Dialogue Across Difference

Finding common ground in Washington is rare and urgent. Rob Portman has a record of passing more than 200 bills that were signed into law by Presidents Obama, Trump, and Biden. His leadership is exemplified by the 2021 infrastructure bill that builds an economic lifeline to the future, support to defend Ukraine’s freedom in the face of growing Republican resistance, and courageous defense of his son’s decision to come out as gay. In conversation with moderator Larry Jacobs, Rob Portman will draw on his three decades of experience working for two Republican Presidents and serving in Congress as a Republican Representative and US Senator to identify his approaches to achieving bipartisan progress. About the Series: The Nakasaka Dialogues stimulate conversations about the state of public life and encourage progress toward our shared bonds. This event series is made possible by a generous contribution from Humphrey School of Public Affairs alumnus Kiyoshi Nakasaka.

Many Americans are on fire about the stakes in the 2024 elections. But what about those in the "other America" who are not interested? Who are they and why are they sitting out elections? We are joined by Professors Yanna Krupnikov who studies Americans who are less involved in day-to-day political outcomes and Markus Prior who investigates the sources and impacts of political interest. Professor Taylor Carlson moderates.

Science has been thrust into elections and political fights among lawmakers. Vaccinations against Covid, measles, and other contagious illnesses have provoked protests on the left and, especially, the right. Have Americans lost trust in science and the hope it once offered to bring progress? Why has science become another casualty of the fights between Democrats and Republicans? Join us for a discussion of these issues with the University of Rochester's Jamie Druckman and Cary Funk, past research director at Pew Research Center.

How does representative democracy in practice hold up to academic theories of how democratic representation should work? Lisa Disch is a professor of democratic theory who has crossed over to serve in government as a City Council member in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a middle-sized bright blue college town in a purplish state. Councilmember Disch reports on what the academy is missing or just gets wrong.

Animosity toward Joe Biden is at record highs among Republicans as they were among Democrats toward Donald Trump when he was in the White House. In the 2024 presidential election, we are likely to see more than 9 out of 10 voters who identify with the Democrat and Republican parties vote for their party's candidate. Why are Americans so polarized? Will voters defect from their Democratic or Republican party affiliations to support "the other" presidential candidate or a candidate representing the Green Party or No Labels party?

Joe Biden joined the United Auto Workers on a Detroit picket line, a historic first for a sitting President. Thousands of workers have voted in favor of unions at Amazon and Starbucks, and public support for unions approaches an all-time high. But the share of workers represented by a union declined last year. Why isn't unionization growing? Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bernie Burnham, University of Minnesota Law School Professor Charlotte Garden, and Kathy Megarry, the Vice President of Human Resources & Labor Relations, discuss in a conversation moderated by University of Minnesota History Professor Will Jones.

Does American democracy face dire ongoing challenges that threaten honest elections and effective government responsive to the majority? While the 2020 and 2022 elections were fair, doubters continue to spread unfounded charges of massive election fraud, restrict voter access, and subvert honest election administration and tabulations. What responses are appropriate and feasible? Join us for a lively conversation with a panel of political scientists on the future of American democracy.

Polls show Biden and Trump in a toss up, if both run again. Both candidates showcase weakness: Biden's disapproval ratings are high for the economy and inflation and his age remains an issue while Trump is likely to be campaigning from a courtroom and may struggle among swing voters. Third-party candidates are lining up who may drain votes from both sides. Meanwhile, will the chronic chaos in the House hurt GOP prospects to hold its majority or derail the Party's advantages in US Senate contests? Prominent national campaign consultants Rebecca Pearcey and Kirsten Kukowski break down the strategies and odds facing each party in the 2024 elections. *Due to an error in recording, at 42:23 approximately 30 seconds is missing from the audio, we apologize for the inconvenience.

Vice President Walter Mondale was a pioneer in US housing policy. He championed the Fair Housing Act (1968) to outlaw discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, sex, and family status. How has this landmark law for fair housing impacted our challenges today with affordability and access? How does the Fair Housing Act empower communities today? This extraordinary program brings together national and state leaders in housing - Greg Squires (George Washington University) and Ingrid Gould Ellen (New York University) join Minnesota experts Edward Goetz (University of Minnesota, Humphrey School), Myron Orfield (University of Minnesota, Law School), Shannon Smith Jones (Greater Twin Cities United Way), and Maureen Michalski (Ryan Companies). About this Series: The Mondale Dialogues are a series of events that project the decency and fairness that guided the public life of Walter F. Mondale and the principles he long fought for. They feature prominent local, national, and international luminaries working on pressing issues of our time. Students, faculty, community members, as well as our online global audience, will find the Mondale Dialogues engaging, informative and thought-provoking. Event made possible by Penny and Bill George and the George Family Foundation

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has made excellence in education a top priority and his Secretary of Education, Aimee Rogstad Guidera, is responsible for making this vision a reality in the state's schools. The foundation of their work is the conviction that parents matter in all decisions impacting a child's health, education, and well being. Congressman Vin Weber and Professor Larry Jacobs moderate the conversation with Secretary Guidera.

