Josh Blackman
Constitutionalism
Feb 13, 2025

Four Questions and Few Answers About the Invasion Clause

Whatever the meaning of the invasion clause, the answer cannot turn on the unprecedented nature of the Trump presidency.

Richard M. Reinsch II
Politics
Feb 13, 2025

Symposium: What Does the Middle East Mean to US?

Elliott Abrams, Jonathan Schanzer, and John Yoo evaluate the changing contours of the Middle East and American strategy.

John Yoo
Politics
Feb 13, 2025

The Competing Tensions in America's Middle East Policy

The success of President Trump's Middle East policy will depend on whether he can reconcile his competing impulses with the facts on the ground.

Disruptions and Challenges in the Middle East

Disruptions and Challenges in the Middle East

Jonathan Schanzer
Politics
Feb 13, 2025
The Changing Calculus of Power in the Middle East

The Changing Calculus of Power in the Middle East

Elliott Abrams
Politics
Feb 13, 2025
To Fire or Not To Fire?

To Fire or Not To Fire?

Richard Epstein
Constitutionalism
Feb 12, 2025
Charles Kesler’s Struggle for the Founders’ Constitution
Charles Kesler’s Struggle for the Founders’ Constitution

Charles Kesler’s defense of the American Founding from its critics on the left and right alike can help us recover our most cherished principles.

Richard M. Reinsch II
Constitutionalism
Feb 10, 2025
Estimating the Productivity of Community Colleges in Paving the Road To Four-Year College Success

Despite a relatively rich literature on the community college pathway, the research base on the quality differences between these institutions has been decidedly thin.

Scott Carrell, Michal Kurlaender
Pursuit of Happiness
Feb 7, 2025
Long Distance Migration as a Two-Step Sorting Process: The Resettlement of Californians in Texas

Here we press the question of whether the well-documented stream of migrants relocating from California to Texas has been sufficient to alter the political complexion of the destination state.

James Gimpel, Daron Shaw
Politics
Feb 6, 2025
Why Failure-to-Market Claims Are Preempted Under Federal Law

A California appellate court invented out of whole cloth a new and troubling theory of tort liability.

Richard Epstein, Benjamin Flowers
Economic Dynamism
Feb 5, 2025
Brains Versus Brawn: Ordinal Rank Effects in Job Training

Is it better to be a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond?

Scott Carrell, Alexander J. Chesney
Pursuit of Happiness
Jan 28, 2025
These Mayors Understand How to Run a City

Armed with common sense policies, three urban leaders are fighting a patient battle against chaos.

Joel Kotkin
Economic Dynamism
Jan 24, 2025
Causes Tending to Undermine a Democratic Republic

Commentary on de Tocqueville: Vol. One, Part Two, Chapter Nine

Richard Epstein
Constitutionalism
Jan 22, 2025
Dynamism and Stagnation: An Outlook

Flexibility and responsiveness are particularly important during periods of shock.

Ed Glaeser
Economic Dynamism
Jan 8, 2025
Why Failure-to-Market Claims Are Preempted Under Federal Law
Why Failure-to-Market Claims Are Preempted Under Federal Law

A California appellate court invented out of whole cloth a new and troubling theory of tort liability.

Richard Epstein, Benjamin Flowers
Economic Dynamism
Feb 5, 2025
These Mayors Understand How to Run a City

Armed with common sense policies, three urban leaders are fighting a patient battle against chaos.

Joel Kotkin
Economic Dynamism
Jan 24, 2025
Dynamism and Stagnation: An Outlook

Flexibility and responsiveness are particularly important during periods of shock.

Ed Glaeser
Economic Dynamism
Jan 8, 2025
Saving Free Markets in America

American markets are under siege by interventionists on both the left and the right.

Samuel Gregg, Richard M. Reinsch II
Economic Dynamism
Jan 3, 2025
The Housing and Migration Crisis

Challenges to housing affordability have undermined economic mobility and dynamism.

Dan Shoag
Economic Dynamism
Dec 10, 2024
Reflections on Mass Flourishing: 10 Years Later

Nobel laureate Edmund Phelps reflects on his book, Mass Flourishing, ten years after publication.

Edmund Phelps
Economic Dynamism
Dec 10, 2024
The World War II Lesson for DOGE

A Trump revolution is poised to unleash the innovative and productive power of the private sector.

Arthur Herman
Economic Dynamism
Dec 10, 2024
The Promises and Pitfalls of Measuring Community College Quality

In this paper we explore the community college (institutional) effect on student outcomes in the nation’s largest public two-year higher education system—the California Community College system.

Scott Carrell, Jacob Jackson, and Michal Kurlaender
Economic Dynamism
Apr 1, 2016
Long Distance Migration as a Two-Step Sorting Process: The Resettlement of Californians in Texas
Long Distance Migration as a Two-Step Sorting Process: The Resettlement of Californians in Texas

Here we press the question of whether the well-documented stream of migrants relocating from California to Texas has been sufficient to alter the political complexion of the destination state.

James Gimpel, Daron Shaw
Politics
Feb 6, 2025
National Poll from Civitas Institute: Trump Victory Driven by Voters Who Reject Status Quo

The poll asked 1,200 Americans an array of questions about how things are going in America.

Daron Shaw
Politics
Dec 11, 2024
Understanding the Effect of Abortion Attitudes on Elections After Dobbs: Evidence from Cross-Sectional and Panel Surveys in Texas

In this article, we analyze surveys that tracked voter attitudes on abortion policy before and after the Dobbs decision.

