Lindsey Cormack

ALPENA – With the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence approaching, our community has a timely opportunity not only to celebrate our nation’s founding but also to reinvigorate public understanding of the democratic principles that sustain it. Alpena’s Sestercentennial Celebration Commission is coordinating a series of events to highlight this milestone, and the Social Sciences Department and Language, Humanities, and Fine Arts Department at Alpena Community College seek to contribute meaningfully to these efforts by hosting a distinguished guest speaker at Granum Theatre. This event is free and open to students and the broader community, thanks to a Granum Grant from the ACC Foundation.

Lindsey Cormack is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Stevens Institute of Technology (New Jersey) and author of the nationally recognized How to Raise a Citizen: And Why It’s Up to You to Do It (2024).

Her work confronts a hard truth: American civic knowledge is alarmingly low, and the consequences are already visible in declining trust, political disengagement, and widespread misunderstanding of how government functions, especially in times when the structures, responsibilities, and shared principles that sustain self-government are both highly polarized and increasingly unfamiliar. Cormack argues that the nation’s democratic future hinges on addressing this civic-literacy deficit, particularly among young people unprepared to navigate democratic life–beginning at home and reinforced in classrooms.

In addition to her public scholarship, Cormack is a contributor to the New York Times, CBS News, Fox News, Bloomberg, FiveThirtyEight, and other media outlets. She is also the author of Congress and U.S. Veterans: From the GI Bill to the VA Crisis, a data-driven analysis of congressional behavior and policy outcomes.

Cormack’s message is not merely diagnostic; it is prescriptive and actionable. She provides parents, educators, and community leaders with research-based strategies to foster inquiry, encourage open political discussion, and model constructive democratic behavior. Her approach emphasizes conversational skill-building–learning how to ask good questions, evaluate information, and discuss political issues without fear or polarization. These methods fill critical gaps left by formal civics curricula and help cultivate intentional citizens capable of informed participation.

Her message emphasizes that civic development cannot be outsourced solely to schools, particularly given the inconsistent implementation of formal civics instruction across states and the lackluster performance on student outcomes. Her approach is both practical and hopeful: intentional conversations about government, media, rights, and responsibilities can meaningfully strengthen civic readiness and help rebuild a healthier democratic culture.

Bringing Cormack to Alpena will provide our community with an accessible, high-impact program aligned with the Sestercentennial’s educational mission. Her work directly addresses the civic-knowledge challenges that will shape America’s next 250 years, offering practical, hopeful ways to build stronger citizens–and a stronger democracy–starting now.