CSD aspires to become a hub for creative thinking, innovative action and stimulating dialogue on democracy, liberty and justice. It aims at empowering individuals to take an active part in building a world that is equitable, sustainable and secure. To these ends, CSD seeks to:

• Advance historical and contemporary knowledge and understanding of ideas and practices associated with democracy, liberty and justice.
• Support research on issues related to its mission in local, national and international contexts.
• Organize public lectures, symposia, forums, workshops, conferences and discussions on political, economic, environmental, societal, cultural and security issues.
• Facilitate citizen involvement in politics and civil society organizations.
  Sustain partnerships with external organizations, associations, universities and businesses.
• Provide students with experiential learning opportunities and paid and unpaid internships.

Election Judges Needed – Paid

The 2020 Presidential General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. In accordance with state law, voters will be able to cast their ballots by mail, during the eight days of early voting, or in person on Election Day. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Board of Elections (SBE) is currently experiencing a shortage of election judges to staff the polls. Election judges play a critical part in the democratic process.

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Internships

The Center for the Study of Democracy offers St. Mary’s College students three separate paid internship opportunities. The William Donald Schaefer Internship for Government Service and the Schaefer Internship in the Office of the Comptroller are made possible through generous donations from Terry Meyerhoff Rubenstein, Henry A. Rosenberg, Jr., and friends of William Donald Schaefer. The William Donald Schaefer Legislative Internship is funded by the Office of Government Relations and is available through the Center for the Study of Democracy.

Awards and Sponsorships

The Thomas Penfield Jackson Award for Civic Responsibility and Democratic Citizenship
This Award, in honor of Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson and his lifetime service to our country and commitment to the Center, recognizes and supports students who intend to pursue careers in public service, law, international relations, or other activities that promote civil society in the country. The recipient will receive a $1000 stipend to enable them to take internships or to support early career options that strengthen our democracy or help build civil society.

Pursuits could include:

• Participation in national or international service organizations
• Peace Corps
• VISTA
• Teach for America
• Academic programs that help build civil liberty
• Academic programs the advance public policy
• The study of law

Requirements:

• Must be a current St. Mary’s student
• Must be a St. Mary’s junior of senior with a 3.0 GPA or higher
• Must have applied to career programs or internships prior to applying

Application Process:

• A completed written application is due by Friday, March 6, 2020.
• Submissions should be emailed to Professor Antonio Ugues at augues@smcm.edu or dropped off at Anne Arundel Hall North, Suite N104.
• Oral interviews will follow as appropriate.
• The announcement of the final award will be made in April.

David and Ginny Rosenbaum Award
A Florida native, David Rosenbaum was an award-winning American journalist and editor with the New York Times (1968-2005). He was best known for the Times feature, The Fine Print, in which he exposed hidden, perplexing or hypocritical aspects of legislation that were pending or had just passed.

Application Process:

• A completed written application is due by Friday, March 6, 2020.
• Submissions should be emailed to Professor Antonio Ugues at augues@smcm.edu or dropped off at Anne Arundel Hall North, Suite N104.
• Oral interviews will follow as appropriate.
• The announcement of the final award will be made in April.

Student Sponsorship
The Center provides support to student organizations interested in the many languages of democracy by funding activities of interest to them-whether they are speakers, exhibits, literary or artistic performances. Students are invited to join the discussions we host on campus and to recommend new speakers and dialogues on contemporary problems we face.

How to Apply for Funding
Proposals for student organizational funding must be delivered to the Center’s director. Funding will be considered and providing on a case by case basis.

The Occasional Paper Series
The Occasional Paper Series offers advisory board members, professors, and other academics a chance to explore various aspects of Maryland’s democratic history, ranging from the 1600s to present day.

• Lord Baltimore and the Politics of Landscape in Seventeenth-Century Maryland
• Maryland Designe: The First Wall Between Church and State
• Spiro Agnew and the Golden Age of Corruption in Maryland Politics
• The Maryland Disease: Popish Plots and Imperial Politics in the Seventeenth Century
• From Necessity, Not Choice: Lessons in Democracy from Maryland’s Past

White Papers
The Patuxent Policy Group (PPG) is a working group of specialists, chosen for an invitation-only symposium that convenes once a year. The opinions and knowledge expressed by invited participants are incorporated in a White Paper that summarizes arguments and policy recommendations on a chosen issue of national importance. The PPG is organized by the Patuxent Partnership and the Center for the Study of Democracy at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

• Saber Rattling and Security in Northern Europe: What Is Russia After?
• High Ground: Deterrent or Provocation? What are the Implications for the United States Naval Services?
• Implications of the North American Energy Boom for the U.S. Navy
• The Role of STEM Programs for Educating Maryland’s 21st Century Workforce
• NASA-Navy Cooperation in the 21st Century
• Energy, Climate and National Security Challenges and Opportunities for America
• Consequences of Robotic Progress for Society, Markets and U.S. Defense