The Tocqueville Fellowship at the Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government (CCCG) brings classroom theory into conversation with the complexities of public life. Designed to mentor the next generation of leaders in public service, law, the Church, and industry, the program is built on a foundation of rigorous interdisciplinary diversity. The current cohort of fellows represents a vast cross-section of the Notre Dame undergraduate body, drawing from academic backgrounds as varied as Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Classics, Art History, Accounting, and Business Technology. This intentional mixing of disciplines ensures that no single political or academic orthodoxy dominates the discourse.
The strength of this diverse community is best seen in the way students from vastly different professional trajectories find common ground. On any given day, Maria O’Dea, a senior ACMS major and future Air Force Space Operations officer, might be found debating the ethics of zoning laws or the nature of the judiciary alongside Lucy Spence, a junior majoring in the Program of Liberal Studies and Piano Performance and editor-in-chief emerita of The Irish Rover. They are joined by first-year students like Xavier Williams, a Global Affairs major and competitive debater who brings a background in policy-driven advocacy for marginalized communities. By bringing together students from fields ranging from Marketing and Economics to Philosophy and French, the fellowship creates a unique environment where the pursuit of truth is a collaborative, multifaceted effort.
This diversity of perspective becomes particularly potent during the program's signature colloquia and organized meetings, where fellows test their ideas in high-level discussions with leaders across the ideological spectrum. In the past, fellows have engaged in small-group conversations with guests ranging from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Cardinal Gerhard Müller to LA Times columnist Harry Litman and political leaders like former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and current Mayor of South Bend James Mueller. For Williams, the fellowship provides a "rare space where you can dive into deep intellectual conversations with people who are incredibly thoughtful, but also just a lot of fun to be around."
Beyond the traditional political sphere, the program offers fellows unprecedented access to the American judiciary. The opportunity to sit for private lunches with Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh allows students to see the human side of constitutional law. Reflecting on these encounters, O'Dea observed that the experience provided "real insight into how the principles I've studied manifest in the modern world." She noted that "sitting at the same table... hearing their candid responses to our questions made me realize how integral humanity is to the American system." For a student of constitutional studies, these moments turn legal theory into a living reality, showing how the lessons of the classroom collide with actual lived experience.
Ultimately, these interactions push fellows to look beyond the superficiality of modern political discourse. Spence describes the current cultural landscape as a "tangled and often unintelligible web of reels, posts, articles, and interviews" that often obscures the truth. By engaging with figures at the forefront of modern concerns—from policy experts like Jay Bhattacharya to high-ranking religious leaders—Spence found that the fellowship "cut out that noise." She explains, "I was forced to think much more seriously about topics I had previously formed a fixed opinion on." This process of intellectual refinement fundamentally changes how students understand their duties as citizens.
Director of the CCCG Professor Phillip Muñoz noted that “a free society depends not on the absence of disagreement, but on the capacity to engage it well. This is exactly what the Tocqueville Fellowship aims to cultivate, both on Notre Dame’s campus and beyond.”
The fellowship attracts undergraduates from a variety of academic disciplines. Ava Warner, a junior Biology major, describes how her engagement in the Tocqueville Fellowship complements her study of science. She says, “It has given me a space to think more deeply about questions of purpose, responsibility, and faith in a way that complements my scientific coursework.” Warner continues, “Discussions grounded in Catholic Social Teaching and readings on technology and modern life have helped me think more intentionally about the kind of life I am preparing for.”
The Tocqueville Fellowship does more than just educate; it builds a close-knit intellectual community that persists long after the formal meetings end. Through social events like tailgates, casual lunches, and Christmas parties, fellows forge bonds that transcend their political differences. As Williams puts it, the program "fosters the kind of genuine community and pursuit of truth that Notre Dame is all about." By providing funding for internships, conferences, and research, the CCCG ensures that these future leaders are connected to an extensive network that will support them throughout their careers.