[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 4978-4986]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             THE AMERICAN HISTORY AND CIVICS EDUCATION ACT

  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I rise today to address the 
intersection of two urgent concerns that will determine our country's 
future, and these are also the two topics I care about the most, the 
education of our children and the principles that unite us as 
Americans. It is time we put the teaching of American history and 
civics back in its rightful place in our schools so our children can 
grow up learning what it means to be an American. Especially during 
such serious times when our values and ways of life are being attacked, 
we need to understand just what those values are.
  In this, most Americans would agree. For example, in Thanksgiving 
remarks in 2001, President Bush praised our Nation's response to 
September 11. ``I call it,'' he said, ``the American character.'' At 
about the same time, speaking at Harvard, former Vice President Al Gore 
said, ``We should fight for the values that bind us together as a 
country.''
  Both men were invoking a creed of ideas and values in which most 
Americans believe. ``It has been our fate as a nation,'' the historian 
Richard Hofstadter wrote, ``not to have ideologies but to be one.'' 
This value-based identity has inspired both patriotism and division at 
home as well as emulation and hatred abroad. For terrorists, as well as 
those who admire America, at issue is the United States itself--not 
what we do but who we are.
  Yet our children do not know what makes America exceptional. National 
exams show that three-quarters of the Nation's 4th, 8th, and 12th 
graders are not proficient in civics knowledge and one-third do not 
even have basic knowledge, making them ``civic illiterates.''
  Children are not learning about American history and civics because 
they are not being taught them. American history has been watered down, 
and civics is too often dropped from the curriculum entirely.
  Until the 1960s, civics education, which teaches the duties of 
citizenship, was a regular part of the high school curriculum. But 
today's college graduates probably have less civic knowledge than high 
school graduates of 50 years ago. Reforms, so-called, in the 1960s and 
1970s, resulted in widespread elimination of required classes and 
curriculum in civics education. Today, more than half the States have 
no requirement for students to take a course--even for one semester--in 
American government.
  To help put the teaching of American history and civics in its 
rightful place, today I introduce legislation on behalf of myself and 
cosponsors, Senator Reid of Nevada, Senator Gregg, Senator Santorum, 
Senator Inhofe, and Senator Nickles. We call it the American History 
and Civics Education Act. The purpose of the act is to create 
presidential academies for teachers of American history and civics, and 
congressional academies for students of American history and civics. 
These residential academies would operate for 2 weeks, in the case of 
teachers, and 4 weeks in the case of students, during the summertime. 
Their purpose would be to inspire better teaching and more learning of 
the key events, the key persons, and the key ideas that shape the 
institutions and democratic heritage of the United States.
  I had some experience with such residential summer academies when I 
was Governor of Tennessee. It was a good experience. In 1984, we began 
creating governor's schools for students and for teachers. We had a 
Governor's School for the Arts. We had a Governor's School for 
International Studies at the University of Memphis, a Governor's School 
for Teachers of Writing at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, 
which was very successful. Eventually there were eight governor's 
schools in our State, and they helped thousands of Tennessee teachers 
improve their skills and inspired outstanding students in the same way. 
When those teachers and students went back to their own schools during 
the regular school year, their enthusiasm for teaching and learning the 
subject they had been a part of in the summer infected their peers and 
improved education across the board. Dollar for dollar, I believe the 
governor's schools in our State were the most effective popular 
education initiatives in our State's history.
  We weren't the only State to try it; many did. The first State 
governor's school I heard about was in North Carolina, started by Terry 
Sanford when he was Governor in 1963, and then other States have done 
the same--Georgia, South Carolina, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. 
In 1973, Pennsylvania established the Governor's Schools of Excellence, 
with 14 different programs of study. Mississippi has done the same. 
Virginia's Governor's School is a summer residential program for 7,500 
of the Commonwealth's most gifted students. Mississippi and West 
Virginia also have similar programs. They are just a few of the more 
than 100 governor's schools in 28 States. Clearly, the model has proved 
to be a good one.
  The legislation I propose today applies that successful model to 
American history and civics by establishing presidential and 
congressional academies for students and teachers of those subjects.
  The legislation would do one more thing. It would authorize the 
creation of a national alliance of American history and civics teachers 
to be connected by the Internet. The alliance would facilitate sharing 
of best practices in the teaching of American history and civics. It is 
modeled after an alliance I helped the National Geographic Society 
start in the 1980s. Their purpose was to help put geography back into 
the school curriculum.
  This legislation creates a pilot program, up to 12 presidential 
academies for teachers, 12 congressional academies for students, 
sponsored by educational institutions. The National Endowment for the 
Humanities would reward 2-year renewable grants to those institutions 
after a peer review process. Each grant would be subject to rigorous 
review after 3 years to determine whether the overall program should 
continue or expand or be stopped. The legislation authorizes $25 
million annually for the 4-year pilot program.
  There is a broad new basis of support for and interest in American 
history and civics in our country. As David Gordon noted in a recent 
issue of the Harvard Education Letter:

       A 1998 survey by the nonpartisan research organization 
     Public Agenda showed that 84 percent of parents with school 
     age children say they believe the United States is a special 
     country and they want our schools to convey that belief to 
     our children by teaching about its heroes and its traditions. 
     Similar numbers identified the American ideal as

[[Page 4979]]

     including equal opportunity, individual freedom, and 
     tolerance and respect for others. Those findings were 
     consistent across racial and ethnic groups.

