Legacy of Freedom conference sparks dialogue with public policy experts

Liberty University’s Helms School of Government hosted its fifth annual spring public policy conference March 18-20, in the Montview Student Union, Alumni Ballroom, bringing in nearly 50 students and faculty presenters to discuss and receive feedback on critical issues concerning law, governance, and policy.

This year’s conference, titled “Legacy of Freedom: Then & Now,” comes as the Helms School of Government (named for former North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms) celebrates its 20th anniversary. The event is a valuable opportunity for students to research, write, and present on a variety of public policy topics while networking with prominent current and former policy experts.

Six plenary sessions featured an impressive lineup of guest speakers with decades of experience in high levels of government covering topics such as foreign policy and international relations, economics, criminal justice, preserving constitutionalism, and more. Guests included Mr. Marco Margheri, Head of Eni’s US Relations and Chairman of Eni New Energies US Inc.; Joy Cover, President of Freedom 4/24; and the Honorable George S. Dunlop, former Principal Deputy Asst. Secretary of the Army, and his wife, the Honorable Becky Northrop Dunlop, a Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow who served as a senior official in the Reagan administration from 1981-89. (All plenary sessions are available online).

“Many thanks to our plenary speakers, who traveled literally across the globe in order to share their expertise and insights on topics of critical importance to us all,” said Helms School Dean Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Jason Bohm in his opening remarks on day one of the conference. “And I want to commend and thank each of our many students and faculty presenters, because it’s no easy task. And it takes a great amount of courage to voluntarily agree to present at a conference, particularly when you’re holding a full class load or teaching load.”

Many speakers delivered a biblical perspective on public policy. On day two, Becky Dunlop explained Reagan’s views on the Constitution, how he became known as one of America’s prominent conservative influencers, and why he championed limited constitutional government before encouraging attendees to lead a life according to Scripture and to develop the characteristics embodied by great leaders like Reagan.

“Before you leave (Liberty University), you should be able to defend what you believe to anyone and communicate it effectively to everyone,” Becky Dunlop said. “The Declaration of Independence is the vision for our country, and the Constitution are the rules of the road. If we would stick with the Constitution, which our founders were blessed by God to write, we would have a much stronger, better, freer society today.”

The first day concluded with a festive dinner, welcoming current students and alumni to celebrate the legacy and impact of the Helms School.

The plenary sessions set the stage for students and faculty, who presented research papers in 18 unique breakout sessions in Montview Student Union classrooms. Presenters covered topics like military diplomacy, political philosophy, terrorism challenges in Africa and the Middle East, and preserving freedom of religion. They presented solutions to rectify many of these national challenges.

In her presentation, “Preventing Inevitable Decline: The Message Plato and the Roman Empire Send to the American People,” junior government student Emma Dayton drew parallels between ancient Rome’s downfall and similar issues facing the United States, and she showed how America might dodge a similar fate.

“This conference was a way for me to explore these ideas myself, and I wanted to share it with other people,” Dayton said. “This extends the learning beyond the classroom. I think we need conferences like this to fully prepare us for the world of politics. I think being able to communicate is the only way we’re going to be able to contribute positively to politics. If you can’t communicate well, even if you have the best idea, it’s not going to land. So, we need conferences like this to help students effectively communicate and help spread the word about how great the school of government is.”

Graduate student Dylan Coombs presented ways to define and apply natural law and originalism to public policy.

“Experiences like this are invaluable,” he said. “A huge shoutout to how much work Dr. (Kahlib) Fischer and Dr. Prentice do in putting this whole event together. Presenting work like this is invaluable. Not only does it go on your résumé, but it gives you great experience, and hopefully we can build on that experience for the future.”

Associate Professor of Government Dr. Mary Prentice, who received positive feedback from the guest speakers, many who were visiting campus for the first time.

“The public policy conference provided a fabulous opportunity for our students, faculty, and friends of Liberty to share the important work they are doing,” she said. “The conference contributed to the academic growth of our students by helping them meet experts in the fields of interest to them and giving them opportunities to network, ask questions of experts, and even present their own student work with these experts. It helps our students grow professionally and to become the Champions for Christ in the policy realm we are training them to become.”

The government school offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and dual degrees all taught by talented faculty representing a perfect balance of academic scholars and practitioners who provide students with an enriching experience inside and outside the classroom.

Since its inception, the Helms School has graduated over 20,000 Christ-centered government students, developed a strong hiring pipeline to our nation’s capital, and has helped alumni secure jobs in the private sector and at the local, state, and federal levels. During the 20th anniversary dinner, Bohm reminded the audience of the school’s history and mission.

“We have Dr. Falwell’s vision and Sen. Helms’ strength to thank for bringing us together here tonight and for helping to bring our country back on track,” Bohm said. “We remain committed to honoring their memories by continuing to keep the faith, to fight the good fight, and to equip our graduates with the tools needed to glorify Christ in their chosen vocations.”