Home » Programs » Seminars and Lectures » Donald Devine Seminars

Donald Devine Seminars

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Donald Devine Seminars

Dr. Donald Devine is a columnist, author and a senior scholar at The Fund for American Studies. Devine served as President Ronald Reagan’s civil service director during the president’s first term in office. During that time, The Washington Post labeled him Reagan’s “terrible swift sword of the civil service” for cutting bureaucrats and reducing billions in spending. Today, Devine travels the country teaching Constitutional Leadership Seminars to young people and speaking to groups about reviving the Constitution and saving the marriage between libertarianism and traditionalism.

Devine spells out the solution for the modern GOP – a fusion of the best of conservative ideas with those of the liberty movement, all rooted in the Constitution.” – Senator Rand Paul

About Dr. Donald Devine

Before and after his government service, Devine was an academic who taught for 14 years as an associate professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland and for a decade as a professor of Western civilization at Bellevue University. He is a columnist and author of 11 books, including his most recent “Ronald Reagan’s Enduring Principles: How They Can Promote Political Success Today.” Devine served as an advisor to Reagan from 1976 to 1985, to Sen. Bob Dole from 1988–1996 and to Steve Forbes between 1998–2000.

Book Dr. Devine

If you’re interested in scheduling Dr. Donald Devine to speak at your event, please contact Jane Mack at jmack@TFAS.org. For media inquiries, please contact Kristin Underwood at info@TFAS.org or 202.986.0384.

Twitter

Follow Dr. Donald Devine on Twitter at @DonaldDevinCo1.


Op-Eds by Dr. Donald Devine

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A ‘War’ on the Civil Service or Controlling a Powerful Union Political Machine?

The mainstream legacy media and especially the hometown Washington Post have been castigating the Trump administration for its “war” on federal civil servants, especially for proposing to eliminate union collective bargaining at U.S. government agencies.

Law Schools, Court Supremacy, and the Real Constitution

As an old political science professor speaking to law-school oriented Federalist Society students, I had long offered a course labeled “The Real Constitution” to distinguish mine from the one taught in law schools. Recently, the title attracted two Federalist chapter leaders who revealed in their questioning to me just how challenging today’s law schools are for conservative students.

To Govern in Mankind’s Foreign Policy Interest or in Trump’s America First Interest?

While Elon Musk and his DOGE reformers dominate media attention, a fundamental change in the American government is taking place in foreign policy. The prime director is the president himself, Donald Trump, with no other voice a close second to his own.

Now the Hard Part: Defense, Intelligence, FBI, and Trump’s War on the Status Quo

Entrepreneur Elon Musk, his White House Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and his staff in key management agencies have effectively taken control of domestic agencies’ agenda — reviewing them for elimination, cuts, or reforms, mostly supported by President Donald Trump’s base voters.

DRAIN THE SWAMP Act’s Government Relocation Edict Could Have Dire Consequences for Conservatives

Why would 24 conservative Republican senators recently vote for a $200 billion Social Security bonus for the already rich retirement accounts of government employees — who, as civil servants, did not pay into Social Security during the time of their government employment?

Trump’s ‘Unqualified’ Courageously Diverse Appointees — and a Conservative Hope

The best thing about President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees is that few of them are considered qualified by the expert Washington, D.C. governmental establishment.

Controversial Appointees, Clay Pigeons, and Successful Governmental Politics

When did conservatives last hear such widespread media opposition to a president nominating “unqualified, extreme, and controversial” appointees to high government positions? As a past Ronald Reagan Office of Personnel Management nominee, I can attest to the fact that he was rebuked as strongly as Donald Trump is today, including by old regime Republicans.

What Are Serious Conservatives to Do About the Presidential Election?

What should serious conservatives do about the election? Donald Trump is certainly not George Washington or Ronald Reagan; but they are not on the ballot. What about for Kamala Harris?

Facing Economic Realities

Every campaign season, candidates from both parties unveil wildly optimistic promises for economic growth and universal prosperity. The 2024 election is no different—both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have put forward politically popular proposals to combat inflation by increasing federal deficits.

What Cracked Up Conservatism in the 1990s, and What Can Recover It Today?

Left-wing journalist John Ganz has written a new book, When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the Early Nineties, to answer the question we all want to know: “How did we get to today’s sour politics?” He blames it on the Right, and, for this, he has received wide praise in today’s mainstream media and even receiving some limited respect from the Right.