's River
Watershed Association
League of Women Voters
of St. Mary's County
and the
Natural Science and
Mathematics Colloquium
A discussion of gas extraction on
the East Coast and the new gas
revolution associated with fracking
Thursday, February 7
5:30 PM | St. Mary's Hall
Avoiding Armageddon:
America, India and Pakistan
to the Brink and Back
A Lecture by Bruce Reidel
of the Brookings Institution
Wednesday, November 28
5:00 PM | Cole Cinema
The Libertarian Vision
of a Limited Government
Lectures on Liberty
Dr. Daniel Mitchell
CATO Institute
Co - Sponsored with the
Economics, Lecture and Fine Arts Departments
What Just Happened? A Discussion of Tuesday's Election
Washington, D.C.
Co-Sponsored with the
Office of Alumni Affairs and the
Political Science Department
Program Highlight
William Donald Schaefer
Internship for Government Service
A tribute to Governor Schaefer's many contributions to St. Mary's College and the State of Maryland, the Schaefer Internship for Government Service aims to allow undergraduates hands on experience in public policy with the hope that they will be inspired to choose public service as a calling.
Application - Due March 25Student Spotlight
St. Mary's Votes!
Since its inception in 2004, the club has registered over 850 young people to vote in State and National elections. In 2008, the club expanded its role in civic engagement to include working as election and poll judges during primary and general elections.
History of the Center
The Center for the Study of Democracy is a joint initiative of St. Mary's College of Maryland and its partner institution, Historic St. Mary's City, which explores contemporary and historical issues associated with democracy and liberty. Since its inception in 2002, the Center has cultivated a robust program of political education and civic engagement.
Over the years the Center has helped to develop the area's democratic capacity by organizing forums for political debate, environmental awareness and other issues of concern to local citizens. Most recently, the Center's Director, Dr. Michael Cain, organized and moderated A Citizen Forum on Changing Our System of Local Government, which provided citizens and local lawmakers to learn more about a charter form of government. The Center also partnered a series of debates running up to the 2006 election. During those debates the Center was viewed as a must-visit destination for those vying for Maryland political office, including Republican Governor Robert Ehrlich, Democratic candidate for Governor, Martin O'Malley, and candidates for U.S. Congress, Attorney General, Comptroller, the Maryland State Senate and House of Delegates, St. Mary's County Commissioners, and local Sheriffs.
The Center also serves as a forum for students to debate and discuss issues in democracy throughout the school year. In addition, in the spring of 2007, students joined professors to appear before the State of Maryland's House Ways and Means Committee to testify on House Bill 366 "Election Administration and the Recruitment and Retention of Election Judges." Although the law did not pass, their efforts raised the issue in the minds of citizens and school administers.
The Center, with its proximity to the Patuxent Navel Air Base, frequently plays host to speakers of interest to the U.S. defense community. The Center has hosted prominent national officials including the Director of National Intelligence, Mike McConnell, the Director of the Central Intelligence, James Woolsey and NATO Commander, General Andrew J. Goodpaster. The Center also regularly sponsors academic and policy discussions on international affairs.
Each year the center co-sponsors a major regional conference at St. Mary's College entitled the Patuxent Defense Forumwith The Patuxent Partnership.
