Newly elected Arizona Governor Doug Ducey gives his speech Jan. 22, 2015 at the Carson Ballroom in Tempe. Governor Ducey’s visit was in conjunction with ASU’s launch of the Center for Political Thought and Leadership. (Jonathan Galan/The State Press)In celebration of the launch of ASU's new Center for Political Thought and Leadership, National Review editor Rich Lowry discussed how America can continue to produce good leaders like Abraham Lincoln.
Lowry said making progress, enhancing opportunity and returning to founding ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is what America needs to be focused on.
"We are going to be a powerful country for a very long time not matter how hard we try to mess it up," he said. "The question is, will we continue to be a good country? Will we continue to be recognized as America?”
Lincoln valued the dignity of labor and hard work, Lowry said, adding that Americans needs to restore the value of punctuality, education and hard work ethic.
Lowry said Lincoln had a tough upbringing, growing up in the middle of nowhere and losing his mother at a young age. Lincoln had enough ambition to get out of the backwoods, he said.
"To be involved in politics or to be a politician takes ambition," he said.
The Center for Political Thought and Leadership in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences aims to develop the next generation of national and local leaders on the principles of democracy, civic involvement and political liberty.
The center will also focus on enhancing civic literacy and education involving the general public, K-12 teachers and community leaders.
Professor Donald Critchlow, director of ASU Center for Political Thought and Leadership, said there is a great need for civic education, which is one reason the center's opening was celebrated with this lecture.
“I was teaching at another American university, it was on the first day of class ... and in order to make the students feel comfortable I threw out what I thought was an easy question," Critchlow said. "I asked them, ‘Who was the president during the American Civil War?’ and after many guesses not a single student could name Abraham Lincoln.”
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who introduced Lowry, said he values civics education and has worked to make it a focus of education by requiring all high school students to pass a civics exam to graduate.
"What is happening here is so important," Ducey said. "Our first bill that we passed in through the Legislature was the Americans Civics Bill. We were the first state to pass this bill."
Reach the reporter at blhughe2@asu.edu or follow @__blhughes on Twitter
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