ABOUT MICHAEL

Michael speaking at a local church  December 2025

Michael Butkiewicz is a Political Science and Economics student at Penn State University, where he is pursuing a double major with a focus on institutional reform, applied economics, and civic renewal. He is an opinion contributor to The Baltimore Sun and PoliticsPA, where his work has appeared both online and in print, including the Sunday Sun. His writing explores civic education, democratic accountability, and the moral responsibilities of self-government.

In 2025, Michael authored A Nation of Mothers, a book proposing a comprehensive, nonpartisan framework for U.S. abortion policy reform. The book reached the Top 10 in multiple Kindle categories, including #3 in Civil Rights & Liberties and #7 in Civics. Blending economic modeling, social policy, and philosophical reflection, the work reflects his broader mission: to unite moral reasoning with pragmatic policy design.

His academic research examines how civic virtue and institutional design jointly shape efficient and equitable governance outcomes, reinterpreting participatory budgeting through the lens of classical republicanism. This ongoing work draws upon thinkers such as Machiavelli, Montesquieu, and Cicero to explore how institutions can encourage public virtue and collective responsibility.

Michael’s work is guided by the conviction that democracy is not sustained by partisanship, but by an informed and virtuous citizenry. He believes the measure of a republic lies not in its rhetoric, but in its people’s willingness to think deeply, act justly, and serve faithfully. To build, in the truest sense, a more perfect union.

In public life, Michael served as a Lobby Team Member, Climate Organizer, and Chapter Media Lead for Citizens’ Climate Lobby (MD‑08), where he conducted structured policy engagement with stakeholders and congressional offices, including a meeting with Senator Chris Van Hollen. His preparation included analyzing legislative leadership styles, aligning evidence and questions with congressional priorities, and advancing advocacy goals such as the Fix Our Forests Act and permitting reform. He was selected for the 2025 CCL National Conference in recognition of his leadership and liaison work. In addition to producing media content to support congressional outreach, he represented the organization at the Montgomery College Volunteer Fair, engaging more than 60 students and recruiting 35 volunteers for civic and environmental initiatives.

He also led an independent Civic Education Diagnostic Initiative in Maryland, conducting a structured, two‑phase assessment that incorporated input from educators, nonprofit leaders, and school board members. He authored a policy memo analyzing structural, regulatory, and incentive‑based barriers to civic literacy and proposing a non‑ideological, county‑level pilot to strengthen civic learning. His framework aligned outcome‑based assessment, teacher autonomy, and legal safeguards with voluntary financial incentives, supported by empirical evidence and comparative policy models. The project underwent external review, including refinement with the Director of Civic Education at the University of Maryland and consultation with a retired Civic Educator of the Year.