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Podcasts | Civic Education

Hugh Liebert & Robert McDonald: How West Point Teaches the American Founding

November 5, 2026

How does West Point prepare future military leaders to understand and defend the American constitutional republic? On this episode of Higher Ed Now: Civics Edition, ACTA president Michael Poliakoff speaks with United States Military Academy (West Point) professors Hugh Liebert and Robert McDonald. Professors Liebert and McDonald co-direct West Point’s American Foundations Project minor, an ACTA-recognized Oasis of Excellence. The professors discuss how they instill in West Point cadets the importance of defending the American constitutional republic while avoiding both historical reverence and cynical presentism. Universities nationwide can learn from West Point’s civic education model, which combines experiential learning, primary texts, oral exams, and a rigorous core curriculum.

Note: Please check any quotations against the audio recording. A transcript is available upon request. The views expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and may not necessarily reflect those of ACTA.

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