"For Bush, conservatism strives to create a future by learning from the lessons of the past. 'If there was ever need for a Bill Buckley-like approach to transforming conservatism in this country, it is right now,' Bush noted, pointing to William F. Buckley, Jr.'s trademark brand of intellectual, no-nonsense debate. 'When there is a breakdown of public discourse, everyone loses.'"
"The Buckley Program is not a group of radical, ill-intentioned Conservatives trying to stay relevant through sensationalizing trivial news, but rather a group of conscientious and pragmatic thinkers who seek truth in a complex society—much as all Yalies are here to do."
“Universities in particular, as opposed to the rest of the world, are supposed to be “safe spaces” where ideas can be vigorously debated. This is where that social progress occurs...by suppressing this here, we are stunting our social progress.”
This semester, the Buckley Program held a college essay contest with the topic: If you could propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, what would it be? The following essay by Jeffrey Hendricks, a senior in Silliman College, won 1st place. Political observers understand the difficulty of amending the U.S. Constitution. A two-thirds majority of both congressional... Continue Reading →
This semester, the Buckley Program held a college essay contest with the topic: If you could propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, what would it be? The following essay by Noah Daponte-Smith, a senior in Berkeley College, won 2nd place. In 1913, after winning the approval of three-quarters of the state legislatures, the Constitution was amended... Continue Reading →
On September 13th, the Buckley Program hosted a conversation with Guy Benson and Mary Katharine Ham on their book End of Discussion: How the Left's Outrage Industry Shuts Down Debate, Manipulates Voters, and Makes America Less Free (and Fun). Ham is a CNN contributor and moderated a 2016 Republican Primary debate. Benson is a frequent Fox News contributor... Continue Reading →
Earlier this Fall, Professor Noël Valis was among a number of professors at Yale, Harvard, and Princeton to sign a letter (republished by The Beacon here) urging students to "Think for yourself." In the following interview, lightly edited for clarity, Prof. Valis discusses the need for the letter and why she signed it. By: Noah Daponte-Smith Noah: How... Continue Reading →
The following letter written by professors from Yale, Harvard, and Princeton was first published on 8/29/17 by our friends at the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University. With permission, I have re-printed it here. I wish I had the opportunity to read this letter when I was a freshman. Perhaps... Continue Reading →
By: Zain Anthar The following essay received an honorable mention at the Buckley Program’s spring semester high school essay contest. The topic was “What can we learn from William F. Buckley, Jr. today?”. In today’s media landscape, political discussions have swayed towards partisanship at the expense of meaningful, probing dialogue. Politicians opt to conduct interviews with their... Continue Reading →
The Beacon is the official blog of the William F. Buckley, Jr. Program at Yale.
