‘Civic duty in modern society’ focus of Constitution Day lecture
Brian Shoup
Brian Shoup, professor and head of Mississippi State’s Department of Political Science and Public Administration, delivers this year’s Constitution Day lecture as part of the Lamar Conerly Governance Lecture Series on Tuesday [Sept. 17]. The lecture, “What We Owe to Each Other: Civic Responsibility in a Narcissistic Age,” focuses on the importance of civic responsibility in contemporary society.
“I hope to stress that our contemporary moment is one that urgently needs citizens who practice the cardinal virtues of temperance, courage, and wisdom,” Shoup said. “Such virtues are seldom found among people who demand that others serve as their audience or who see their own advancement at the expense of others as being preferable to the common good.”
The free, public event takes place at 10 a.m. in Fowlkes Auditorium in the Colvard Student Union. The lecture is organized by the Department of Political Science and Public Administration in collaboration with the Pre-Law Society. The series is supported by Lamar Conerly, a 1971 MSU accounting/pre-law graduate and longstanding partner in the Destin, Florida, law firm Conerly, Bowman and Dykes LLP. Conerly is a former national MSU Alumni Association president and College of Business Alumni Fellow.
Held each fall, this public address commemorates the signing of the U.S. Constitution and features distinguished scholars who explore various aspects of the historical document and its relevance today. Past speakers have included constitutional scholars and authors from institutions including Rice University and Mississippi College’s School of Law.
Shoup holds a Ph.D. in political science with a focus on comparative politics and public policy from Indiana University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Creighton University. His primary research interests include ethnic conflict, state and nation building, and politics in sub-Saharan Africa.
He is the author of Routledge Publishing’s “Conflict and Cooperation in Multi-Ethnic States: Institutional Incentives, Myths and Counterbalancing” (2007) and co-editor of “U.S.-Indian Strategic Cooperation into the 21st Century: More than Words” (2006). His research has been published in journals such as Perspectives on Politics, Democratization, Journal of Democracy, and Commonwealth and Comparative Politics.
MSU’s Department of Political Science and Public Administration offers programs preparing students for diverse careers in government, public service and the private sector. The Master of Public Policy and Administration degree equips students for executive and managerial roles in government, while the Ph.D. program in Public Policy and Administration is designed for careers in research and academia.
Part of MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences, complete details about the department may be found at www.pspa.msstate.edu.
For more information on the lecture, contact Quintara Miller, PSPA business coordinator, at 662-325-2711 or QMiller@pspa.msstate.edu.
Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu.
Sarah Nicholas | College of Arts and Sciences
