Dialogue Across Difference

The 2020 elections whipped up animosity toward pollsters. What did pollsters get wrong? What did they get right? And, why aren't pollsters more accurate? Larry Jacobs is joined by two national stars - prominent survey researcher Columbia University's Robert Y. Shapiro and Kathy Frankovic, former CBS polling chief.

"Democracy is dying" has become a watchword in America today. The reality is that American democracy has endured recurrent crises since the 1790s. Suzanne Mettler joins us to reveal the unique threat today - the worst features of past decay and disruption are all present today.

Suzanne Mettler is the John L. Senior Professor of American Institutions at Cornell University. She is an award-winning author of six books on American politics and public policy. Her most recent book, co-authored with Robert Lieberman, is Four Threats: The Recurring Crises of American Democracy.

Globalization can be both good and bad, but it is not something that individuals or countries can opt out of. The next president will face enormous challenges on numerous fronts. How can American interests be realistically advanced?

Join Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations and former advisor to Secretary of State Colin Powell and President George H.W. Bush, for a discussion of America's future in the world. Former Vice President Walter Mondale will join the conversation; Professor Larry Jacobs will moderate.

Republican strategist Vin Weber and Democratic strategist Justin Buoen discuss the election results that are reported on Election Day and anticipate the coming battles over the counting of ballots. Professor Larry Jacobs will moderate.

Republican strategist Vin Weber and Democratic strategist Justin Buoen break down the final week of the 2020 national elections.

Donald Trump promised to "Make America Great Again" and yet disarray and decline abound. Over the past 6 months, the President failed to slow the Coronavirus as our allies have done and the economic decline set a record. Still more profoundly, the President and his political allies have undercut the sources of American prosperity and global influence - our cutting edge education and scientific infrastructure along with our success in cultivating a level of social harmony in a diverse country that has eluded our European allies. President Trump's Middle East agreement is historic but received little public acclaim because of the chaos and division that he fueled.

Award-winning author and New York Times columnist Tom Friedman joins us to discuss this and other issues.

A record number of women ran in the Democratic presidential nominating contest in 2020; Senator Kamala Harris is running for Vice President; and a record number of women are running for the U.S. Congress in 2020. Yet, women are still underrepresented at every level of office, and two white men are vying for the Presidency. What explains women's gains, persistent underrepresentation, and the future for women in politics?

University of Virginia Politics Professor Jennifer Lawless has published extensive research on women & politics, and she will discuss gender dynamics in the 2020 elections and women's underrepresentation. University of Minnesota Political Science Associate Professor Kathryn Pearson will moderate the discussion.

Former Senator Al Franken joins us to talk about the approaching elections and what the Coronavirus reveals about America.

For generations, the U.S. Attorneys General have described the Justice Department as serving the broad interests of the American people—instead of a political tool of the sitting president. Attorney General William Barr stands out to his critics as one of the country's most partisan Attorneys General, repeatedly serving the political and personal interests of President Trump. As the U.S. faces a divisive election already marked by legal challenges, what is the role of the US Attorney General and the Justice Department? How does veteran Attorney General Barr see this? How does he respond to critics? As election day approaches, the questions become more urgent: Will the Attorney General take steps that appear to promote President Trump's reelection—or will he maintain what former Attorney General Griffin Bell called “a neutral zone” to preserve the integrity and credibility of a department with unique responsibilities across all three branches of government?

The Washington Post's Tom Hamburger reports on new questions about Attorney General Barr being raised on Capitol Hill and elsewhere, and the implications for the 2020 election.

Good elections are secure elections—but what does that mean? Does it mean that election processes help eligible people vote, while thwarting anyone else? Does it mean accurate vote tabulation—and being able to prove that the counting was done right? Does it mean keeping voters safe at the polls? Does it mean giving the voting public a sense of security in a time of disinformation and misinformation? Yes, yes, yes and yes. Learn from national elections experts about cybersecurity, election validation and audits, healthy polling places and communicating about security.

Panelists:

Wendy Underhill, Director for Elections and Redistricting, National Council of State Legislatures

Matt Masterson, Senior Cybersecurity Advisor, Department of Homeland Security

Jennifer Morell, Director of Elections Validation Project, the Democracy Fund

Maurice Turner, Senior Advisor to the Executive Director, U.S. Election Assistance Commission