Colgate to Celebrate 2026 Constitution Day with a Faculty Panel Discussion Sept. 17

Colgate will celebrate this year's Constitution Day with a panel discussion featuring five Colgate faculty members addressing "American Constitutionalism at 250: The Roberts Court and the Evolution of a Unitary Executive." The annual event will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in Golden Auditorium, Little Hall, sponsored by the Kraynak Institute for the Study of Freedom and Western Traditions.

Since 2005, Colgate has hosted a Constitution Day event on campus focused on a variety of constitutional issues, including the constitutionality of the administrative state, abortion, affirmative action in college admissions, NSA surveillance, and free speech vs. hate speech. This year, the following Colgate faculty will discuss contemporary constitutional developments and their practical effects on American life and governance.

• Luke Bierman (moderator) - Visiting Professor of Political Science
• Annie Benn - Assistant Professor of Political Science
• Dong (Carl) Cheng - Assistant Professor of Economics
• Stephanie Miner - Charles Evans Hughes Visiting Chair of Government and Jurisprudence in the Department of Political Science
• Valerie Morkevičius - Associate Professor of Political Science; Director of the International Relations Program

"The Supreme Court of the United States over the past decade has consolidated its constitutional interpretations around originalist theory with wide-ranging effects on executive authority over policies including tax and finance, immigration, removal of officers and foreign affairs," said Bierman. "A panel of Colgate faculty will discuss the implications of this jurisprudence on these and other policies as well as for how America governs itself as a democratic republic."

Colgate's annual Constitution Day celebration provides an opportunity for students, faculty, and special guests to exchange and challenge perspectives. Debate and discourse are featured prominently throughout Colgate's curriculum and a commitment to freedom of expression is central to its academic mission, bringing diversity of thought and background across campus, in the classroom, and beyond.

Those unable to attend the event in person may register for the livestream. A recording will also be posted to the Kraynak Institute website after the event.