Programs

The Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress (CSPC) is a non-profit and non-partisan organization that actively counsels the White House, the Executive branch and Members of Congress on policy areas critical to strengthening Presidential leadership. To better accomplish this objective, the Center reaches out to creativity and innovation in the private sector, public policy centers, and academic and research communities on a variety of programs and projects.

CSPC works closely with senior leadership in the Executive and Legislative Branches on a bipartisan basis to further the understanding and functioning of the American Presidency and its related institutions. Through the following projects, the Center fulfills its mission to address strategic challenges facing the Presidency today by drawing on experts from government, academia, and industry to develop solutions to these challenges and to educate and inspire leaders of tomorrow through these educational efforts:

Presidential Transitions

Deeply divided at home by political parties and abroad by war and differences with our allies, the Center believes our nation needs to draw on past successes from the Continental Congress through the Cold War, recommit to character-based leadership and civility, and conduct a strategic net assessment of our vulnerabilities, assets and opportunities. Only then can we regain our unity of purpose and freedom of action.

In 1999, CSPC's inaugural year in Washington, the Center launched a series of studies for a new Administration and Congress. These included Triumphs and Tragedies of the Modern Presidency: Seventy-Six Case Studies in Presidential Leadership, which included expert commentary on the first 100 days of all Presidents since FDR. The Center also published a study of all major interventions and nation building since the Korean War; proposals for comprehensive strategic reform of our national security structures away from Cold War rigidity toward agility and anticipatory capabilities; and major conferences on the Congress, the Presidency, the media and enriching science and technology as elements of national power. These reports were made available to the new Administration and Congress.

Prior the 2008 election, CSPC expanded its efforts by creating Agenda 2008. For this project, the Center worked with key Members of Congress, members of past Presidential Administrations, leaders in the business and non-profit sectors, scholars and policy makers to develop a strategic agenda for the new President to help him respond to the crises facing the nation. To launch this initiative, in January 2008 Center President David Abshire published A Call to Greatness: Challenging Our Next President. As the driving force behind Agenda 2008 and SAFI, this book draws on successes and failures of past U.S. Presidents and offers specific proposals to help overcome the many challenges our nation faces. This combination creates an introspective look into our nation's past, present and, most importantly, our future.

Following the publication of A Call to Greatness, the Center began convening a series of high-level issue groups composed of representatives from the government, business, academic and non-profit sectors. These groups were tasked with examining the national challenges laid out in Dr. Abshire's book and the Center's Declaration on Civility and Inclusive Leadership, including geo-political relations, the two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the financial and economic crisis, energy and environmental policy, and health and medicine.

Currently, the Center is building on a proposal in A Call to Greatness that called for the development of a comprehensive net assessment of the major issues the nation must face. This effort, called the Strengthening America's Future Initiative (SAFI) focuses on crosscutting issues and synergies across the different areas of urgency. Through this initiative, the Center will be a resource for President Obama, his Administration, Members of Congress and the public.

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Foreign Policy and Geo-economics

A global perspective is essential to maintain as we develop ways forward for our nation and the Center has convened a series of projects on U.S. foreign policy, international relations, and geo-economics.

In December 2005, Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) called CSPC President David Abshire to discuss the establishment of a "Fresh Eyes on Iraq" Task Force, which evolved into the Iraq Study Group. In May of 2006, the Center built on that effort and launched the Afghanistan Study Group to reassess the effort being undertaken in that country and the significant dangers of it becoming the "forgotten war." The Center also received a $1 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development to strengthen non-governmental linkages in health, science and interfaith access between Israel and the Palestinian territories.

CSPC's transatlantic efforts have attempted to strengthen U.S. ties with Europe and bring European perspective to events in the U.S. Since 2004, the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress has been working with senior decision-makers in the United States and Europe to address disconnects between the EU, NATO and the G8. With a focus on foreign policy, homeland security and the Middle East, the first round of these consultations resulted in the Center publication Maximizing NATO for the War on Terror, which recommended steps to pursue shared security interests through better leadership and greater Executive branch coordination. In 2006, Center staff followed up on those efforts with senior European allies in Brussels, London, Berlin and Lisbon, with a goal of strengthening multilateral leadership. Currently the Center is conducting a European Exchange Program to explore avenues for European and U.S. cooperation to prevent communication breakdowns between transatlantic governments during the American Presidential transition.

Within the current economic climate, the Center is deeply concerned that the country has lost its strategic freedom of action due to the financial crisis and long-term budget issues including the federal budget and the growing costs of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. The Center's efforts on the geo-economic situation include briefings for senior White House, Treasury, State and Congressional leadership in 2001 on global financial leadership. Following that effort, CSPC organized a dialogue on Middle East economics for then-Treasury Secretary John Snow and was invited by the Government Accountability Office to increase awareness of the implications of America's exploding budget, trade and entitlement debts. Currently the Center is conducting issue groups on the nation's economic and financial situation as well as the appropriations and budget process.

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Foundation for International Understanding

In a world marked by widespread anti-Americanism, growing mistrust between nations and peoples, and increasingly disaffected populations, CSPC is working with Meridian International Center to establish a Foundation for International Understanding (FIU). Once operational, this independent grant-making foundation will support media productions and interactive digital technologies that promote respect mutual understanding and shared learning peer-to-peer collaboration across borders and cultures. Along with radio and television programs, the FIU will support innovative new media, such as interactive Internet productions, educational video games, podcasts, and cyber classrooms educational video games, online virtual worlds, mobile content, and Web-based social networking. The FIU will neither produce nor broadcast media productions. Instead, through its grant awards, the FIU will marshal creative talent from the media and entertainment industries, social entrepreneurs, and educational institutions worldwide.

