School of Public Policy Welcomes First "Roots of American Order" Summer Seminar Undergraduate Cohort

The Pepperdine Drescher Graduate Campus buzzed with the conversations of more than 100 undergraduate students from colleges across the country throughout the week of May 31. Gathered for the inaugural, week-long seminar  “Roots of American Order,” these selected students took a deep dive into the primary texts of the American founding through the Progressive era. 

Students gather in the Wilburn Auditorium for a morning lecture

The certificate program, funded by a $1.4 million grant from the Department of Education’s American History and Civics–National Activities Grants program, will be offered by the Pepperdine School of Public Policy (SPP) over the next two years.

Based on the foundational work of Russell Kirk and his famed text The Roots of American Order, SPP centered the program around a core class of its Master of Public Policy curriculum: Roots of American Order: What is Public Policy?. Designed as an intensive version of the semester-long course, the summer program examined the concept of the American experiment. Students explored ideas of human nature, citizenship, virtue, and the role of government, tracing back to Magna Carta and learning about the importance of order within government.

The week was designed and led by SPP’s Gaylord Professor of Public Policy, Abbylin Sellers, who teaches American constitutionalism and welfare policy. Joining her on the faculty expert cohort were:

• Guy Burnett, chief of staff and academics at the James Madison Foundation, adjunct professorial lecturer of justice, law, and criminology at American University
• Andrew Busch, professor and associate director of the Institute of American Civics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Alex Hindman, assistant professor of political science at the College of the Holy Cross
• Elizabeth Kaufer Busch, Laura and Pete Walker Professor in American Studies and co-director of the Center for American Studies at Christopher Newport University
• David Scott, teaching assistant professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Adam Seagrave, associate professor of civic and economic thought and leadership at Arizona State University
• David Weeks, Fletcher Jones Professor of Citizenship and Civic Virtue at Azusa Pacific University

The week opened with an outdoor reception, dinner, and a keynote discussion on “The Importance of Civic Friendship,” featuring Robert George, SPP Ronald Reagan Honorary Distinguished Professor, and Pete Peterson, SPP dean and Braun Family Dean's Chair.

Dr. Guy Burnett leads a Colloquy discussion group

Affirming the importance of Socratic dialogue and the virtue of civil debate, each morning began with a topic-based lecture led by a faculty expert. The remainder of the day consisted of dedicated colloquy discussions. In these sessions, students explored primary texts—including the Petition of Right, the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers—to examine the enduring intellectual, philosophical, and historical dimensions of the rule of law, individual liberty, and the American political tradition. 

“Studying the foundations of our constitutional order alongside students from diverse backgrounds challenged me to think more critically, listen more carefully, and engage more thoughtfully with complex questions facing our country today,” said Casen Lake, a student from Ball State University. “The conversations throughout the week were consistently civil, intellectually rigorous, and thought-provoking—an experience that reaffirmed my belief in the importance of civic education and respectful public discourse, especially given the current state of politics in the country.”

Students exploring the trails of the Santa Monica Mountains

Beyond their academic formation, students enjoyed the Pepperdine campus and the surrounding area. An organized group hike took students to the Malibu bluffs for exercise and fresh air, while a midweek afternoon excursion to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley provided an interactive learning experience about the 40^th US president, including a viewing of the limited-time America 250 exhibition. 

Throughout the seminar, students were encouraged to think beyond abstract concepts and understand their own role in shaping modern public policy at both the local and federal levels.

Erabelle Conant, a student from the University of Florida, shared a memorable lesson from the week: “The debates dominating headlines today are often centuries old. Questions about individual liberty, the role of government, the balance of power, and the meaning of justice are not new conflicts. They are part of an ongoing conversation that stretches across generations,” she noted. “The more I learn, the more I see how ideas outlive the people who first articulated them, shaping public policy long after they are written down.”

Susan Hanssen, an associate professor of history at the University of Dallas, concluded the week with a keynote address on “America, Freedom, and a Culture of Revivals.” She provided a connection of the Anglo-American roots of rights extending back to the medieval period. Amid a period of a disorienting world, she charted the students to see themselves as part of a longer intellectual tradition.

Upon the close of the program, each participating student received a “Roots of American Order” certificate of completion. 

Interested students are encouraged to learn more at the American Order Summer Seminar webpage as dates for the summer 2027 week are being confirmed.