  Our national leadership has responded to this renewed interest. In 
2000, at the initiative of my distinguished colleague Senator Byrd, 
Congress created grants for schools that teach American history as a 
separate subject within the school curriculum. We appropriated $100 
million for those grants in the recent omnibus appropriations bill, and 
rightfully so. They encourage schools and teachers to focus on the 
teaching of traditional American history and provide important 
financial support.
  Then, last September, with historian David McCullough at his side, 
President Bush announced a new initiative to encourage the teaching of 
American history and civics. He established the ``We The People'' 
program at the National Endowment for the Humanities, which will 
develop curricula and sponsor lectures on American history and civics. 
He announced the ``Our Documents'' project, run by the National 
Archives. This will take 100 of America's most prominent and important 
documents from the National Archives to classrooms everywhere in the 
country. This year, the President will convene a White House forum on 
American history, civics, and service. There we can discuss new 
policies to improve the teaching and learning of those subjects.
  This proposed legislation takes the next step by training teachers 
and encouraging outstanding students. I am pleased today that one of 
the leading Members of the House of Representatives, Roger Wicker of 
Mississippi, along with a number of his colleagues, is introducing the 
same legislation in the House of Representatives. I thank Senator 
Gregg, the chairman of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions, for being here and also for agreeing that the committee will 
hold hearings on this legislation so we can determine how it might 
supplement and work with the legislation enacted last year in this 
Congress and the President's various initiatives.
  In 1988, I was at a meeting of educators in Rochester when the 
President of Notre Dame University asked this question: ``What is the 
rationale for the public school?'' There was an unexpected silence 
around the room until Al Shanker, the president of the American 
Federation of Teachers, answered in this way: ``The public school was 
created to teach immigrant children the three R's and what it means to 
be an American with the hope that they would then go home and teach 
their parents.''
  From the founding of America, we have always understood how important 
it is for citizens to understand the principles that unite us as a 
country. Other countries are united by their ethnicity. If you move to 
Japan, you can't become Japanese. Americans, on the other hand, are 
united by a few principles in which we believe. To become an American 
citizen, you subscribe to those principles. If there are no agreement 
on those principles, Samuel Huntington has noted, we would be the 
United Nations instead of the United States of America.
  There has therefore been a continuous education process to remind 
Americans just what those principles are. In his retirement at 
Monticello, Thomas Jefferson would spend evenings explaining to 
overnight guests what he had in mind when he helped create what we call 
America. By the mid-19th century it was just assumed that most 
Americans knew what it meant to be an American. In his letter from the 
Alamo, Col. William Barrett Travis pleaded for help simply ``in the 
name of liberty, patriotism and everything dear to the American 
character.''
  New waves of immigration in the late 19th century brought to our 
country a record number of new people from other lands whose view of 
what it means to be an American was indistinct--and Americans responded 
by teaching them. In Wisconsin, for example, the Kohler Company housed 
German immigrants together so that they might be Americanized during 
non-working hours.
  But the most important Americanizing institution, as Mr. Shanker 
reminded us in Rochester in 1988, was the new common school. McGuffey's 
Reader, which was used in many classrooms, sold more than 120 million 
copies introducing a common culture of literature, patriotic speeches 
and historical references.
  The wars of the 20th century made Americans stop and think about what 
we were defending. President Roosevelt made certain that those who 
charged the beaches of Normandy knew they were defending for freedoms.
  But after World War II, the emphasis on teaching and defining the 
principles that unite us waned. Unpleasant experiences with McCarthyism 
in the 1950's, discouragement after the Vietnam War, and history books 
that left out or distorted the history of African-Americans made some 
skittish about discussing ``Americanism.'' The end of the Cold War 
removed a preoccupation with who we were not, making it less important 
to consider who we are. The immigration law changes in 1965 brought to 
our shores many new Americans and many cultural changes. As a result, 
the American Way became much more often praised than defined.
  Changes in community attitudes, as they always are, were reflected in 
our schools. According to historian Diane Ravitch, the public school 
virtually abandoned its role as the chief Americanizing institution. We 
have gone, she explains, from one extreme--simplistic patriotism and 
incomplete history--to the other--``public schools with an adversary 
culture that emphasizes the Nation's warts and diminishes its genuine 
accomplishments. There is no literary canon, no common reading, no 
agreed-upon lists of books, poems and stories from which students and 
parents might be taught a common culture and be reminded of what it 
means to be an American.''
  During this time many of our national leaders contributed to this 
drift toward agnostic Americanism. These leaders celebrated 
multiculturalism and bilingualism and diversity at a time when there 
should have been more emphasis on a common culture and learning English 
and unity.
  America's variety and diversity is a great strength, but it is not 
our greatest strength. Jerusalem is diverse. The Balkans are diverse. 
America's greatest accomplishment is not its variety and diversity but 
that we have found a way to take all that variety and diversity and 
unite as one country. E pluribus unum: out of many, one. That is what 
makes America truly exceptional.
  Since 9/11 things have been different. The terrorists focused their 
cross-hairs on the creed that unites Americans as one country--forcing 
us to remind ourselves of those principles, to examine and define them, 
and to celebrate them. The President has been the lead teacher. 
President Bush has literally taken us back to school on what it means 
to be an American. When he took the country to church on television 
after the attacks he reminded us that no country is more religious than 
we are. When he walked across the street to the mosque he reminded the 
world that we separate church and state and that there is freedom here 
to believe in whatever one wants to believe. When he attacked and 
defeated the Taliban, he honored life. When we put planes back in the 
air and opened financial markets and began going to football games 
again we honored liberty. The President called on us to make those 
magnificent images of courage and charity and leadership and 
selflessness after 9/11 more permanent in our everyday lives. And with 
his optimism, he warded off doomsayers who tried to diminish the real 
gift of Americans to civilization, our cockeyed optimism that anything 
is possible.
  Just after 9/11, I proposed an idea I called ``Pledge Plus Three.'' 
Why not start each school day with the Pledge of Allegiance--as we did 
this morning here in the Senate--followed by a faculty member or 
student sharing for three minutes ``what it means to be an American.'' 
The Pledge embodies many of the ideals of our National Creed: ``one 
nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.'' It 
speaks to our unity, to our faith, to our

[[Page 4980]]

value of freedom, and to our belief in the fair treatment of all 
Americans. If more future Federal judges took more classes in American 
history and civics and learned about those values, we might have fewer 
mind-boggling decisions like the one issued by the Ninth Circuit.
  Before I was elected to the Senate, I taught some of our future 
judges and legislators a course at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of 
Government entitled ``The American Character and America's 
Government.'' The purpose of the course was to help policy-
makers, civil servants and journalists analyze the American creed and 
character and apply it in the solving of public policy problems. We 
tried to figure out, if you will, what would be ``the American way'' to 
solve a given problem, if such a thing were to exist.
  The students and I did not have much trouble deciding that America is 
truly exceptional--not always better, but truly exceptional--or in 
identifying the major principles of an American creed or the distinct 
characteristics of our country; such principles as: liberty, equal 
opportunity, rule of law, laissez faire, individualism, e pluribus 
unum, the separation of church and state.
  But what we also found was that applying those principles to today's 
issues was hard work. This was because the principles of the creed 
often conflicted. For example, when discussing President Bush's faith-
based charity legislation, we knew that ``In God We Trust'' but we also 
knew that we didn't trust government with God.
  When considering whether the Federal Government should pay for 
scholarships which middle and low income families might use at any 
accredited school--public, private or religious--we found that the 
principle of equal opportunity conflicted with the separation of church 
and state.
  And we found there are great disappointments when we try to live up 
to our greatest dreams. For example, President Kennedy's pledge that we 
will ``pay any price or bear any burden'' to defend freedom, or Thomas 
Jefferson's assertion that ``all men are created equal,'' or the 
American dream that for anyone who works hard, tomorrow will always be 
better than today.
  We often are disappointed when we try to live up to those truths.
  We learned that, as Samuel Huntington has written, balancing these 
conflicts and disappointments is what most of American politics and 
government is about.
  If most of our politics and government is about applying to our most 
urgent problems the principles and characteristics that make the United 
States of America an exceptional country, then we had better get about 
the teaching and learning of those principles and characteristics.
  The legislation I propose today, with several cosponsors, will help 
our schools do what they were established to do in the first place. At 
a time when there are record numbers of new Americans, at a time when 
our values are under attack, at a time when we are considering going to 
war to defend those values, there can be no more urgent task than 
putting the teaching of American history and civics back in its 
rightful place in our schools so our children can grow up learning what 
it means to be an American.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record 
several items: A syllabus from the course that I taught, an article 
from the National Association of Scholars, and memoranda outlining the 
various Governors' schools in our State and other States.
  I also highly commend to my colleagues a report from the Carnegie 
Corporation and CIRCLE titled ``The Civic Mission of Schools.''
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

              [From the National Association of Scholars]

  Today's College Students Barely More Knowledgeable Than High School 
                  Students of 50 Years Ago, Poll Shows

