Political science is the study of constitutions, law, and government, at the local, national, and international levels, and of those things that influence the exercise of political power, such as individual interests and attitudes, norms, institutions, and culture.
On September 28, Professors Levy and Bagnulo presented a lecture in Texas State University’s Department of Philosophy titled “Who Says? Observations on the law and morality of deepfake victim impact statements”. The presentation centered around the precedent of AI deepfakes as acceptable mediums for victim impact statements of the deceased. In an Arizona court case, AI was utilized depicting a recently deceased victim of a road rage incident in a victim impact statement, a form of account that details the financial, emotional, and physical harms suffered by a victim of a crime to a sentencing authority. The presiding judge of the case, accepted the use of AI, generating further discussion into the developing world of responsible AI use in terms of ethics and morality.
Professors Levy and Bagnulo explore this paradigm with participants of the lecture through gleaning insights from Texan and Federal legal principles that might delineate the validity of AI generated deepfakes. Finally, they expounded on how this case set a precedent for the future of political communication and narrative construction in relation to AI’s incapacity to conduct moral reasoning and understanding.
Professor David A. Levy is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Graduate Legal Studies program at Texas State University. His undergraduate degree is in music from Texas Wesleyan College, and he holds a J.D. degree from Southern Methodist University and an LL.M. (with distinction) in International and Comparative Law from the Georgetown University Law Center. He has published in the area of artificial intelligence and legal ethics, as well as comparative law and international commercial law harmonization. Professor Levy has significant work experience in the field of law, including working for the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, the American Society of International Law, and the International Law Institute. Professor Levy has also held elected office as the County Attorney of Archer County, Texas as well as having served as Mayor of Archer City.
Dr. Vince Bagnulo has taught at Texas State for five years and is a Lecturer in the Political Science Department. He has a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame, as well as a Masters degree in Philosophy from the University of Oxford and undergraduate degrees in Physics and Philosophy from the University of Winnipeg. He primarily teaches introductory American government courses, though he is also in the Honors College. His research specialization is political theory, specifically 19th century political thought. The focus of his research is the importance of character and citizenship for democratic politics.
On September 24, nearly 400 students, faculty and staff attended Discourse in Democracy’s annual “Constitution Day Lecture.” This year’s speaker, Dr. Michael Zuckert, a distinguished visiting professor at the University of Texas School of Civic Leadership, presented a lecture on “The Declaration of Independence and the Rule of Law”. The lecture explored how the Declaration of Independence supported separation from Britain; however, this was done not as a rejection of rule of law but out of a deeper commitment to rule of law.
The next day, Dr. Zuckert hosted a seminar for 20 students and faculty members that addressed the conflicting nature of Thomas Jefferson’s political activity as explored through the Declaration of Independence in contrast to his relationship to that of slavery.
Dr. Zuckert is the Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Texas School of Civic Leadership during the 2026-2027 academic year. Formerly, he was at the University of Notre Dame where he is Nancy R. Dreux Professor of Political Science, Emeritus. His major scholarly work has been in the areas of early modern political philosophy, American constitutional law and history, and American political thought. He was the founding editor of the journal American Political Thought. He has written extensively on Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day is an American federal observance commemorating the signing of the United States Constitution in 1787 and recognizing those who have become United States citizens by coming of age or through naturalization.
On Thursday, September 17, Dr. Will Moravits and two other members of the area chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) participated in a special Constitution Day event at Legend Point Elementary in New Braunfels. SAR members spoke to approximately 200 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students about the Revolutionary War and contextual facets surrounding the revolution throughout the late 1700s. After a brief introduction about the time period, students were able to ask individual questions about the Revolutionary War, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution. A good time was had by all, and Legend Point Elementary hopes to make our visit a yearly part of their Constitution Day celebration.
SAR is a society whose members’ ancestry are recognized contributors to the winning of the American Revolutionary War. Members honor their patriot’s efforts and sacrifices to establish the United States of America by recognizing veterans and public service members, holding scholastic contests and scholarship awards for young people, recognizing young leaders in JROTC, Eagle Scouts, and those in 4H, promoting history, recognizing outstanding history teachers, and providing speakers and color guards for many patriotic and community events and more.
Dr. Will Moravits is a lecturer of political science at Texas State University and has previously taught for Texas A&M University at San Antonio, St. Philip’s College, and Northeast Lakeview College. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and holds a Master of Arts in Political Science from Texas State University, as well as a PhD in Public Policy and Administration from Walden University.