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Homeland Security

Through its homeland security programs, the Center addresses strategic security challenges that require Presidential leadership. The Center's work on homeland defense began in 1999 with the publication of its panel report on Comprehensive Strategic Reform. Since then, the Center's Homeland Security Projects area has led policy initiatives on combating smuggled nuclear weapons; synergizing the Departments of Defense, State, and Homeland Security; the strategic partnership between the U.S. and Canada; strengthening the transatlantic relationship in the war on terrorism; and crisis leadership. Beginning in 2002, the Center led a unique roundtable series that bridged the Executive Branch, private sector, and think tank community on homeland security challenges.

Throughout 2004-2006 the Center held a series of informal meetings which led to the creation of the Nuclear Defense Working Group (NDWG) in March 2007. This group was chartered to provide independent advice to executive branch agencies and to the Congress on matters related to the threat of clandestine nuclear attack and protecting the nation from it. The NDWG built on previous CSPC efforts on nuclear defense, which ultimately resulted in the creation of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office within the Department of Homeland Security.

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Science and Technology

CSPC examines the scientific and technological challenges of the post-Cold War world through such publications as Advancing Innovation: Improving the S&T Advisory Structure and Policy Process and the Homeland Security Roundtables. CSPC organizes working sessions on critical national challenges, including the role of a Presidential Science Advisor, the science policy process, and key policy and R&D issues such as alternate energy sources, delivery and paying for quality health care, homeland security and the economic benefits of a strong R&D budget. As part of Agenda 2008, the Center produced a report highlighting the essential role of science and technology in the next Administration entitled Presidential Leadership to Ensure Science and Technology in the Service of National Needs: A Report to the 2008 Candidates.

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Health and Medicine

Health is vital to the economy, productivity, and national security of the United States. From the beginning of our nation's history, Presidents have played a significant role in steering a course of action for the health of the nation. Applying historical perspectives from past Presidents and Administrations, CSPC's Health and Medicine Program frames health care challenges and opportunities for the next President, the Executive Branch and Congress to enhance public policymaking.The program examines such health issues as: current federal leadership and governance in U.S. health and medicine; escalating health care costs; the nearly 47 million uninsured people living in the United States today; significant health disparities; an aging population with a concomitant chronic disease epidemic; declines in funding for biomedical research; ethical issues arising with scientific discovery; the impact of globalization with the threat of bioterrorism; and emerging concerns such as obesity and avian flu. Another focus of the program is exploring the use of health diplomacy as a foreign policy tool.

Current Health and Medicine Program projects include the Commission on U.S. Federal Leadership in Health and Medicine: Charting Future Directions, which aims to serve as a expert resource outside of the Federal government by framing strategic recommendations for consideration by the new Administration its first year of work, and the Palestine/Israel Health Initiative, which is working to convene medical experts as well as harness the power of information technology (IT) to advance health in the region.

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Energy and the Environment

CSPC has extensive experience in the fields of U.S. energy and environmental policy. In its 2000 report, Advancing Innovation: Improving the S&T Advisory Structure and Public Policy Process, CSPC sounded an alarm to marshal the nation's best scientific and technical minds to master a changing post-Cold War environment. Following the 9/11 attacks, CSPC called for harnessing America's scientific talent to respond to terrorism and public health and presented their insights in Marshalling Science, Bridging the Gap. As part of our Presidential Transition effort, the Center is conducting a series of roundtable discussions on energy and environmental policy, including climate change research and development energy and trade, and U.S. participation in bilateral and international agreements.

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Congressional Briefings

As part of its outreach, CSPC frequently briefs Members of Congress and their staffs concerning issues of importance to the country and the Administration, including such issues as the situation in Afghanistan, science and technology policy, the Israeli-Palestinian relationship and global finance.

Working with Capitol Hill, the Center also developed the Mount Vernon Compact, through which Members of Congress can voice their support for character-based leadership on Capitol Hill.

Presidential Studies Quarterly

Presidential Studies Quarterly (PSQ) is the only scholarly journal that focuses on the most powerful political figure in our nation—the President of the United States. An indispensable resource for understanding the U.S. Presidency, Presidential Studies Quarterly combines a selection of articles, features, review essays, and book reviews covering all aspects of the American Presidency. PSQ's distinguished contributors are leading scholars and professionals in political science, history, and communications.

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Presidential Fellows Program

To address the decline in public service and interest the history of the Presidency, CSPC invites 85 of the nation's top college and university students to Washington to participate in the Presidential Fellows Program, a series of leadership conferences in the fall and spring that provide the opportunity for Fellows to interact with high-level government officials from the Executive and Legislative branches and the policy community. The centerpiece of the program is the research, writing and defense of original papers on the Presidency and their publication in A Dialogue on Presidential Challenges and Leadership. Recent award-winning paper topics include an analysis of delegate process in Presidential primary elections and the mediation strategies used by President Jimmy Carter during the negotiation of the Camp David Accords.

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National Consortium for Character-Based Leadership

Good leadership is based on trust. In response to character failures routinely witnessed in government, business, education, religion, and athletics, CSPC established the National Consortium for Character-Based Leadership, an organization of more than 40 high schools, colleges, service academies, business schools, and independent institutions. The Consortium aims to unite the often disconnected fields of ethics and leadership education by providing tools for students who struggle with morally complex leadership situations. We also offer a forum for secondary and post-secondary educators to discuss best practices in leadership, ethics and character education. The Consortium's inaugural conference was held at Washington and Lee University in September 2006, with a follow-up conference at Georgetown University in January 2008.