Dialogue Across Difference

Voting in the midterm elections is under way. Will Democrats hold control over Congress or will a "wave" election sweep Republicans to House and Senate majorities? Prominent national campaign consultants Rebecca Pearcey and Kirsten Kukowski break down the strategies and odds facing each party in the 2022 elections.

Election officials are facing threats from people who work in or around election systems. This “Insider Threat” poses new challenges to address. Colorado’s experience dealing with an Insider Threat led to legislation earlier this year both to protect election systems and those who do the protecting. Dr. Judd Choate, Colorado’s Election Director and Humphrey School CEA faculty member, will lay out Colorado’s legislative response to the insider threat and the threats facing election officials.

Keith Ellison and Norm Ornstein discuss how to integrate mental health awareness into public safety moving forward.

*The first minute of audio did not record, so the audio will begin with the conversation already in progress

Minnesota can reduce incarceration and improve police performance by taking mental health seriously. Sound far-fetched? It’s happening in Miami-Dade County where Judge Steve Leifman has transformed the way the criminal justice system and police respond to people with serious mental illness. A remarkable conversation will identify how Minnesota can join the revolution in public safety-- saving lives and money.

The panel is made up of:

Sen. Rich Draheim (R), Minnesota Senate

Daniel H. Gillison Jr., National CEO, NAMI

Mindy Greiling, Author, “Fix What You Can: A Lawmaker’s Fight for Her Son”

Sen. Ron Latz (DFL), Minnesota Senate

Judge Steve Leifman, Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida

Chief Kelly McCarthy, Mendota Heights Police Department &

Chair, Minnesota POST Board

Norm Ornstein, Emeritus Scholar, American Enterprise Institute

Moderated by: Larry Jacobs

New Minneapolis Community Safety Commissioner Dr. Cedric Alexander sits down with Professor Larry Jacobs and Norm Ornstein to discuss the future of Public Safety in Minneapolis and how to integrate mental health awareness.

Minnesota Congressman Tom Emmer (6th CD) chairs the National Republican Campaign Committee. Congressman Emmer is leading the GOP effort to retake the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. He discusses his work in Congress and the NRCC with Professor Larry Jacobs.

Are you ready for the 2022 Elections? Prominent political consultants from the Democratic and Republican parties preview the upcoming midterm elections and how both parties are strategizing for them.

Why has the unequal economic status of Black Americans persisted into the 21st century? Glenn C. Loury, Merton P. Stolt Professor of the Social Sciences at Brown University and host of The Glenn Show, proposes we need to specify the right "model" for thinking as economists about the long-term persistence of racial economic disparities. An advocate for a united approach to addressing racial disparities, Loury says, “Changing the definition of the American 'we' is the only real solution for the racial inequality problem that afflicts our society."

Following Loury's presentation, CLA Economics Professor Christopher Phelen will facilitate a discussion on persistent racial inequalities in the US. Questions from the audience will be welcomed.

This event is co-sponsored by the Public Life Project, Department of Economics, and the Humphrey School of Public Affairs Center for the Study of Politics and Governance under the direction of Larry Jacobs.

Join us for a conversation with USA TODAY Washington Bureau chief Susan Page on her new book, Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power. Page focuses on the rise of Nancy Pelosi into congressional politics and her ability to maneuver into the position of Speaker of the House, the first woman to hold the gavel. Professor Kathryn Pearson will moderate.

The US spends more on health care than other countries and yet Americans stand out for poorer health – as measured by life expectancy, chronic heart disease, and the rates of death among mothers and babies. The Biden administration is pursuing an ambitious response: deliver greater value for our health care dollars and improve the care and health of black, indigenous, and populations of color. Liz Fowler, a leader of the Biden Administration's strategy, visits to discuss a new generation of collaborative care and incentives to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities among diverse Americans throughout the country and in Minnesota.