'Founding Values' event series invites ASU community to reflect on democracy, civic responsibility
Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics celebrates America’s anniversary, asks: 250 years later, how are we doing?
This April, the Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics at Arizona State University will host a six-event series titled Founding Values: America 250 Years Later.
This event series is coordinated by Lincoln Center’s Assistant Director Angela Rodriguez, and events will be co-hosted by a variety of ASU students and faculty. Events will include discussions, lectures, panels and performances, all centered around the theme “the values behind the founding documents.”
The 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence gives a unique opportunity to revisit the values laid out in this founding document: All people are created equal, endowed with certain unalienable rights. Events will cover related topics such as the military, freedom of expression, patriotism and more.
A call for proposals was sent out to ASU students, faculty and community members in fall of 2025.
“By supporting a wide range of contributions, the series empowers participants to engage these questions in ways that are meaningful to them, fostering a dynamic and inclusive conversation across disciplines and communities,” says Lincoln Center Director Joan McGregor.
The Lincoln Center received proposals from a wide variety of units, including the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies; the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication; the School of Music, Dance, and Theatre; the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership; and the Institute for Democratic Engagement and Accountability at The Ohio State University. Find a full list of events and co-sponsors here.
This event series represents the goals of the Lincoln Center to talk across differences and cultivate civic virtues.
“Despite our differences, when we have conversations about our shared values, we can make progress towards putting those values into action,” Rodriguez wrote in the original proposal. “Founding Values will encourage members of our community to depoliticize their values and work together to think about how we are, or could better be, pursuing the values that America was founded on as a country and as a community.”
Founding Values will feature six events over the course of three weeks, from April 15–28. The event series is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided.
- April 15: Reflective Patriotism
- April 17: Speech and Press
- April 21: Dramatic Reflections
- April 23: Citizen Tom Paine
- April 27: Protections for the Digital Age
- April 28: McMaster & The Military in Our Democracy