The Civics Compact - Director Letter

Welcome to the maiden voyage of our newsletter, The Civics Compact. We draw this name directly from the Mayflower Compact of 1620—a binding agreement forged by pilgrims on the deck of their ship anchored in Provincetown Harbor, who pledged mutual consent to laws for the common good. In that spirit, we at SCETL have covenanted and combined ourselves into a Civics School for the better ordering and preservation of just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices thought most suitable and convenient for the general good of the American Republic—the Republic bequeathed to us by these intrepid refugees.

Here at the Civics School, we often discuss what our side of the compact looks like. As we see it, this compact is not just with the students at Arizona State University, but with the parents and students of next year and years to come, and, importantly, with the taxpayers of Arizona. Our end of the compact is a promise to provide education that renders moot any conversation around Arizona dinner tables about needing to send our kids to Hillsdale, Liberty, or Claremont.

At the Civics School, we prepare students for free and responsible citizenship through a classical liberal arts curriculum and a deep engagement with the principles of the American constitutional order. Our Civic Leadership program (major/minor) focuses on the philosophical and literary inheritance at the heart of the American social and political tradition, and we will soon supplement this with a Great Books in Political Thought Certificate.

In Fall of 2026, we will complement our current Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) Certificate with a new major in the same. The PPE major provides an interdisciplinary education that sharpens critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and ethical judgment by integrating insights from political systems, philosophical principles, and economic theories. This versatile foundation prepares graduates for careers in policymaking, law, finance, journalism, international relations, consulting, and leadership roles in government or the private sector. Many global leaders have held a PPE degree and we expect that our own graduates will go on to distinguished careers in public service.

Finally, we will launch a program in American Constitutionalism (major/certificate), also in Fall of 2026. Studying American Constitutionalism —through in-depth exploration of its historical foundations like the Magna Carta, the formation of the U.S. Constitution, the protections in the Bill of Rights, the balance of federalism, and the mechanism of judicial review—will equip students with a profound understanding of limited government, individual liberties, the rule of law, and safeguards against tyranny, fostering informed civic engagement, principled leadership, and the ability to navigate and defend the principles of free and responsible citizenship. We can think of no better program to prepare students for Law School and what Tocqueville calls the esprit légiste—the spirit of the law.

As we launch The Civics Compact and the bold new programs of the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, we renew our pledge to the enduring covenant that binds generations of Americans: to educate citizens who understand, defend, and live by the principles of ordered liberty. In the classrooms of Arizona State University, we are forming the next generation of thoughtful leaders who will carry forward the American experiment with wisdom, courage, and fidelity to its founding ideals. We invite you—students, parents, taxpayers, and fellow citizens—to join us, to hold us to our side of the compact, and to walk together toward a future where free and responsible citizenship remains the surest safeguard of the Republic. Thank you for embarking on this journey with us, and we look forward to sharing more in the issues ahead!

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Richard Avramenko

January 2026