April 1, 2020

Online Event

The Constitutional design of three branches checking each other is broken. Modern presidents have expanded executive power long before Donald Trump's inauguration. But the assumption the Framers made-- that loyalty to one's own institution and its role – no longer applies in an era of tribal loyalties when Republicans in both the House and Senate routinely unify as a block to support President Trump.The result: Trump is asserting new powers or stretching prior precedents to the breaking point. Why has Congress acquiesced and could we witness a resurgence?

This event will feature scholar of Congress Norm Ornstein and longtime political commentator Professor Larry Jacobs to discuss the latest developments in the coronavirus pandemic and the response in Washington, D.C.

The rules of the presidential nomination process can seem endlessly complex with primaries versus caucuses, early primaries, delegate counts, and convention rules. But over the years the parties have developed informal rules as well, with norms and expectations about how the presidential nomination process will unfold. Who wins and who loses under the real rules? Join us for a conversation with Professor Julia Azari of Marquette University to discuss how the informal rules changed in 2016, and what it means for 2020? University of Minnesota Professor Kathryn Pearson will moderate.

February 24, 2020

Humphrey School of Public Affairs

Prof. Julia Azari is Associate Professor and Assistant Chair in the Department of Political Science at Marquette University. She teaches on the American presidency, political parties, and politics, and is a contributor to fivethirtyeight.com. Prof. Azari has PH.D., M.A. and M.Phil degrees in political science from Yale University, and a B.A. in political science for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The media are under attack. Is the so-called mainstream media biased by the liberalism of editors and journalists, as President Trump and conservative critics claim? Has Fox News abandoned journalistic standards to become just the loudest of many right-wing mouthpieces for President Trump and corporate America, as Democrats charge? Are communities of color justified in complaining that their perspectives are marginalized by a media far less diverse than the society it covers? And amid it all, have the economic struggles of media businesses, the rise of the internet and social media, fragmented the media along ideological lines in a way that leaves America no common source of trusted information?

Join us for a discussion of media bias with our panel of journalists and media experts.

Panelists:

Eric Black, columnist, MinnPost

Annette Meeks, founder and CEO, Minnesota Freedom Foundation

Ka Vang, director of Impact and Community Engagement, MPR

Moderated by D.J. Tice, commentary editor and opinion columnist, Star Tribune

Soaring insurance deductibles and medical bills have put growing strains on middle-class Americans. Is single-payer health care the answer? Or will costs just soar higher as millions move to government coverage? Award-winning journalist Noam Levey will discuss healthcare access and affordability in a conversation moderated by Professor Larry Jacobs.

Noam Levey is a national healthcare policy journalist writing for the Los Angeles Times. Based in Washington D.C., his writing has regularly appeared in the Chicago Tribune and Baltimore Sun, has been published in Health Affairs and the Journal of the American Medical Association, and he is a regular guest on nationally broadcast public radio programs. He has written extensively about the 2010 Affordable Care Act as well as medicare, medicaid, and healthcare affordability. He received his degree in Middle Eastern history from Princeton University.

November 21, 2019

12:00 PM to 1:15 PM

Humphrey Forum, Humphrey School of Public Affairs

A record number of women ran for office - and won - in the 2018 midterm elections and more women than ever are vying for the Democratic Party's nomination to run for President in 2020. Yet, women are still underrepresented at every level of office, comprising only around a quarter of the U.S. Congress. What explains women's gains, and also women's persistent underrepresentation, and what does the future hold for women in politics?

Rutgers University Professor and Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) Scholar Kelly Dittmar will discuss CAWP's latest report, "Unfinished Business: Women Running in 2018 and Beyond," detailing the gender dynamics at work in the 2018 midterms. Relying on research on past elections, Professor Dittmar will also look ahead to the 2020 Elections. University of Minnesota Political Science Professor Kathryn Pearson will moderate.

November 6, 2019

11:45 AM to 1:00 PM

Humphrey Forum, Humphrey School of Public Affairs

Minnesota led the nation in 2018 for youth voter turnout, but even with an over 20% rise from 2014, that turnout was STILL under 45%. What does current research say will happen in 2020? Join us in an exploration of the successes in youth voter turnout and the data that show what has worked, and a look at how a more engaged young electorate may challenge the traditional approach to policy making and require new tactics for political outreach and engagement efforts. The event will feature Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, director of the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University as well as Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon and a student panel.

