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Civitas Outlook

Civitas Outlook, the online journal of the Civitas Institute, publishes original writing about the ideas that create flourishing societies.

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Waging Municipal Lawfare

Waging Municipal Lawfare

The limited authority of local governments to initiate public interest litigation is a matter of law, not politics.

Doug Peterson, Michael Toth
Constitutionalism
Oct 23, 2025

What Game Are We Playing?

What Game Are We Playing?

If you decide to play Calvinball, you have become a partisan of Calvinball.

John Grove
Constitutionalism
Oct 23, 2025

Trump's Industrial Policies Will Strangle Growth

Trump's Industrial Policies Will Strangle Growth

The public should doubt that the feds can run the nation’s businesses. 

Richard Epstein
Economic Dynamism
Oct 22, 2025

All topics

Civitas Outlook seeks understanding from a variety of authors, ideas, and disciplines. Choose a specific topic above or explore our full library.

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Waging Municipal Lawfare
Doug Peterson, Michael Toth
Constitutionalism
Oct 23, 2025
What Game Are We Playing?
John Grove
Constitutionalism
Oct 23, 2025
Trump's Industrial Policies Will Strangle Growth
Richard Epstein
Economic Dynamism
Oct 22, 2025
Does Federal Law Extend to Portlandia?
John Yoo
Constitutionalism
Oct 22, 2025
Bodies, Selves, and the Quest for Identity
Rachel Lu
Pursuit of Happiness
Oct 21, 2025
Creed, Culture, and American Memory
Wilfred McClay
Constitutionalism
Oct 21, 2025

Economic Dynamism

We consider the principles, policies, and culture that supports free market capitalism

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The Betrayed Consumer
Julia R. Cartwright
Economic Dynamism
Oct 13, 2025
Obamacare Needs Life-Altering Surgery
Michael Toth
Economic Dynamism
Oct 9, 2025
Will State Courts Set National Climate Policy?
Michael Toth
Economic Dynamism
Oct 7, 2025
The First Amendment Vise
Jessica Melugin
Economic Dynamism
Oct 6, 2025
Law Can’t Answer Every Question Posed by AI
Kevin Frazier
Economic Dynamism
Oct 2, 2025
The Protectionist Threat of Trump’s H-1B $100k Tax
Richard Epstein
Economic Dynamism
Oct 1, 2025

Politics

We investigate what it means to be a constitutional people who remain tethered to the rule of law.

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The Education Revolution Is Here and Parents and Children Are Winning
Michael Toth, Daniel Murphy
Politics
Sep 18, 2025
The Broken Windows in American Higher Education
Tal Fortgang
Politics
Sep 17, 2025
Spencer Cox Provides the Statesmanship America Needs
Thomas D. Howes
Politics
Sep 15, 2025
Conservatism's Timeless Triad: Puritans, Pioneers, and Robber Barons
Ronald W. Dworkin
Politics
Sep 12, 2025
Michael Lucchese on Understanding Reagan's Conservatism and Buchanan's Populism
Michael Lucchese
Politics
Sep 3, 2025
Not-So-Beautiful Losers: How Conservatism Won the Cold War – and Lost the Peace
Michael Lucchese
Politics
Sep 1, 2025

Constitutionalism

We discuss the political thought that undergirds a society of freedom and virtue.

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Waging Municipal Lawfare
Doug Peterson, Michael Toth
Constitutionalism
Oct 23, 2025
What Game Are We Playing?
John Grove
Constitutionalism
Oct 23, 2025
Does Federal Law Extend to Portlandia?
John Yoo
Constitutionalism
Oct 22, 2025
Creed, Culture, and American Memory
Wilfred McClay
Constitutionalism
Oct 21, 2025
The Constitution and the National Guard
Robert G. Natelson
Constitutionalism
Oct 20, 2025
Have We All Misunderstood Enumerated Powers?
Johnathan O'Neill
Constitutionalism
Oct 9, 2025

Pursuit of Happiness

We explore how citizens, neighbors, workers, families, and communities shape the future of American society.

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Bodies, Selves, and the Quest for Identity
Rachel Lu
Pursuit of Happiness
Oct 21, 2025
A Doctor In Full
Ronald W. Dworkin
Pursuit of Happiness
Oct 17, 2025
Racing Earnhardt
Emina Melonic
Pursuit of Happiness
Oct 17, 2025
Dallin Oaks: From Legal Giant to Leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Aaron L. Nielson
Pursuit of Happiness
Oct 15, 2025
Conversion by Inches?
Brian Smith
Pursuit of Happiness
Oct 10, 2025
Did Leo Strauss Get Religion?
Paul Seaton
Pursuit of Happiness
Oct 3, 2025

Technology & Innovation

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More from the

Civitas Institute

Videos
Podcasts
Events
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Constitution Day Lecture: John Yoo

In-person Event
Sep 18, 2025

Liberty in the Balance: Classical Liberal Perspectives on the Trump Era

In-person Event
Jun 4, 2025

Austin Symposium on Economic Dynamism

In-person Event
Apr 16, 2025

Political Order and the Spartan Ideal

In-person Event
Apr 10, 2025

Braver Angels Debate: DOGE - Mostly Good or Mostly Bad?

In-person Event
Apr 3, 2025

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

In-person Event
Mar 27, 2025
Who we are

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

The Civitas Institute is part of the School of Civic Leadership at the University of Texas at Austin.

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

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