Publius Fellowship


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The 2024 Publius Fellowship: Wednesday, June 19th to Saturday, July 6th.

All incoming Publius Fellows will be awarded: a $1500 honorarium, $700 travel stipend, and lodging for the entire duration of the Fellowship. Most meals will also be provided.

About the Fellowship
Every summer, the Claremont Institute brings together a selective group of promising young conservatives to study the distinctive moral and political principles of the American constitutional order. In over forty intensive daily seminars and relaxed evening symposia, Publius Fellows discuss political philosophy and American government with distinguished scholars.

Topics include:

  • The Declaration of Independence
  • The Political Science of The Federalist
  • Slavery and Political Thought
  • The Statesmanship of Abraham Lincoln
  • The Constitution and Modern Liberalism
  • Progressivism, the New Deal, and the Great Society
  • Conservatism and Natural Right
  • The Living Constitution
  • Grand Strategy and Modern Foreign Policy

Who Should Apply? 
Publius Fellowships are awarded to highly qualified college seniors, recent college graduates, and graduate students pursuing careers in politics, scholarship, journalism, and related fields. We also welcome international students to apply.

Required Information:

  • Personal information
  • Resume
  • Personal statement
  • Essay response
  • A writing sample
  • 3-4 recommendations (may be mailed separately)
  • Official transcripts sent directly from your educational institution(s).

Background

During the constitutional ratification debates, opponents of the proposed Constitution considered the document flawed or even sinister. Some thought it would move America closer to despotism than democracy. Writing as “Publius,” Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay took to the pages of New York newspapers to defend the Constitution as more than a “bundle of compromises” and as the best political and institutional arrangement for securing life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

While the opinions found in Publius’ work came from years of experience under the Articles of Confederation, they were also the product of sustained reflection on history and politics. Thomas Jefferson remarked that The Federalist was “the best commentary on government, which was ever written.”

Established in 1979, the Publius Fellowship was designed to instill in new generations of Americans that same attention to the higher principles of politics.

The Claremont Institute extends warm gratitude to Henry Salvatori, Chairman of the Henry Salvatori Foundation, for providing a generous endowment fund to sponsor the Henry Salvatori Program for the American Founding. Under this program the Claremont Institute produces publications and holds educational seminars for teachers, students, journalists and business leaders on the principles and practices of free government as understood by America’s Founders. This includes Claremont’s Publius Fellowship.

Location: Orange County, CA
2024 Application Open: December 1, 2023
Application Deadline: February 23, 2024
2025 Application Open: December 1, 2024