Utah Valley University’s Center for Constitutional Studies will host a “Civics and Civility” panel featuring Gov. Spencer Cox and Christopher Peterson, 2020 Democratic gubernatorial candidate and University of Utah law professor.

The free public event will take place on April 19 from 1-2 p.m. in room 101 in the Clarke Building at UVU’s main campus in Orem.

According to a press release distributed by UVU, the purpose of this event is to improve citizens’ understanding of how to be civil, engaged participants in the American political system, and to give them a greater appreciation for that role.

“Governor Cox and Professor Peterson are excellent models of what is required in a pluralistic democracy like ours — they have shown us how to disagree without being disagreeable,” said Verlan Lewis, the David & Laurea Stirling Endowed Chair of Constitutional Studies, in a press release. “We hope that having an open dialogue between Governor Cox and Professor Peterson, and the audience, can promote the kind of civil and reasoned discourse that is desperately needed in our public square.”

Lewis will also serve as the moderator at this event. Cox and Peterson faced off in the 2020 Utah Gubernatorial election as the Republican and Democratic nominees. Cox won the race with 63% of the vote compared to 30.4% for Peterson.

In the weeks leading up to the election, the opponents received national media attention and social media praise for a commercial promoting civility with the message #StandUnited.

On Oct. 20, 2020, Cox tweeted, “I’m not sure this has ever been done before…but as our national political dialogue continues to decline, my opponent @PetersonUtah and I decided to try something different. We can disagree without hating each other. Let’s make Utah an example to the nation. #StandUnited #utpol“

Prior to the Civics and Civility panel, the Center for Constitutional Studies will host a Civics Educator Conference for K-12 social studies teachers. This event will take place from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., and will include professional development seminars on American history, civics and government.

This conference is a part of UVU’s K-12 Constitutional Leadership Initiative which provides constitutional conferences to high school students across the state in order to promote knowledge and understanding. It is also a part of UVU’s Civic Thought and Leadership Initiative which is meant to provide courses in philosophy, history, economics, and political science for students, outside academic institutions and government agencies in order to foster thoughtful civic engagement within Utah.

“Our mission, as a nonpartisan academic center, is to prepare citizens with an understanding of the civic thought and practices critical to the perpetuation of constitutional government,” Lewis said in a press release. “These practices include respecting the rights of others, including the freedom to speak, upholding the rule of law, and accepting the outcomes of elections.”

For more information on this event or to register, people can visit http://uvu.edu/ccs/events/posts/2022-civics-civility.html.

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