The lack of right-of-center professors on University campuses limits the range of ideas explored, stifles debate, and may discourage students from articulating and pursuing conservative ideas. One promising approach to restoring balance is to build within universities programs and centers devoted to exploring the key questions of social and political life without ruling out conservative answers. Their purpose is to intentionally create places for wide-ranging debate. Join us for a discussion with Ramesh Ponnuru, editor of the National Review, as he makes the case for restoring intellectual diversity on University campuses. Former Congressman Vin Weber and Professor Larry Jacobs will moderate. This event was rescheduled from June due to an illness. About this series: Conservative Voices at the Humphrey School will highlight prominent conservative thinkers and public officials from a variety of policy areas and backgrounds. The series is presented by the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance whose mission is to generate dialogue across difference by stimulating vigorous and civil debate.

In the inaugural Nakasaka Dialogue, Thomas Friedman and Professor Larry Jacobs discuss the major issues facing the U.S. and the world. The Nakasaka Dialogues stimulate conversations about the state of public life and encourage progress toward our shared bonds.

From the 1800s through the middle of the 2Oth century, federated fraternal orders based in regularly meeting local lodges and supralocal headquarters and conventions allowed Americans of all backgrounds to combine for mutual aid and civic assertion. African Americans were super-organizers and joiners within this fraternal world. Forming federations that spanned states, regions, and often the nation as a whole, Blacks created some orders paralleling major white orders but also large numbers of their own distinctively named orders. Through these orders, they built economic security, worked for social advancement, and pushed back against the social exclusions, cultural insults, and political restrictions of Jim Crow segregation. Women played a much stronger role in African American “fraternalism” than in white variants, and Black orders had an unusually strong focus on community service, while also serving as an organizational sphere where individual male and female leaders could develop and display business and civic talent. Professor Theda Skocpol presents original research - including membership badges from Black fraternal orders - connecting mutual-aid associations in the South with the Civil Rights movement. This talk includes personal stories of amazing discoveries, along with a larger explanation of why these associations, most of them no longer with us, are an inspiring part of U.S. and African American history that must not be lost.

Partisan gridlock in the U.S. Senate, exemplified by the present day, “no-effort” filibuster, has made it difficult for the Senate to pass meaningful legislation and respond to the needs of the country. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) favors the "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" solution - talk. Senators who want to filibuster should need to stand up on the floor of the Senate to hold up action on bills they object to. Restoring the "talking filibuster," Senator Merkley argues, would bring the Senate back to the deliberative body it was designed to be, restore the incentives for both parties to seek compromise, and, in the process, help renew and strengthen our democracy. Join us for a conversation with Senator Jeff Merkley and Professor Larry Jacobs as they explore the history and debates of the filibuster.

The Democrats' success in the 2022 elections gave them full control of Minnesota state government for the first time since 2014 and a long list of priorities to act on. So far, this legislative session has been one of the busiest in recent history. Join us for a conversation with political reporters Briana Bierschbach of the Star Tribune and Brian Bakst of MPR on what the Minnesota Legislature is working on, successes so far, potential pitfalls coming, and projections of how the session may wind up. Prof. Larry Jacobs will moderate.

Access to Health Care After the Pandemic Emergency by Dialogue Across Difference Podcast by Center for the Study of Politics and Governance

A New Congress is sworn in on January 3, 2023 with a profound change: Republicans are in the majority in the US House of Representatives. What will be the consequences for domestic and foreign policy and politics? A terrific panel featuring Sarah Binder, Kathryn Pearson, and Michael Minta will explore.

Hateful conflict permeates our politics and, too often, our private lives. It infects our ability to think clearly and consumes our time and energy. Amanda Ripley's groundbreaking journalism and books are being taken up by citizens and legislators to chart a new way forward. In this conversation with the award-winning Krista Tippett - a collaboration between On Being and the Humphrey School of Public Affairs - they explore why we get trapped in conflicts and how we can break the spiral.

How will the headwinds facing Democrats play out in the state's legislative races this fall? Will Republicans be able to win back the Minnesota House and the Governorship? Star Tribune political reporter Briana Bierschbach and political science professor Kathryn Pearson discuss the latest news and predictions of Minnesota's state elections.

Latinx voters are the fastest growing voting block of the US. electorate. How will they influence the outcome of the upcoming 2022 midterm elections? Mark Hugo Lopez of the Pew Research Center will examine the attitudes and voting patterns of this diverse group of voters.