       Princeton, NJ, Dec. 18, 2002.--Contemporary college seniors 
     scored on average little or no higher than the high-school 
     graduates of a half-century ago on a battery of 15 questions 
     assessing general cultural knowledge. The questions, drawn 
     from a survey originally done by the Gallup Organization in 
     1955, covered literature, music, science, geography, and 
     history. They were asked again of a random sample of American 
     college and university students by Zogby International in 
     April 2002. The Zogby survey was commissioned by the National 
     Association of Scholars.
       There were variations in the pattern of responses. The 
     contemporary sample of seniors did better than the 1950s high 
     school graduates on four questions relating to music, 
     literature, and science, about the same on seven questions 
     pertaining to geography, and worse on four questions about 
     history.
       The answers given by today's seniors were also compared to 
     those provided to the Gallup questions by college graduates 
     in 1955. Although the relatively small number of college 
     graduates in the latter sample limits the degree of 
     confidence one can have in the comparisons, the consistency 
     and size of the knowledge superiority displayed by the 1950s 
     college graduates strongly suggests that it is real.
       The overall average of correct responses for the entire 
     general knowledge survey was 53.5% for today's college 
     seniors, 54.5% for the 1955 high school graduates, and 77.3% 
     for the 1955 college graduates.
       (Removing three questions about which, for reasons 
     indicated in the full report, the earlier respondents may 
     have had more ``extracurricular'' sources of knowledge, the 
     figures become 50.3% for the 2002 seniors, 46.4% for the 1955 
     high school graduates, and 67.8% for the 1955 college 
     graduates.)
       In addition, the 2002 college seniors were asked two 
     questions dealing with the reading and musical interests that 
     were asked of national samples of the American population in 
     1946 and 1957. With respect to interest in high literate and 
     musical culture, the answers fail to show impressive or 
     consistent differences between the two groups.
       On a question inquiring whether or not they had a favorite 
     author, 56% of 2002 college seniors, as opposed to 32% of the 
     general population in 1946--the great majority of whom had 
     only an elementary or secondary school education--answered 
     affirmatively. For both groups, however, most of the authors 
     specifically mentioned were writers of popular fiction. When 
     only responses naming ``high-brow'' and canonical writers 
     were tabulated, the differences between the two groups shrank 
     considerably: 17% of the national sample falling into a 
     ``high-brow'' classification in 1946, as opposed to 24% of 
     the 2002 college senior sample. Not a particularly large 
     difference given the college senior's great advantage in 
     formal education.
       Asked whether or not they would like to collect a fairly 
     complete library of classical music on LPs or CDs, the 1957 
     sample of owners 33 rpm-capable phonographs (37% of a 
     national survey sample) provided a more affirmative response 
     than did the 2002 college seniors, 39% of the former, and 
     only 30% of the latter, responding ``Yes''.
       On the other hand, the contemporary college seniors were 
     more likely (69%) to have studied a musical instrument than 
     were the members of the population as a whole (44%) in 1957. 
     The type of instrument studied also differed, the 1957 
     national sample more heavily favoring the violin and piano 
     than did the 2002 college seniors.
       ``The results,'' said NAS president Stephen H. Balch, 
     ``though somewhat mixed and based on a limited number of 
     questions, are hardly reassuring. America has poured enormous 
     amounts of tax dollars into expanding access to higher 
     learning. Students spend, and pay for, many more years in the 
     classroom than was formerly the case. Our evidence suggests 
     that this time and treasure may not have substantially raised 
     student cultural knowledge above the high school levels of a 
     half-century ago.''
       ``Worst yet,'' he continued, ``the high cultural interest 
     and aspirations of today's college seniors are neither 
     consistently nor substantially more elevated than 
     yesteryear's secondary school graduates. Creating such 
     interests and aspirations has traditionally been considered a 
     core element of the collegiate experience. If the last fifty 
     years have in fact witnessed few gains in this respect, it 
     represents a real disappointment of once widespread hopes.''
                                  ____


                      Governor's Schools Appendix

       Virginia Governor's Schools for Humanities and Visual & 
     Performing Arts:
       Established in 1973;
       Takes place in more than 40 sites throughout Virginia;
       ``The Governor's Schools presently include summer 
     residential, summer regional, and academic-year programs 
     serving more than 7,500 gifted students from all parts of the 
     commonwealth'';
       Funded by way of the Virginia Board of Education and the 
     General Assembly (no specific figures readily available).
       Pennsylvania Governor's Schools of Excellence:
       Established in 1973;
       Program is broken up into 8 schools (Agricultural Sciences-
     Penn State University, Global Entrepreneurship-Lehigh 
     University, Health Care-University of Pittsburgh, Information 
     Technology-Drexel University/Penn State University, 
     International Studies-University of Pittsburgh, Teaching-
     Millersville

[[Page 4981]]

     University, the Arts-Mercyhurst College, the Sciences-
     Carnegie Mellon University);
       Funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
       Mississippi Governor's School:
       Established in 1981;
       Program is hosted by the Mississippi University for Women;
       Major academic courses change yearly, however, all courses 
     are designed to provide ``academic, creative leadership 
     experiences.''
       West Virginia Governor's School for the Arts:
       ``Brings 80 of West Virginia's most talented high school 
     actors, dancers, musicians, singers and visual artists to the 
     West Liberty State College campus for a three-week 
     residential program.''
       Arkansas Governor's School:
       Established in 1980;
       Program is hosted by Hendrix College and attended by 
     approximately 400 students yearly;
       Areas of focus include ``art, music, literature, film, 
     dance, and thought in the sciences, social sciences, and 
     humanities'';
       This 6-week program is funded by the Arkansas General 
     Assembly.
       Governor's schools for Montana, Massachusetts, and 
     Connecticut not found.
       Alabama Governor's School:
       Established in 1987;
       Program is hosted by Samford University;
       Academic courses stress fieldwork and problem-solving; the 
     arts, humanities and sciences are also explored;
       Major and minor areas of study include, ``The Legal 
     Process, American Healthcare, and Urban Geography.''
       Delaware Governor's School for Excellence:
       One-week summer program;
       Open to academically and artistically talented sophomores 
     from Delaware high schools;
       Students attend either the academic program or the visual 
     and performing arts program.
       Kentucky Governor's Scholars Program:
       Established in 1983;
       Held on the campuses (2003) of Centre College in Danville, 
     Eastern Kentucky; University in Richmond, and Northern 
     Kentucky University in Highland Heights;
       Five-week long summer program;
       Students may choose from over 20 subjects, including; 
     engineering and cultural anthropology;
       Students selected attend the program free of cost.
       Kentucky Governor's School for the Arts:
       Provides hands-on instruction for Kentucky's dancers, 
     actors, and musicians;
       No charge to students because it is paid for by the State;
       Open to sophomores and juniors in high school.
       Missouri Scholars Academy:
       Three-week academic program for Missouri's gifted students;
       330 students attend each year;
       Held on the campus of University of Missouri-Columbia;
       Administered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary 
     Education, in cooperation with University of Missouri 
     officials;
       Funds to support the Academy are appropriated by the 
     Missouri Legislature following state Board of Education 
     recommendations;
       Academy focuses on liberal arts and numerous extra-
     curricular activities.
                                  ____


                A Glance at Tennessee Governor's Schools


                           Governor's Schools

                               Background

       The Governor's School concept and practice began in North 
     Carolina in 1963 when Governor Terry Sanford established the 
     first one at Salem College, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. 
     The first school was initially funded through a grant from 
     the Carnegie Corporation. Later it came under the auspices of 
     the North Carolina Board of Education of the North Carolina 
     Department of Education.
       Upon the establishment of the first school, several states, 
     including Georgia, South Carolina, Arkansas, Kentucky, and 
     Tennessee established similar schools. As of 1996, there were 
     approximately 100 schools in 28 states.


                      Tennessee Governor's Schools

                               Background

       The 1984 Extraordinary Session of the Tennessee General 
     Assembly mandated the Governor's School program as a way of 
     meeting the needs of Tennessee's top students. For many years 
     this program has been included in the Appropriation Bill of 
     the General Assembly.
       The Governor's Schools started with 3 schools (100 students 
     each) in 1985:
       1. Humanities at U.T. Martin increased to 150 (2000 = 123; 
     2001 = 113).
       2. Sciences at U.T. increased to 150 (2000 = 119; 2002 = 
     107).
       3. Arts at M.T.S.U. increased to 300 (2000 = 226; 2001 = 
     226).
       Added in 1986 International Studies at U. of Memphis 
     originally served 150 (2000 = 115; 2001 = 106).
       Added in 1987 Tennessee Heritage at E.T.S.U. originally 
     served 80 (2000 = 57; 2001 = 51).
       Added in 1991 Prospective Teachers at U.T. Chattanooga 
     originally served 30 (2000 = 25; 2001 = 22).
       Added in 1996 Manufacturing at U.T. originally served 30 
     (2000 = 26; 2001 = 21).
       Added in 1998 Hospitality and Tourism at TSU originally 
     served 60 (2000 = 60; 2001 = 0).
       Added in 1999 Health Sciences at Vanderbilt originally 
     served 25 (2000 = 20; 2001 = 0).
       Discontinued in 2001 Hospitality and Tourism (per 
     legislature).
       Discontinued in 2001 Health Sciences (per legislature).
       Added (but not held) in 2002 Information Technology 
     Leadership at T.T.U. originally served 30.
       Suspended for 2002 All Governor's School Programs.
       During the 2001 Governor's Schools session 646 students 
     attended.
       2001 total amount allotted to the Governor's Schools: 
     $1,411,000.00 (1999 = $1,981.08 per student; 2000 = $2,037.61 
     per student; 2001 = $2,180.83 per student).