On Thursday, September 17, Dr. Paul DeHart participated in a three-part series of lectures on Constitution Day at the University of West Florida that centered on examining the ideas, debates and historical traditions that shaped the U.S. Constitution and the nation’s founding. At noon, Dr. DeHart presented “Is There No Virtue Among Us?: Interest, Ambition, and the Common Good in the Framers’ Constitutional Design” in order to stimulate a discussion on the origins of the U.S. Constitution. At 3PM, Dr. DeHart was joined by Dr. James Hankins, foremost scholar of Renaissance political thought and a former professor of Harvard University with 40 years of experience in academia, in a public forum titled “Federalists of Antifederalists: The Verdict After 250 Years.” The event concluded with a final lecture at 6:30PM presented by Dr. Hankins titled “The Constitution and the Western Republican Tradition”.
Dr. DeHart is Professor of Political Science at Texas State University, where he has taught since August 2009. He received his Ph.D. from the Department of Government at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. DeHart specializes in the American founding, early modern political theory, the grounds of political authority and obligation, the relationship between religion and political order, and natural law. and constitutional design.
On Thursday, September 17, faculty, staff and graduate students attended the first Inklings gathering of the Fall 2026 semester. Dr. David Levy, associate professor of instruction within Texas State University’s Department of Political Science, gave a presentation titled “The Process of International Commercial Law Harmonization and Unification: My Experiences with the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law”.
The presentation centered around the purpose and process by which states can coalesce existing legal systems in order to create legal environments conducive to smooth trade and transactions across state borders. Dr. Levy articulates that a failure to reach “unified and harmonized” trade processes can create an environment of uncertainty and risk between states aiming to trade with one another, and that very same uncertainty and risk can create higher costs for both parties and their consumers. Some examples discussed differing legal systems might come from cultural backgrounds like legal systems born out of Western and Islamic Sharia traditions, market versus non-market economics, or differences born from language barriers.
Following this introduction, the presentation transitioned to a discussion on examples of international intergovernmental organizations that oversee international trade, such as the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). UNCITRAL plays a key role in furthering the progressive harmonization and modernization of international trade law by preparing and promoting the adoption of legislative and non-legislative instruments in a number of key areas of commercial law. This process allows for states to begin developing common legal languages between one another via conventions, model laws, and rules that are acceptable to states across the world, allowing for participating states to facilitate trade on equal footing and with equivalent understandings on the legal frameworks used to conduct a given commercial transaction. The discussion concluded with comments on Dr. Levy’s experiences while serving at UNCITRAL, including how he acquired the position, former job duties, observations on the job, and his reasons for leaving.
Dr. David A. Levy is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Graduate Legal Studies program at Texas State University. His undergraduate degree is in music from Texas Wesleyan College, and he holds a J.D. degree from Southern Methodist University and an LL.M. (with distinction) in International and Comparative Law from the Georgetown University Law Center. He has published in the area of artificial intelligence and legal ethics, as well as comparative law and international commercial law harmonization. Dr. Levy has significant work experience in the field of law, including working for the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, the American Society of International Law, and the International Law Institute. Dr. Levy has also held elected office as the County Attorney of Archer County, Texas as well as having served as Mayor of Archer City.
The original Inklings consisted of a small group of intellectuals (whose ranks included J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis) who met weekly at Oxford University to read aloud and discuss their works in a spirit of fellowship and civil conversation. In the spirit of these Inklings, the Department of Political Science at Texas State University has held similar gatherings for more than two decades. Meeting monthly, TXST Inklings participants discuss research, exchange ideas, and address a wide variety of issues reflecting diverse interests.
On September 10th, student organizations such as Pi Sigma Alpha and Supporting Women in Political Science (SWIPS), with the support of Dr. McMahan, sponsored and orchestrated an interactive Q&A Panel consisting of former interns of Texas State affiliated public-sector internships. The panelists, consisting of Eduardo “Eddie” Almanza, Ethan Crowder, and Mikaela Kram, delivered encouraging yet honest advice for what internships entail. In particular, the Internship Panel provided an opportunity for students to learn about the application process for several available government-oriented internship opportunities facilitated by Texas State for offerings in Austin, Texas, and Washington D.C.
Through the event, discussion centered on qualitative advice on how prospective applicants for public-sector internships might prepare themselves for service and how to stand out in the application and selection process. Mr. Almanza highlighted the role that having a strong presence in the office has on their peers, allowing for individuals to stand out in an effort to translate their internship experience into a full-time position in the public-sector. Ms. Kram’s discussion focused on the highly learning-oriented environment that internships provide, indicating the need for applicants and future interns to ask questions and be proactive in their learning without fear of repercussions or leaving potentially negative impressions on their superiors and colleagues in order to make the most of their time as an intern. Finally, Mr. Crowder explained the value of establishing clear, concise, and quick communication channels and patterns between oneself and their associates in an office environment due to the fast-paced nature of many public-sector internships. Finally, Capitol Cats was highlighted as an excellent source for students interested in internship opportunities, especially among those in Austin, Texas.
The Department of Political Science houses two academic journals, an international mediation newsletter, and two program magazines - Political Science's Alumni NewsWire and Public Administration's Public Matters.
