Our nation was founded on the idea that citizens would be at the center of the American Experiment. That means citizens need to be informed and engaged for our democracy to survive and thrive. It also means that all sectors in society must be healthy—a government that preserves order, a marketplace that fosters growth and inclusive opportunity, and a civil society that is formed by caring neighbors and civic innovators. Sagamore’s Citizenship portfolio helps us understand our traditions and equips the next generation to do their part in making a more perfect union.
citizenship
Our Projects
Building Better Citizens for America's Next 250
Sagamore’s forthcoming book on America’s Next 250 explores the ideas, institutions, and individuals renewing the foundations of self-governance — from the classical roots of the American founding to the civic networks quietly transforming communities today. Featuring essays by Baroness Philippa Stroud, Dr. Yuval Levin, Joe Loconte, and others, this section asks the question that George Washington and James Madison considered the hardest job in a free society: not president, not congressman — but citizen.
LOOKING AHEAD AND LOOKING UP
The concluding chapter of From Generation to Generation reflects on faith, leadership, citizenship, and the responsibility each generation has to strengthen America for those who follow.
America's Next 250
To mark America’s 250th anniversary, Sagamore is producing a book celebrating the ideas and innovations shaping the nation’s next quarter-millennium. Drawing on essays from leaders across our network, the book explores what it takes to build a confident, self-governing, and prosperous America — one capable of extending liberty’s promise for generations to come. Organized around three lanes of action, it offers a roadmap for renewal rooted in local communities, national strength, and personal citizenship.
The American Revolution's Indispensable Doctor
Benjamin Rush signed the Declaration of Independence, founded America’s first free medical clinic, and pioneered humane care for the mentally ill — yet history has largely forgotten him. RUSH: The American Revolution’s Indispensable Doctor, a new documentary from Senior Fellow Joseph Loconte and supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, argues he’s exactly the founder we need to rediscover: a believer that a republic survives only through the moral formation and civic courage of its citizens. Now streaming on Prime Video.
Indiana conference on citizenship
Our annual convening on how active citizenship is crucial to tackling society’s biggest problems.
Forum
Forum exists to serve leaders and influencers from all sectors of society to create a better world. Through lectures, salons, and working groups, Forum draws together senior leaders of character with a transformational mindset to form a cross-sector network who want to use their platform for good.
The rivendell center
The Rivendell Center is an academic center dedicated to promoting the cultural inheritance of Western civilization. It is inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s vision of Rivendell, the land of the Elves, in The Lord of the Rings. Through vigorous hospitality, private dinners, public lectures, film projects, and other initiatives, The Rivendell Center offers college students and young professionals in New York City a safe place to gather and explore life’s most important questions.
celebrating american ideas
Want to become a better citizen? Renewing the American Idea is designed to help. Sagamore’s team has curated some of our richest civic resources. Check out a collection of books, articles, educational resources, and multimedia on the duties of citizenship and the importance of continued popular participation in American civic life.
faith in communities
Harvard sociologist Robert Putnam reports that faith is the #1 predictor of giving and serving in America. Led by senior fellow Amy Sherman, Sagamore has a long history of research, capacity building services and policy work to bolster the “faith factor” in addressing society’s most challenging problems.
RELATED CONTENT
The Rise of Global Civil Society
Former Senior Fellow Don Eberly's examines how citizen-led initiatives have increasingly become an integral tool in global development.
Conversations on Philanthropy vol. 1-10
This journal edited by Lenore Ealy covers emerging issues in philanthropic giving and social enterprise.