Man in a suit with a striped tie, standing in front of a textured wall.

He serves on the board of The Front Porch Republic, an organization dedicated to the idea that human flourishing happens best in local communities and in face-to-face relationships. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal. He has lectured at many schools and civic institutions across the country. He is married, and he and his wife enjoy the occasional company of their three adult children.

Jeff Polet

Jeff Polet is the Director of the Ford Leadership Forum at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation. Previously he was a Professor of Political Science at Hope College, and before that at Malone College in Canton, OH. A native of West Michigan, he received his BA from Calvin College and his MA and Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America in Washington DC.

In addition to his teaching, he has published on a wide range of scholarly and popular topics. These include Contemporary European Political Thought, American Political Thought, the American Founding, education theory and policy, constitutional law, religion and politics, virtue theory, and other topics. His work has appeared in many scholarly journals as well as more popular venues such as The Hill, the Spectator, The American Conservative, First Things, and others.

Read Jeff Polet’s Essays

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The Secret of the Word, Revealed
The Secret of the Word, Revealed

Federalist 71
Federalist 71

Federalist 70
Federalist 70

Federalist 69
Federalist 69

Federalist 68
Federalist 68

Federalist 67
Federalist 67

Federalist 66
Federalist 66

Federalist 65
Federalist 65

Federalist 64
Federalist 64

Federalist 63
Federalist 63

Federalist 62
Federalist 62

Federalist 61
Federalist 61

Federalist 60
Federalist 60

Federalist 59
Federalist 59

Federalist 58
Federalist 58

Federalist 56
Federalist 56

Federalist 55 Part II
Federalist 55 Part II

Federalist 55 Part I
Federalist 55 Part I

Federalist 54 Part II
Federalist 54 Part II

Federalist 54 Part 1
Federalist 54 Part 1

Federalist 53
Federalist 53

Federalist 52
Federalist 52

Federalist 51 Part 2
Federalist 51 Part 2

Federalist 51 Part 1
Federalist 51 Part 1

What makes it “necessary”?
What makes it “necessary”?

As we mark the 249th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we reflect on its interesting use of “necessary.”

Federalist 50
Federalist 50

Federalist 49
Federalist 49

Federalist 48
Federalist 48

Should We Fear AI?
Should We Fear AI?

Artificial Intelligence is both celebrated and feared. But what is it, and what does it portend? A brief reflection.

Federalist 47
Federalist 47

The next five essays, all written by Madison, may be thought of as the hinge on which the collection rests. Prior to these five essays Publius largely deals with the most consequential powers of the federal government under the Constitution, constantly stressing union as the solution to existing problems, and after these essays focuses more on the different branches of government.