This event is co-sponsored by the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Lead MN, and Students United.

October 15, 2019

12:00 PM to 1:15 PM

Humphrey School of Public Affairs

What effect has President Trump had on conservatism, and what direction should it take after his time in office is over? Some conservatives argue that Trump is an aberration and conservatism will return to normalcy when he is gone. Others think that Trump has effected a lasting change in the definition of the Republican party, for good or ill. Still others think that the future of conservatism will be up for grabs, and have different ideas about what it should be.

Ramesh Ponnuru is a senior editor of National Review, which was founded by William F. Buckley Jr – who has also been called the founder of American conservatism. Buckley famously attempted to purge the conservative movement of “kooks” and bigots. Ponnuru will address whether Buckley’s conservatism has been permanently eclipsed by Trump’s.

The event was moderated by former Minnesota congressman Vin Weber.

Friday, October 4, 2019

Cowles Auditorium

Humphrey School of Public Affairs

Program

Minnesota is one of the country’s leaders in participation of eligible voters. What role does Minnesota’s vibrant culture of corporate responsibility play in our engaged citizenry? How does civic engagement benefit a company's bottom line? And how can Secretaries of State partner with companies to enhance nonpartisan efforts to increase voter participation? Researchers at Harvard University collaborated with several Minnesota businesses as part of an investigation of civic engagement and recently released the report, Civic Responsibility: The Power of Companies to Increase Voter Turnout. We will explore these questions and more with our panel.

Welcome

Doug Loon, President, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce

Civic Responsibility Report Highlights

Ashley Spillane, co-author of Harvard case study Civic Responsibility: The Power of Companies to Increase Voter Turnout and President, Impactual, LLC

Panel Discussion

Isaac Reyes, Vice President of Government Affairs, Target

Craig Samitt, President and CEO, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

Steve Simon, Minnesota Secretary of State

Ashley Spillane, President, Impactual, LLC

Lee Schafer, moderator and Columnist, Star Tribune Closing

Paul Pate, Iowa Secretary of State and President, National Association of Secretaries of State

Monday, September 23, 2019

1:00 - 2:30 p.m.

Cowles Auditorium

Humphrey School of Public Affairs

301 19th Avenue South

Minneapolis, MN 55455

All around Minnesota, communities are redefining what it means to have a healthy economy and an engaged workforce. Tom Friedman has been traveling to towns in Minnesota and around the country to wonder why some are prospering, while others are losing population and jobs.

Tom Friedman’s presentation is the culmination of an 18-month event series, traveling around the state to explore how older workers could be part of the solution to our state’s workforce shortages as Baby Boomers retire.

Join us for the series conclusion on September 23rd to hear best practices and ideas for reviving towns in Minnesota.

Featuring:

● New York Times columnist Tom Friedman

● Courageous Conversations series moderator Gary Eichten

● Panelists from Southwest Minnesota, the Iron Range, and the Twin Cities

Brought to you by the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, with generous support from the McKnight Foundation.

The US Women’s Soccer Team thrilled the world with their prowess on the field and leadership off of it. Their championship demonstrates the important impact of Title IX in funding and support for women athletics in schools and universities. Beyond soccer, women routinely eclipse male runners during marathons and other sports, pointing to a continuum of physical performance. The ambiguity of gender—as reflected in world class-athletes such as Caster Semenya—led the International Olympic Committee to adopt tests of testosterone levels and college athletic conferences to respond to intersex and trans-athletes. The physical ability and performances of women athletes are blurring historic and gendered divisions between men’s and women’s sports. Professor Mary Jo Kane will discuss the evolving state of women’s sport with Dr. Jamie Feldman, an expert in transgender medicine.

Mary Jo Kane is the director emerita of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport and a Professor in the School of Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota. She is widely published on media coverage and women's sport and is a recognized expert on the impact of Title IX.

Jamie Feldman, MD, PhD, is faculty in the University of Minnesota’s Program in Human Sexuality. She has chaired a Transgender Medicine and Research Committee and published on transgender hormone therapy and primary care.