Grant Ferguson, James Gimpel, Mark Owens, and Daron R. Shaw
Politics
Nov 26, 2024
Charles Kesler’s Struggle for the Founders’ Constitution
Charles Kesler’s Struggle for the Founders’ Constitution

Charles Kesler’s defense of the American Founding from its critics on the left and right alike can help us recover our most cherished principles.

Richard M. Reinsch II
Constitutionalism
Feb 10, 2025
Trump And Vance Aren’t Defying The Constitution, They’re Following It

John Yoo, Robert Delahunty
Constitutionalism
Feb 12, 2025
Charles Kesler’s Struggle for the Founders’ Constitution

Charles Kesler’s defense of the American Founding from its critics on the left and right alike can help us recover our most cherished principles.

Richard M. Reinsch II
Constitutionalism
Feb 10, 2025
Trump Has Launched a Necessary Fight Over the President’s Spending Discretion

Whether he realizes it or not, he could help restore the system the Founders envisioned.

John Yoo
Constitutionalism
Feb 7, 2025
Causes Tending to Undermine a Democratic Republic

Commentary on de Tocqueville: Vol. One, Part Two, Chapter Nine

Richard Epstein
Constitutionalism
Jan 22, 2025
Natural Law vs. Positivism, Chapter 8

In which John Yoo goes full Holmes, ignoring the sound advice "Never go full Holmes..."

John Yoo
Constitutionalism
Dec 29, 2024
What is an Establishment of Religion? And What Does Disestablishment Require?

Vincent Phillip Muñoz reviews a new book about the Establishment Clause.

Vincent Phillip Muñoz
Constitutionalism
Dec 16, 2024
Trump and Foley Are Wrong on the TikTok Law

There is no serious claim that it is unconstitutional.

John Yoo
Constitutionalism
Jan 29, 2024
Estimating the Productivity of Community Colleges in Paving the Road To Four-Year College Success
Estimating the Productivity of Community Colleges in Paving the Road To Four-Year College Success

Despite a relatively rich literature on the community college pathway, the research base on the quality differences between these institutions has been decidedly thin.

Scott Carrell, Michal Kurlaender
Pursuit of Happiness
Feb 7, 2025
Brains Versus Brawn: Ordinal Rank Effects in Job Training

Is it better to be a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond?

Scott Carrell, Alexander J. Chesney
Pursuit of Happiness
Jan 28, 2025
The Lone Star State Is Soaring

America's future will be made in Texas.

Joel Kotkin
Pursuit of Happiness
Dec 19, 2024
Popular Misconceptions: The Global Fertility Crisis

The global fertility crisis is worse than you think

Jesús Fernández-Villaverde
Pursuit of Happiness
Aug 17, 2024
Civic Thought: A Proposal for University-Level Civic Education

An intellectual mission in the fullest sense requires a coherent program of teaching and research in a specific and demanding discipline. This report sketches the outlines of such a program, which we call “Civic Thought.”

Benjamin Storey, Jenna Storey
Pursuit of Happiness
Dec 11, 2023
No items found.
No items found.
Who we are

We are a community of scholars exploring the ideas and institutions that create flourishing societies.

Independent thought, civil discourse, reasoned deliberation and intellectual curiosity are central to the Civitas ethos.

Learn more
Join the newsletter

Get the Civitas Outlook daily digest, plus new research and events.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
The latest from

Civitas Outlook

View all

Four Questions and Few Answers About the Invasion Clause

Whatever the meaning of the invasion clause, the answer cannot turn on the unprecedented nature of the Trump presidency.

Josh Blackman
Constitutionalism
Feb 13, 2025

Symposium: What Does the Middle East Mean to US?

Elliott Abrams, Jonathan Schanzer, and John Yoo evaluate the changing contours of the Middle East and American strategy.

Richard M. Reinsch II
Politics
Feb 13, 2025

The Competing Tensions in America's Middle East Policy

The success of President Trump's Middle East policy will depend on whether he can reconcile his competing impulses with the facts on the ground.

John Yoo
Politics
Feb 13, 2025

Disruptions and Challenges in the Middle East

Donald Trump’s return to the White House will change the Middle East.

Jonathan Schanzer
Politics
Feb 13, 2025

The Changing Calculus of Power in the Middle East

If America presses forward, the ground Iran and its proxies have lost can be gone forever and can be the basis for deeper, longer-term changes in the region.

Elliott Abrams
Politics
Feb 13, 2025

Arthur C. Brooks on The Art & Science of Getting Happier: Live at The Texas Tribune

Pursuit of Happiness
Mar 29, 2024
1:06:07

Edward Glaeser on Dynamism and Stagnation

Economic Dynamism
May 8, 2024
1:04:19

Melissa Kearney on Two-Parent Privilege and Social Mobility

Pursuit of Happiness
Mar 18, 2024
1:19:06

Dynamism & Its Enemies: 2024 Austin Symposium Recap

Economic Dynamism
May 8, 2024
1:31

Justin Dyer on Civic Education: Live at AEI's Future of the American University Conference

Politics
May 14, 2024
19:09
No items found.
Upcoming events

State Courts, Constitutions, and Abortion Policymaking After Dobbs

In-person Event
Feb 27, 2025

Chrysippus and the Embodied Mind

In-person Event
Mar 11, 2025

The Stoics on Simultaneous Mental Conflict

In-person Event
Mar 25, 2025
View all
In-person Event
Feb 27, 2025

State Courts, Constitutions, and Abortion Policymaking After Dobbs

In-person Event
Mar 27, 2025

American Covenant: How the Constitution Unified our Nation – and Could Again