                        Governor's Schools today

       Today, there are 8 Governor's Schools across the state, 
     serving several hundred students and teachers each year. 
     Although funding for the schools was cut last year during a 
     budget crisis, support has been restored this year.
       As stated earlier, there are currently 8 Governor's Schools 
     across the state. Each school is held on a college campus 
     during the summer months. Listed below is a table of all of 
     the schools, including subject area that is taught, the 
     location, and the dates for the 2003 session.
       The School for the Arts--June 15-July 12, 2003--held on the 
     Middle Tennessee State University campus in Murfreesboro, and 
     located only 30 miles from Nashville and the Tennessee 
     Performing Arts Center.
       The School for the Sciences--June 15-July 12, 2003--held on 
     the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, near 
     the Oak Ridge National Laboratories, Tremont Environmental 
     Center, and in the heart of TVA.
       The School for the Humanities--June 15-July 12, 2003--held 
     on the campus of the University of Tennessee at Martin, in 
     the center of Shiloh Battleground and the sociological 
     cultures of the Mississippi and Tennessee Rivers.
       The School for International Studies--June 15-July 12, 
     2003--held on the campus of The University of Memphis, in the 
     heart of Tennessee's growing international corporate center, 
     home to Federal Express, Holiday Inns, and Schering-Plough.
       The School for Tennessee Heritage--June 15-July 12, 2003--
     held on the campus of East Tennessee State University-in 
     Johnson City-surrounded by the area where Tennessee's history 
     began and only a few miles from Jonesborough, the state's 
     oldest existing city.
       The School for Prospective Teachers--June 15-July 12, 
     2003--held on the campus of the University of Tennessee at 
     Chattanooga--with access to many schools throughout the area.
       The School for Manufacturing--June 15-July 12, 2003--held 
     on the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville--
     focuses on the importance of manufacturing as an integral 
     part of the culture and economy of Tennessee.
       President's School for Information Technology and 
     Leadership--June 15-July 12, 2003--this self-funded school 
     will be held on the campus of Tennessee Technological 
     University in Cookeville. It focuses on developing a complete 
     business plan for an information technology-based business 
     and enhancing student's knowledge of information technology 
     and business leadership.
       The Tennessee Governor's Schools offer selected gifted and 
     talented high school students intensive learning experiences 
     in the Humanities, Math and Science, Arts, International 
     Studies, Tennessee Heritage, Prospective Teaching, 
     Manufacturing and Information Technology Leadership. 
     Admission to the various programs are highly competitive, as 
     1,250 applications have been received thus far for the 2003 
     year for The School for the Arts, and only 300 spots are 
     available. Additionally, The School for the Sciences has 
     received 800 applications thus far, for 125 spots.
       Students in the 10th and 11th grades who are interested in 
     participating in the programs receive information from their 
     school's guidance counselor and then proceed with the 
     application process.
       Students selected to attend these highly competitive 
     schools are provided housing and meals for the duration of 
     the program, which is about a month long. Students 
     participate in a variety of courses that are offered. For 
     example, there were 14 academic courses offered to the 115 
     scholars at the Governor's School for the Humanities in 2001. 
     All of the scholars were enrolled in courses at 9 a.m. and 
     10:15 a.m. This particular curriculum was designed to expose 
     the scholars to a rich selection of humanities courses 
     including literature, philosophy, religion, ethics, poetry, 
     history and media studies. In addition to the required 
     morning classes, the scholars were given the opportunity to 
     participate in afternoon electives, such as the yearbook 
     staff and the student

[[Page 4982]]

     newspaper. In the evening hours at the Governors School for 
     the Humanities, students were offered a broad-range of 
     humanities-related speakers and activities.

                  Governor's Schools make a difference

       The scholars' satisfaction with the 2001 Governor's School 
     for the Humanities program is reflected in the overall rating 
     of the program, with 94% of the scholars rating the program 
     as either ``excellent'' or ``very good.''
       This satisfaction is also evident from the feedback the 
     students were asked to write upon completion of the 2001 
     Governor's School for the Humanities program. Some examples 
     of the feedback from the program are as follows:
       ``I had the fortunate chance of coming here, and I am glad 
     I came. The cool thing about the people here is that I got 
     along with everyone, and I especially got along very well 
     with my roommate. My favorite class was Lord Chamberlain's 
     Men. I better developed my acting skills and overall 
     understanding of what goes on in a play production. This 
     campus is so beautiful. The people, activities, and 
     atmosphere are unbelievable. I have had the time of my life 
     here, and I would especially come to this campus again for a 
     future GS, but I doubt that is possible. I love the freedom I 
     get from being here. The classes were challenging for me and 
     I believe I am prepared for my classroom experience now. 
     There are some very strange people that came here who I 
     wouldn't even think would be accepted to Governor's School. I 
     have learned to accept all different types of people and 
     their views and lifestyles since coming to GS. I love the 
     fact that Tennessee is rewarding me and everyone here that is 
     smart with the opportunity to become a better person. This 
     experience was wonderful. I speak for a lot of people when I 
     say that I don't want to leave!''
       ``I honestly would have to say that Governor's School has 
     been one of the best experiences I have ever had. By coming 
     here, I have met so many people from different backgrounds, 
     and I learned to grow as a person. I learned so much in and 
     out of class, both from the staff and students. I really 
     enjoyed all the activities because I had fun and because I 
     was able to be myself. The atmosphere was so receptive and 
     nurturing, and the teachers showed that they wanted us to 
     learn and grow. I feel that the variety of electives offered 
     allowed each person to pick what he/she was interested in and 
     enabled each person to show their talents and abilities. The 
     time in which I was here flew by, but so many wonderful 
     things happened. It sounds funny, but every time I would 
     write or call home, I couldn't help but smile as I told my 
     parents about the fun I was having. This may or may not seem 
     relevant to the Governor's School experience, but it helped 
     me to see that I can go off to college in a year and I will 
     be fine. Overall, I feel that this was a positive growing 
     experience, and I can't wait to take back home all that I 
     have learned. Thank you all so much!''

              Other Governor's Schools around the country

       The Arkansas Governor's School is a 6-week summer 
     residential program for gifted students who are upcoming high 
     school seniors and residents of Arkansas. State funds provide 
     tuition, room, board, and instructional materials for each 
     student who attends the six-week program on the site of a 
     residential college campus, leased by the State. The Arkansas 
     Governor's School is a non-credit program. Students are 
     selected on the basis of their special aptitudes in one of 
     eight fields: choral music, drama, English/language arts, 
     instrumental music, mathematics, natural science, social 
     science, or visual arts.
       The Virginia Governor's School Program provides some of the 
     state's most able students academically and artistically 
     challenging programs beyond those offered in their home 
     schools. With the support of the Virginia Board of Education 
     and the General Assembly, the Governor's Schools presently 
     include summer residential, summer regional, and academic-
     year programs serving more than 7,500 gifted students from 
     all parts of the commonwealth. There are three types of 
     Governor's Schools that provide appropriate learning 
     endeavors for gifted students throughout the commonwealth: 
     Academic-Year Governor's Schools, Summer Residential 
     Governor's Schools, and the Summer Regional Governor's 
     Schools. The Virginia Department of Education and the 
     participating school divisions fund the Governor's School 
     Program.
       The Georgia Governor's Honors Program is a six-week summer 
     instructional program designed to provide intellectually 
     gifted and artistically talented high school juniors and 
     seniors challenging and enriching educational opportunities. 
     Activities are designed to provide each participant with 
     opportunities to acquire the skills, knowledge, and attitudes 
     to become life-long learners. The program is held on the 
     campus of Valdosta State University, in Valdosta, Georgia. 
     The GHP teacher-to-student ratio is usually 1:15.

