Center for the Study of Democracy – Exploring Issues in Democracy and Liberty Throughout the World.

Nina Totenberg to Deliver 2023 Constitution Day Lecture on September 12
Nina Totenberg
The Center for the Study of Democracy is pleased to welcome Nina Totenberg to deliver the Judge William O.E. Sterling Constitution Day Lecture on September 12, 2023. She will speak at 7:00 pm.

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Dr. Jelani Cobb to Deliver 2023 Benjamin C. Bradlee Distinguished Lecture on October 25
Dr. Jelani Cobb
The Center for the Study of Democracy is pleased to welcome Dr. Jelani Cobb to deliver the JBenjamin C. Bradlee Distinguished Lecture on October 25, 2023. He will speak at 7:00 pm.

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Nina Totenberg to Deliver 2022 Constitution Day Lecture on September 16

Dr. Jelani Cobb to Deliver 2023 Benjamin C. Bradlee Distinguished Lecture on October 25

Upcoming Events

Historically Speaking: A Murder in St. Mary's County

December 6th, 2023 | 7:00pm

Recent Events »

Who Are We?

The Center for the Study of Democracy was founded in 2002 as a joint initiative of St. Mary’s College and its partner institution, Historic St. Mary’s City. It explores contemporary and historical issues associated with the ideas of democracy, liberty and justice in national and international contexts. It facilitates activities that strengthen democracy and the rule of law, enhance security and individual freedoms, invigorate civil society, encourage free enterprise, and increase economic, environmental, educational and cultural equity.

Director of the Center for the Study of Democracy

Antonio Ugues Jr

Dr. Ugues, the new Director of the Center for the Study of Democracy and associate professor in political science at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, assumed his new duties on July 1, 2019.

Dr. Ugues teaches courses in comparative politics, democracy and elections, and the politics of Latin America at St. Mary’s College. He received his PhD in political science from the University of California at Riverside. His research interests include democracy, electoral systems, and electoral integrity in Latin America. His work has appeared in several academic venues including: Electoral Studies; Journal of Politics in Latin America; Latin American Politics and Society; Journal of Elections, Public Opinion, and Parties; Journal of Legislative Studies; and Democracy and Security. His current research agenda explores attitudes towards democracy and electoral integrity in contemporary Mexican and U.S. politics.

Mission

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.

Student Opportunities

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 $1500 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 March 10, 2023.
Submissions should be emailed to democracy@smcm.edu .
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 March 10, 2023.
Submissions should be emailed to democracy@smcm.edu .
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.

Media Literacy, Civic Engagement and Democracy Project

Library Guides Center for the Study of Democracy

The Center for the Study of Democracy and the Hilda C. Landers Library, Archives and Media Center propose a multiyear project to engage and educate St. Mary’s College students, faculty, staff and the southern Maryland community on the important relationship between the media and American democracy. Our goal is to empower the community with the skills to critically evaluate and analyze information and participate as responsible citizens.The spread of misinformation and disinformation has proliferated in recent years, facilitated by the rise of unregulated social media as a source of news, the expansion of targeted cable news channels and the efforts of individuals who seek to take advantage of this fragmented media ecosystem to increase their personal power and/or profit. The result has been the loss of acceptance of shared facts and the growth of a national climate of dissonance and distrust in institutions, elected officials and science. If not addressed, this trajectory could become a threat to the fundamentals of our democracy.Our objective is to engage and educate the southern Maryland community on the important relationship between the media and American democracy and to empower this community with the skills to critically evaluate, analyze, and contribute to media landscapes in our society. In response to this issue, we propose a framework that features speakers, workshops, film screenings and discussion groups designed to equip participants with the skills needed to navigate the diverse media landscape and take part in our democracy as responsible and engaged citizens. We anticipate that project participants will interact with other community members and continue to expand the impact of the program over time.For the 2021-2022 academic year, potential topics include: the structure of the internet information ecosystem, political polarization and lack of shared epistemology, media literacy skills and access to information versus information threats. For St. Mary’s College students, this project will provide opportunities to fulfill LEAD curriculum requirements.Community partners in outreach and promotion of the Project also include The Patuxent Partnership, which represents the local defense contracting community, the St. Mary’s County NAACP, the St. Mary’s County Library System, the St. Mary’s County Public Schools and the College of Southern Maryland. We envision this project as a multiyear effort that will provide an ongoing structure for community stakeholders to utilize in addressing evolving topics in media literacy and civic engagement. In addition, we propose to periodically survey this community to measure changes in media literacy, types of media consumption and impacts.