Remaking the American Polity

Building on the success of his book, Why Liberalism Failed, and his accompanying lecture at the Center for Global Humanities, Patrick Deneen returns to UNE for a lecture based on his critically-acclaimed new book, Regime Change, in which he argues for a peaceful transition from today’s self-serving liberal elitism to a postliberal form of governance that serves the common good. After reviewing the limitations and pitfalls of liberalism—which inherently pits progressives and conservatives against one another—Deneen will share his vision for a better polis and better America for us all.

Biography

Patrick J. Deneen is Professor of Political Science and holds the David A. Potenziani Memorial Chair of Constitutional Studies at the University of Notre Dame. From 1995-1997 he was Speechwriter and Special Advisor to the Director of the United States Information Agency. From 1997-2005 he was Assistant Professor of Government at Princeton University. From 2005-2012 he was Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis Associate Professor of Government at Georgetown University, before joining the faculty of Notre Dame in Fall 2012. He has delivered invited lectures around the world.

Deneen was awarded the A.P.S.A.'s Leo Strauss Award for Best Dissertation in Political Theory in 1995, and an honorable mention for the A.P.S.A.'s Best First Book Award in 2000. He has been awarded research fellowships from Princeton University, Earhart Foundation, and the Institute for Advanced Study at the University of Virginia.

His teaching and writing interests focus on the history of political thought, American political thought, liberalism, conservatism, and constitutionalism. 

Deneen's books include three edited volumes on democracy and five authored books titled The Odyssey of Political Theory (2000), Democratic Faith (2005), Conserving America?  Thoughts on Present Discontents (2016), Why Liberalism Failed (2018), and Regime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future (2023).

Assigned Reading

Patrick Deneen, Regime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future (Sentinel, 2023)