  The American Character and America's Government: Using the American 
                        Creed To Make Decisions

   (Professor Lamar Alexander, John F. Kennedy School of Government, 
                    Harvard University, Spring 2002)


                        Objective of the Course

       To help future decision-makers use the principles of the 
     American Creed to solve difficult, contemporary public policy 
     problems. Students will first explore America's 
     ``exceptionalism'': how an idea-based national ideology makes 
     the United States different from other countries--including 
     other Western democracies. Then, each session will analyze 
     one value of the ``American Creed''--and how it conflicts 
     with other values and/or creates unrealized expectations--in 
     the solving of a specific problem. Students will simulate 
     realistic policy-making situations and produce professional 
     products as assignments: concise memos, outlines and 
     briefings.


                        Rationale for the Course

       In Thanksgiving remarks President Bush praised the nation's 
     response to September 11. ``I call it,'' he said, ``the 
     American Character''. At KSG Al Gore said, ``We should 
     [fight] for the values that bind us together as a country''. 
     Both men were invoking a creed of ideas and values in which 
     most Americans believe. ``It has been our fate as a nation,'' 
     Richard Hofstader wrote, ``not to have ideologies but to be 
     one.'' This value-based national identity has inspired both 
     patriotism and division at home, both emulation and hatred 
     abroad. For terrorists as well as for those who admire 
     America, at issue is the United States itself--not what we 
     do, but who we are.
       Yet Americans who unite on principle divide and suffer 
     disappointment when using their creed to solve policy 
     problems. This is because the values of the creed conflict 
     (e.g., liberty vs. equality, individualism vs. community) and 
     because American dreams are loftier than American reality 
     (e.g., ``all men are created equal'', ``tomorrow will be 
     better than today''). Samuel Huntington has said that 
     balancing these conflicts and disappointments is what most of 
     American politics and government is about. That is also what 
     this course is about.


                                Audience

       The Course is designed for future policy makers, civil 
     servants, and journalists. A general knowledge of American 
     politics is helpful but not required. It should be useful for 
     both U.S. and international students seeking to learn more 
     about the American system of government and how it differs 
     from that of other countries.


                               Instructor

       Lamar Alexander, The Roy M. and Barbara Goodman Family 
     Visiting Professor of Practice in Public Service, has been 
     Governor of Tennessee, President of the University of 
     Tennessee, and U.S. Education Secretary. He co-founded Bright 
     Horizons Family Solutions, Inc., now the nation's largest 
     provider of worksite day care. His seven books include Six 
     Months Off, the story of his family's trip to Australia after 
     eight years in the Governor's residence. In 1996 and 2000 he 
     was a candidate for the Republican nomination for President 
     of the United States. For more see www.lamaralexander.com. 
     Office: Littauer 101; Telephone: (617) 384-7354; E-mail: 
     [email protected].


                              Office Hours

       Office hours will generally be on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 
     A sign up sheet will be posted outside Professor Alexander's 
     door. Appointments may also be made by e-mailing 
     [email protected]


                            Course Assistant

       Matt Sonnesyn will be course assistant for PAL 223 and may 
     be reached by email at [email protected].


                              Expectations

       This is a graduate level professional course and will have 
     the corresponding standards and assignments: attendance at 
     all scheduled classes, assignments completed on time, and 
     evaluation according to students' preparation of professional 
     products--crisp and realistic decision memos, memo outlines, 
     and policy briefings. All briefings are conducted in class 
     and all decision memos and weekly outlines are due at the 
     beginning of the corresponding class session. There is no 
     final exam, but there will be a final paper.


                                Grading

       Briefings (2): team exercise 20 percent. Two times during 
     the course each student will participate in a team briefing 
     on that week's subject.
       Memos (2): team exercise 20 percent. Two other times during 
     the course each student will participate in a team preparing 
     a three-page decision memo on that week's subject . The 
     student may select these from among the class topics.
       Weekly Outlines (6): 20 percent. Six other times during the 
     course each student will prepare a one-page analysis of the 
     week's problem. (This will be during those weeks when the 
     student is not involved in preparing a team briefing or team 
     memo.) As a result, for ten of the twelve class sessions, 
     each student will have an assignment (other than reading) 
     that requires preparation outside of class--either a team 
     briefing, a team memo, or an individual weekly memo outline.
       Class participation and attendance: 15 percent.

[[Page 4983]]

       Final Paper: 25 percent.
       Final grades will be determined by students' overall 
     position in the class as measured by performance on each of 
     the assignments and will conform to the Kennedy School of 
     Government's recommended range of grading distribution.


                               materials

       The course relies primarily on course packets to be made 
     available for sale at the Course Materials Office. There will 
     be 125-150 pages of reading each week. There are three 
     required textbooks:
       (1) Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, translated 
     and edited by Harvey C. Mansfield and Delba Winthrop, The 
     University of Chicago Press, 2000.
       (2) Seymour Martin Lipset, American Exceptionalism, W.W. 
     Norton & Co., 1997 (paperback).
       (3) Samuel P. Huntington, ``American Politics: The Promise 
     of Disharmony'', The Belknap Press of Harvard University, 
     1981.
       All three books are available for purchase at the Harvard 
     Coop. Copies of all three books are on reserve in the KSG 
     library.
       Note: Readings from the three required textbooks or 
     readings which are readily available online are not included 
     in the course packet. (Hypertext links to the online readings 
     may be found within the syllabus that is posted on the KSG 
     website.)


                               enrollment

       The course has a limited enrollment. Auditors are permitted 
     with permission of the instructor.


                  course outline and required readings

       2/5: My ``ism'' is Americanism--American Exceptionalism. 
     One hundred and one ways Americans are different. So what?

       Alexis de Toqueville, Democracy in America, edited by 
     Harvey C. Mansfield and Delba Winthrop, University of Chicago 
     Press, Chicago, 2000, pp. 3-15, 90, 585-587, 225-226.
       G.K. Chesterson, What I Saw in America, Dodd, Mead & Co., 
     1922, pp. 6-12.
       Daniel J. Boorstin, ``Why a Theory Seems Needless'', The 
     Genius of American Politics, 1953, The University of Chicago 
     Press, p. 8-35.
       Samuel P. Huntington, ``The American Creed and National 
     Identity,'' American Politics: The Promise of Disharmony, 
     1981, pp. 13-30.
       Albert Hourani, A History of the Arab Peoples, 1991, The 
     Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, pp. 46-
     58.
       Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations, Simon and 
     Schuster, 1996, pp. 40-55, 68-78, 301-308.
       Seymour Martin Lipset, American Exceptionalism, pp. 17-34.

       2/12: ``. . . where at least I know I'm free . . .''--
     Liberty. Should Congress repeal President Bush's executive 
     order allowing non-citizens suspected of international 
     terrorism to be detained and tried in special military 
     tribunals?

       Alexis de Toqueville, ibid., pp. 239-242, 246-249, 301, 
     639-640.
       U.S. Constitution and amendments, 1787. http://
memory.loc.gov/const/constquery.html.
       John Stuart Mill, ``The Authority of Society and the 
     Individual'', On Liberty, 1859, Hackett Publishing Co. 
     edition, 1978, pp. 73-91.
       Carl Brent Swisher, American Constitutional Development, 
     Greenwood Press, Connecticut, 1954, pp. 276-292, 1017-1025.
       Samuel P. Huntington, ``The American Creed vs. Political 
     Authority,'' American Politics: The Promise of Disharmony, 
     1981, pp. 31-60.
       Richard E. Neustadt and Ernest R. May, Thinking in Time, 
     The Free Press, pp. 232-246, 1988.
       An Executive Order of President George W. Bush, 
     ``Detention, Treatment and Trial of Certain Non-Citizens in 
     the War against Terrorism'', November 13, 2001.
       Jeffrey Rosen, ``Testing the Resilience of American 
     Values'', The New York Times Week in Review, Sunday, Nov. 18, 
     2001, pp. 1 and 4.
       Laurence H. Tribe, Statement before U.S. Senate Judiciary 
     Committee, December 4, 2001.
       ``American Attitudes Toward Civil Liberties'', public 
     Opinion survey, by Kasier Foundation, National Public Radio 
     and Kennedy School of Government, December 2001. http://
www.npr.org/news/specials/civillibertiespoll/
011130.poll.html.

