America's Conflicting Constitutional Visions: The Quest for Common Ground
2026 Dean Alfange Jr. Lecture in American Constitutionalism
Content
America’s political polarization is often fueled by clashes between two rival visions of the Constitution—one traditionalist, one progressive. Yet both interpretations are deeply rooted in the Constitution itself.
In this thought-provoking lecture, Rogers M. Smith—a leading scholar of American constitutional law and political thought—explores how the Reconstruction Amendments—the 13th, 14th, and 15th—embody elements of both visions, and how they may offer a shared sense of national purpose that can guide us toward common ground today.
Join us for an evening of reflection, history, and dialogue on how the Constitution continues to shape America’s future.
About the Speaker: Rogers M. Smith is the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author or co-author of many articles and nine books, most recently America’s New Racial Battle Lines: Protect versus Repair (2024) with Desmond King. His book, Civic Ideals: Conflicting Visions of Citizenship in U.S. History, won six book prizes and was a Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. In 2025, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the American Political Thought Section of the American Political Science Association. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society, and a former president of the American Political Science Association.
About the Series: The Dean Alfange, Jr. Lecture in American Constitutionalism was established in 2005 by UMass Amherst alumni to honor professor emeritus Dean Alfange, Jr. of the department of political science for his many noteworthy contributions during a distinguished 32-year academic career. The annual lecture is organized by the Department of Political Science.