       2/19: In God We Trust . . . but we don't trust government 
     with God--Christianity, pluralism and the state. Should 
     Congress enact President Bush's faith-based charity 
     legislation?

       Alexis de Toqueville, ibid., pp. 278-288.
       John Locke, ``A Letter Concerning Toleration'', Diane 
     Ravitch and Abigail Thernstrom, The Democracy Reader, NY: 
     HarperCollins, 1992., ibid., pp. 31-37.
       Thomas Jefferson, ``Notes on the State of Virginia'', 
     Ravitch and Thernstrom, ibid., pp. 108-109.
       James Madison, ``Memorial and Remonstrance against 
     Religious Assessments'', 1785, The Writings of James Madison, 
     NY: Putnam, 1908.
       ``Separation of Church and State in American Bought about 
     by the Scotch-Irish of Virginia'', Charles. A. Hanna, The 
     Scotch Irish, Vol. II, 1985, Genealogical Publishing Co., 
     Baltimore, pp. 157-162.
       Philip Schaff, America: A Sketch of its Political, Social 
     and Religious Character, 1961, The Belknap Press of Harvard 
     University, pp. 72-83.
       Engel vs. Vitale, 370. U.S. 421 (1962).
       Marvin Olasky, ``The Early American Model of Compassion'', 
     The Tragedy of American Compassion, Regnery Publishing, 
     Washington, D.C., 1992, pp. 6-23.
       Lamar Alexander, ``Homeless, not hopeless'', We Know What 
     to Do, William Morrow, New York, 1995, pp. 35-51.
       Two Executive Orders of President George W. Bush, 
     ``Establishment of White House Office of Faith-Based and 
     Community Initiatives'' and ``Agency Responsibilities with 
     respect to Faith-based Community Initiatives''. January 29, 
     2001.

       2/26: ``Leave no child behind''--Equal Opportunity. Should 
     the federal government pay for scholarships that middle and 
     low-income families may use at any accredited school-- 
     public, private or religious?

       Alexis de Toqueville, ibid, pp. 41-42.
       Horace Mann, ``Report of the Massachusetts Board of 
     Education, 1848'' in Daniel J. Boorstin, An American Primer, 
     Meridian, 1995, pp. 361-375.
       Charles Leslie Glenn, Jr. The Myth of the Common School, 
     The University of Massachusetts Press, 1988, pp. 146-158.
       Lamar Alexander, ``The GI Bill for Kids'', The John 
     Ashbrook Lecture, presented at Ashland (O.) University, 9/12/
     92. http://www.lamaralexander.com/articles.htm.
       Thomas J. Kane, ``Lessons from the Largest School Voucher 
     Program'', Who Chooses? Who Loses?, edited by Bruce Fuller 
     and Richard F. Elmore, Teachers College Press, 1996, pp. 173-
     183.
       Michael W. McConnell, ``Legal and Constitutional Issues of 
     Vouchers'', Vouchers and the Provision of Public Schools, The 
     Brookings Institution, 2000, pp. 368-391.
       Eliot M. Mincberg and Judith E. Schaeffer, ``Grades K-12: 
     The Legal Problems with Public Funding of Religious 
     Schools'', Vouchers and the Provision of Public Schools, pp. 
     394-403.
       Diane Ravitch, ``American Traditions of Education'', Terry 
     M. Moe, A Primer on America's Schools, Hoover Institution 
     Press, 2001, pp. 1-14.
       Paul Peterson, ``Choice in American Education'', A Primer 
     on America's Schools, pp. 249-283.
       Diane Ravitch, ``Ex Uno Plures'', Education Next, Fall 
     2001, pp. 27-29

       3/5: Equal at the starting line . . . but what about those 
     with shackles?--Individualism. Should the federal government 
     pay for race-based college scholarships?

       Alexis de Toqueville, ibid., pp. 326-334, 347-348; 482-488.
       The Declaration of Independence, 1776. http://
memory.loc.gov/const/declar.html.
       Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address (1865). http://
www.bartleby.com/124/pres32.html
       Frederick Douglass, ``What to the Slave is the Fourth of 
     July?'' http://douglass.speech.nwu.edu/doug_a10.htm.
       Martin Luther King, Jr., address at the Lincoln Memorial in 
     Washington, D.C., August 28, 1963. http://
douglass.speech.nwu.edu/king_b12.htm
       Excerpts from University of California Regents v. Bakke, 
     438 U.S. 265 (1978).
       Testimony of Lamar Alexander, U.S. Education Secretary, 
     Hearings before a Subcommittee of the Committee on 
     Appropriations, House of Representatives, 102nd Congress, 2nd 
     session, Feb. 20, 1992, pp. 39-46, 82-89, 99-102.
       Seymour Martin Lipset, ``Two Americas'', American 
     Exceptionalism, pp. 113-150.
       Abigail Thernstrom and Stephen Thernstrom, America in Black 
     and White, New York, Simon & Schuster, 1997. pp. 530-545.
       Cornel West, ``Malcolm X and Black Rage'', Race Matters, 
     Random House, Vintage Books, New York, 2001, pp. 135-151.

       3/12: A nation of immigrants . . . but all Americans--E 
     Pluribus Unum. Should illegal aliens have Illinois driver's 
     licenses? discounted tuition at state colleges? free medical 
     care? should their children attend public schools?

       Alexis de Toqueville, ibid., pp. 29-30. 32. 34-37, 268.
       J. Hector St. John de Crevecouer, ``What is an American'', 
     Letters from an American Farmer, 1782, Penguin Books edition 
     1986, pp. 67-90.
       Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., The Disuniting of America, W.W. 
     Norton, New York, 1991, pp. 9-43.
       Carlos E. Cortes, ``Limits to pluribus, limits to unum'', 
     National Forum, Baton Rouge, Winter, 1992. pp. 6-10.
       Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations, Simon and 
     Schuster, 1996, pp. 198-206.
       J. Harvie Wilkinson, ``The Medley of America'', One Nation 
     Indivisible, Addison Wesley, 1997, pp. 3-21.
       Griffin Bell, ``The Changing Role of Migrants in the United 
     States'', Address to the International Leadership Issues 
     Conference of State Legislative Leaders Foundation, Budapest, 
     October 4, 2001.
       David Cohen, Chasing the Red, White and Blue, New York, 
     2001. St. Martin's Press, pp. 218-236, 250-260.

[[Page 4984]]

       Morris P. Fiorina and Paul E. Peterson, The New American 
     Democracy, Longman, 2002, pp. 99-108.

       3/19: Suspending the constitution in order to save it--Rule 
     of Law. Should the governor-elect seize office three days 
     early to prevent the incumbent governor from selling pardons 
     for cash?

       Alexis de Toqueville, ibid., pp. 229-231.
       US Constitution, 25th Amendment. http://memory.loc.gov/
const/constquery.html.
       Tennessee Constitution Article 3, Section 12. http://
www.state.tn.us/sos/bluebook/online/section6/tnconst.pdf (p. 
     12).
       Tennessee Acts Section 8-1-107.
       Lon Fuller, ``The Morality that Makes Law Possible'', The 
     Morality of Law. Yale Law School Press, 1964. pp. 33-44.
       John D. Feerick, The Twenty-Fifth Amendment: Its Complete 
     History and Earliest Applications. Fordham University Press, 
     1976. pp. 3-23, 193-206.
       Bush v. Gore, 2000. http://www.supremecourtus.gov/
florida.html.
       Al Gore, address to the nation, December 13, 2000. http://
www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2000/transcripts/121300/t651213.html.
       Paul F. Boller, Jr., ``Picking the Day'', Presidential 
     Inaugurations, Harcourt, Inc., 2001, pp. 23-31.
       James W. Torke, ``What Is This Thing Called the Rule of 
     Law?'' Indiana Law Review. Volume 34, 2001. pp. 1445-56.
       Dotty Lynch, ``Back to Abnormal'', Sept. 28, 2001, from CBS 
     News Site. http://www.cbsnews.com/now/story/0,1597,312915-
     412,00.shtml.
       Tim McGirk, ``Wahid's In, Megawati's Out'', Dec, 8, 2001, 
     from Time Asia. http://www.time.com/time/asia/news/interview/
 0,9754,168569,00.html.
       Gordon Silverstein, ``Globalization and the Rule of Law'', 
     mimeo, The University of Minnesota, 2001.

       3/26: Harvard break.
       4/2: ``Ask not what your country can do for you . . .''--
     Community. Should all high school graduates perform one 
     mandatory year of community service?

       Alexis de Toqueville, ibid., pp. 56-58, 577-78, 489-92.
       Robert N. Bellah, et al, Habits of the Heart, University of 
     California Press, 1985, pp. vii-xxxv, 275-296.
       Daniel Boorstin, ``From Charity to Philanthropy'', Hidden 
     History, Vintage, New York, 1989, pp. 193-209.
       Barry Alan Shain, The Myth of American Individualism, 
     Princeton University Press, 1994, pp. xiii-xix.
       Lamar Alexander, ``What's Wrong With American Giving and 
     How to Fix It,'' Philanthropy, Summer 1997. http://
www.lamaralexander.com/articles_03.htm.
       Robert D. Putnam, Bowling Alone, Simon & Schuster, 2000, 
     pp. 15-28, 48-64, 116-133, 402-414.

       4/9: Why Americans don't trust Washington, D.C.--A 
     government of, by and for the people. Should the U.S. create 
     a citizen congress: cut their pay and send them home six 
     months a year, adopt term limits and two-year federal 
     budgets?

       Alexis de Toqueville, ibid. pp. 53-55.
       Aristotle, ``Politics'', from Ravitch and Thernstrom, pp. 
     9-12.
       Edmund Burke, ``On Election to Parliament'', Ravitch and 
     Thernstrom, ibid. pp. 50-51.
       Samuel P. Huntington, ``The American Creed and National 
     Identity,'' American Politics: the Promise of Disharmony, 
     1981, pp. 36-41.
       E.J. Dionne, ``The Politics of the Restive Majority'', Why 
     Americans Hate Politics, Touchstone, New York, 1991, pp. 329-
     355.
       Lamar Alexander, ``Cut Their Pay and Send Them Home,'' 
     1994, address to The Heritage Foundation.
       Seymour Martin Lipset, American Exceptionalism, pp. 35-46.
       Joseph S. Nye, et al, Why People Don't Trust Government, 
     Harvard University Press, 1997, pp. 253-281.
       Mark Kim, David King, Richard Zechhauser, ``Why State 
     Governments Succeed'', mimeo, John F. Kennedy School of 
     Government, Harvard University, 2001.

       4/16: ``Work! For the night is coming . . .''--Laissez 
     Faire. Should the federal government pay all working 
     Americans ``a living wage''?

       Alexis de Toqueville, ibid. pp. 506-08, 555-557, 606-608.
       Herbert Croly, The Promise of American Life, 1909, 
     Northeastern University Press, pp. 1-26.
       Kevin Phillips, ``The Triumph of Upper America'', The 
     Politics of Rich and Poor, Harper, 1991, pp. xvii-xxiii.
       C. Vann Woodward, ``The Pursuit of Happiness'', The Old 
     World's New World, Oxford University Press, 1991, pp. 40-62.
       Seymour Martin Lipset, ``Economy, Religion and Welfare'', 
     American Exceptionalism, pp. 53-76.
       David Neumark and William Washer, ``Using the EITC to Help 
     Poor Families: New Evidence and a Comparison with the Minimum 
     Wage'', NBER Working Paper #7599 March 2000, pp. 1-4, 24-27. 
     http://papers.nber.org/papers/W7599.
       Charles Handy, ``DeToqueville Revisited: The Meaning of 
     American Prosperity'', Harvard Business Journal, January 
     2001, pp. 5-11.
       David Neumark, ``Living Wages: Protection For or Protection 
     From Low-Wage Workers'', NBER Working Paper #8393, July 2001, 
     pp. 1-7, 25-27. http://papers.nber.org/papers/W8393.
       David Cohen, Chasing the Red, White and Blue, New York, 
     2001. St. Martin's Press, pp. 52-80.
       Harvard Living Wage Statements. http://
www.hcecp.harvard.edu/report.htm and http://
www.hcs.harvard.edu/pslm/livingwage/portal.html.

       4/23: ``Pay any price, bear any burden . . .''--Exporting 
     American Values. Putin shuts down last remaining independent 
     Russian TV station (owned 25% by Ted Turner), expels 100 
     foreign journalists for ``inaccurate reporting'' including 
     all Fox News personnel. What does U.S. do?

       Alexis de Toqueville, ibid., pp. 217-220.
       George Washington's Farewell Address, 1795. http://
www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/washing.htm.
       John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address, 1961. http://
www.bartleby.com/124/pres56.html.
       Samuel P. Huntington, American Politics: the Promise of 
     Disharmony, pp. 240-262.
       Graham T. Allison, Jr. and Robert P. Beschel, Jr., ``Can 
     the United States Promote Democracy'', Political Science 
     Quarterly, Volume 107, No. 1, 1992, pp. 81-89.
       Henry Kissinger, ``The Hinge: Theodore Roosevelt or Woodrow 
     Wilson'', Diplomacy, New York Simon & Schuster, 1994, pp. 29-
     55.
       Lamar Alexander, ``In War and Peace'', We Know What to Do, 
     pp. 95-107.
       Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations, pp. 309-
     321.
       Samantha Power, ``Bystanders to Genocide'', The Atlantic 
     Monthly, September 2000, pp. 84-108.
       Walter Russell Mead, Special Providence: American Foreign 
     Policy and How it Changed the World, Alfred A Knopf, New York 
     2001, pp. xv-xviii, 3-29.

       4/30: Anything is possible--Unbridled optimism. Should 
     there be a $1000 limit on individual federal campaign 
     contributions?

       Alexis de Toqueville, ibid., pp. 187-189.
       Larry J. Sabato, ``PACs and Parties'' Money, Elections and 
     Democracy: Reforming Congressional Campaign Finance, 1990, 
     Boulder, Colorado, Westview Press.
       Todd Eardensohn, A Review of the Alexander for President 
     Campaign Budget (1995-1996).
       Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations, Simon and 
     Schuster, 1996, pp. 308-321.
       Seymour Martin Lipset, American Exceptionalism, pp. 51-52, 
     267-292.
       Lamar Alexander, ``Should Tom Paine Have Filed with the 
     FEC?'', January 21, 1998, address to The Cato Institute.
       Andrew Del Banco, The Real American Dream, 1999, Harvard 
     University Press, pp. 103-118.
       Lamar Alexander, ``Put More Money Into Politics'', August 
     27, 1999, The Wall Street Journal. http://
www.lamaralexander.com/articles_01.htm.
       Alexander, ``Keeping the Dream Alive'', We Know What to Do, 
     ibid, pp. 165-180.

  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I thank the majority leader for this 
time. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from New Hampshire.
  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I rise to say I believe the speech the 
Senator from Tennessee has given today was an extraordinary speech, 
which was his first speech on the floor. Actually, it was not his first 
speech on the floor, but we are calling it his maiden speech. He gave a 
speech last week that had a huge impact relative to the Estrada 
nomination, which is the pending business. But this statement today by 
the Senator from Tennessee highlights effectively and poignantly the 
importance of teaching civics and history in classes in America. His 
bill, which he has proposed, of which I am a cosponsor, is a step which 
is long overdue.
  As he so effectively pointed out in his speech, we, as a nation, need 
to teach our children about our roots and our purpose as a country if 
we are to continue our creed of bringing one out of many.
  So I thank him for his statement. I think it was a superb statement. 
And I thank him for his legislation, which I hope we will be able to 
act on promptly and pass and put into operation so we can pass on to 
our children, through our public school system, the importance of the 
American culture and history.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Chair, in his capacity as a Senator 
from the State of Alaska, asks unanimous consent that he be added as a 
cosponsor.
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Wyoming.
  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I congratulate the Senator from Tennessee on 
an

[[Page 4985]]

outstanding and inspiring speech. I feel tremendously more patriotic 
now than when I came in the Chamber. And there is no way one can come 
into this Chamber without feeling patriotic.
  I am just hoping that classrooms across America do not wait for the 
legislation; that they go ahead, get on the Internet, get a copy of the 
Senator's speech, get a copy of the materials that accompany it, and 
get busy on this right away.
  The Senator is absolutely right. This is a country that began 
unifying on September 11. It is in a huge process of reunifying, of 
finding the commonality between the people who have united the American 
people and made this the kind of country that it is.
  I congratulate the Senator for his inspired speech and the work he 
has done on this bill. I have heard the Senator speak on this bill and 
have seen his passion on it before.
  Mr. President, I also ask unanimous consent to be added as a 
cosponsor of the bill.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cornyn). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. ENZI. I thank the Senator for all his efforts.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.
  Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, I also join in thanking the Senator from 
Tennessee for his very inspiring comments. I am part of the new class 
of Senators. I will have an opportunity to give my maiden speech, 
though obviously I have spoken on the floor before.
  I thought this was an important maiden speech. This was the first of 
the speeches of the new Senators of the 108th, and I think it was the 
right speech. We are going to discuss a lot of issues in these very 
challenging times--a time when we are on the edge of war, a time in 
which the values we hold so dear are challenged by terrorists, are 
challenged by oppression, and challenged by hate.
  We live in a time of great uncertainty about the economy, about jobs, 
with moms and dads who worry about their economic futures.
  So we are going to debate a lot of issues. We are worried about the 
future of health care and the future of prescription drugs for seniors. 
We are worried about baby boomers who are going to get old--and do we 
have a national policy dealing with long-term care?
  But at the core of all that we debate is this very fundamental 
concept that the Senator from Tennessee has raised; that is, What does 
it mean to be an American? What does it mean to celebrate freedom, to 
celebrate opportunity, and to be an optimist and have a hopeful spirit?
  So I applaud the Senator from Tennessee for, in his maiden speech, 
setting forth the seminal concept that binds us.
  I have noticed, with a little bit of sadness, the very partisan tone 
of so much of what we do. And I have always believed if we spent more 
time focusing on the things upon which we agree, rather than things on 
which we disagree, we would get through those. I think there is great 
agreement in this body on what we agree on, and that is what it is to 
be an American.
  I think it is important to transmit those values to the next 
generation so that the next generation can reinforce that to our 
generation because sometimes we forget.
  So, again, I add my voice of thanks to the Senator from Tennessee for 
raising this issue. It is so appropriate at this point in time.
  Mr. President, I also ask unanimous consent that I be added as a 
cosponsor on the Senator's legislation.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. COLEMAN. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I congratulate my colleague, through the 
Chair, for his words of inspiration. This concept of unity, this 
concept of patriotism, this concept of the essence of what being an 
American is all about, has been a real focus for all of us throughout 
our lives.
  September 11, as my distinguished colleague mentioned, gave us a time 
to rethink. I think what he has done today by introducing this bill is 
give us a real focus in this body, to allow us to shine the light on 
what we feel but which we do not articulate and spell out and 
communicate to the American people very well because we debate small 
issues, big issues, discreet issues, and a lot of rhetoric flies back 
and forth.
  So I appreciate the Senator taking the time to put together this 
piece of legislation, as well as spelling it out in his maiden speech.
  I especially appreciate, in his comments, mentioning the importance 
of teachers and setting up, in a structured fashion, a forum with which 
he has direct experience, by which we can give some discipline to and 
cultivate and encourage and show the national importance of its 
support.
  He mentioned the Pledge of Allegiance. It was not that long ago in 
this body that we made a decision to revive having the Pledge of 
Allegiance recited at the opening of each session. That was really just 
several years ago.
  It shows, by somebody taking an initiative, such as my colleague from 
Tennessee has done, that by giving it definition, you, indeed, can 
advance down the field and make progress.
  In this legislation we have an opportunity to continue with and to, 
indeed, capture what we know this great Nation is all about, and 
perpetuate it in a more organized, systematic way.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I, too, be added as a 
cosponsor of this legislation.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, my friend, the junior Senator from 
Tennessee, has this morning introduced legislation that I think is 
extremely important. I was happy to join with him as the lead cosponsor 
in that legislation. Certainly the Senator from Tennessee has the 
qualifications to offer legislation relating to education. He has been 
Governor of a State. He has been the secretary of education for our 
country. So when I saw this legislation come across my desk, I thought 
it was something in which I was interested. After reviewing it more 
closely, I am happy to be the lead cosponsor on this legislation, the 
American History and Civics Education Act.
  First of all, I agree with the Senator from Tennessee that civics or 
the duties of citizenship need to be stressed more. The best place it 
can be stressed is through educating our children, K through 12. It is 
the same with history. Mr. President, I love the study of history. I 
read fiction only occasionally. I read nonfiction all the time. I am 
presently engaged in a tremendously interesting book, written by Evans 
and Novak, the conservative reporters. Evans has passed away. Novak is 
still writing, as he has for many years. He is an excellent writer. I 
didn't realize, until I had occasion to visit with Bob Novak a few 
weeks ago, that he and Evans had written a history book in 1967 dealing 
with the life of Lyndon Johnson. I am in the process of reading that 
book. I am probably about halfway through the book. It is tremendously 
interesting. For those of us who read the Caro work, I recommend the 
book by Novak. It is very readable. They were there at the time. The 
things that went on, for example, in the Civil Rights Act of the late 
fifties--our colleague Strom Thurmond debated that matter. He stood up 
himself in a filibuster. Senator Hatch, my friend from Utah, talks 
about real filibusters. That was a real filibuster. Senator Thurmond 
alone spoke for more than 24 hours.
  It really threw the southern coalition off because they, in effect, 
made a deal with Lyndon Johnson and Strom Thurmond. It threw a monkey 
wrench into the so-called deal. Anyway, it is very interesting.
  History is living what took place in the past. For us, it is the 
ability to learn from what has happened in the past to try to do a 
better job in the future.
  My friend from Tennessee, wrote this legislation, and I am happy to 
work with him on it; it is great. The legislation sets up academies. It 
sets up programs on the Internet for best teaching practices. The 
education of America's

[[Page 4986]]

children must be one of our top priorities.
  Our schools have several important goals, including providing 
students with a foundation for higher education, helping them develop 
individual potential, and preparing them for successful careers.
  America has been a nation of immigrants for hundreds of years, and 
our schools have helped instill in our diverse population a sense of 
what it means to be an American and prepare our youth for the 
responsibilities of citizenship. We need to reaffirm the importance of 
learning American history and acquiring civic understanding. That is 
what this legislation is all about.
  As I work to make sure Nevada schoolchildren are connected to the 
Internet and the future, I also want them to be connected with 
America's past and know the common values in history, binding together 
all who live in our great Nation.
  I commend and applaud the junior Senator from Tennessee, Lamar 
Alexander, for offering this legislation. It is important legislation. 
He said in his statement that Senator Gregg, who chairs the committee 
of jurisdiction on this legislation, will move the bill to the Senate 
floor quickly. I hope that happens. I do hope my Republican colleagues 
will join with me in adequately funding this program so we can 
establish in grades K through 12 these academies where teachers can go 
to summer workshops and learn history and how better to teach history. 
It will only improve our country and our educational system in 
particular.
  Under the previous order, the second 30 minutes shall be under the 
control of the Senator from Alaska, Ms. Murkowski, or her designee.
  The Senator from Alaska.

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