Dialogue Across Difference

The fireworks from the 2020 elections are still fresh in our minds and yet politicians and their advisors are hard at work strategizing for the next election. Democrats are focused on retaining their narrow majority in the US House and protecting their working majority in the US Senate. But midterm elections often go against the party controlling the White House and Republicans see plenty of opportunity to regain control of Congress. Why does that matter now? Both parties are currently steering policy in Congress to help their chances in November 2022.

Join prominent Republican and Democratic consultants and campaign leaders to understand the behind-the-scenes maneuvering.

Big promises, scary threats, and green shoots of hope are all at work in Congress and the White House. Famed Washington observer and scholar Sarah Binder joins U of M political scientist Kathryn Pearson to make sense of it all.

There is a common refrain that in an ideal election it is easy to vote and hard to cheat. Signature verification has been the gold standard of remote voter identity verification for decades. Technological innovation creates new opportunities and challenges.

This webinar will explore current policies and future options for states and localities to ensure that voter verification is accurate, accessible, equitable, and feasible. Panelists will consider the benefits and drawbacks of signature matching, personal identification number requirements, photo identification requirements, third party identity verification, and step-up verification systems.

Panel:

Julie Anderson, Pierce County Auditor, State of Washington

Paddy McGuire, Mason County Auditor, State of Washington

Rachel Orey, Policy Analyst, Bipartisan Policy Center

As we emerge from COVID-19’s dark shadow, the pandemic is serving as a broad catalyst for change in consumer expectations and a reordering of work, business and the economy. The US health care system sits at the center of COVID’s reckoning and newly added urgency for lasting change. Inequities in access to care and the enormous challenges in caring for the persistently ill are top priorities as government and stakeholders explore the public health “lessons learned”.

Join a discussion with Professor Michael Chernew, Harvard Medical School and Star Tribune reporter Chris Snowbeck, to explore how COVID can catalyze innovation to pay for the expanded medical care with fresh thinking about restraining the cost of treatment that supplies little or no value.

Georgia, Texas and other states are pursuing legislation that will make it more difficult to vote, especially for voters of color. Less attention has been paid to a second threat: giving the legislature a greater hand in who counts votes and how they are counted. Will this reform improve or damage the integrity of elections and the confidence of voters in their results?

An impressive panel joins us:

- Richard L. Hasen, Chancellor’s Professor of Law and Political Science, University of California, Irvine

- Michael T. Morley, Associate Professor, Florida State University College of Law

- Moderated by Tammy Patrick, Senior Advisor, Elections Program, Democracy Fund

Independent music venues across the nation were devastated by COVID - the first to close and among the last to open. In response, venue owners, operators, and musicians banded together to form the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), securing government aid in December 2020. However, many venues are still struggling to get back on their feet. What will it take for live music to return?

Musician and writer Dessa joins Minnesota music entrepreneur Dayna Frank and Minnesota Public Radio's arts reporter Euan Kerr.

Observers of state and national politics who lament the lack of racial and ethnic representation of elected officials should pay attention to Minnesota cities. Over the past few elections racially and ethnically diverse candidates have won elections and bring new perspectives to Minnesota city government.

A panel of distinguished city officials include:

- Councilmember Nadia Mohamed, St. Louis Park

- Mayor Najwa Massad, Mankato

- Mayor Maria Regan Gonzalez, Richfield

- Moderator: Ricardo Lopez, Senior Political Reporter with the Minnesota Reformer

Money is the gas that pays for the consultants, staff, and advertising that equips candidates and their campaigns to get their messages out. Minnesota's competitive races have drawn increased spending on campaigns in the last two cycles. That's not all. When the campaign season is over and the legislative session begins, outside groups, political parties, and individual donors press their interests and influence in the legislative process, particularly in committees. Not surprisingly, elected politicians remember who gives cash. This panel will discuss the increased spending on federal and state elections in Minnesota, impacts on the Minnesota legislature, and reform proposals. Associate Professor Kathryn Pearson will present a new report documenting the vast sums of money flooding Minnesota politics and the potential impacts on the legislature. Professor Pearson will be joined by George Beck, and Ricardo Lopez.

Commentators report a simple story about Congress: it is rigidly divided like the Hatfields and McCoys. The results are either liberal or conservative legislation or stubborn deadlock. Not so far. Frances Lee finds that bipartisanship remains the key to legislative success on Capitol Hill as does compromise. Professor Lee brings her fresh interpretation of Congress to the current battle in Congress over Joe Biden’s liberal agenda.

It’s fashionable to declare that capitalism is in decline – or even broken - because it isn’t working for those who need it most. But both individual firms and business leaders are now pushing back with exciting proposals for new directions. The next era of capitalism is the topic of an extraordinary conversation with former Best Buy Chairman and CEO Hubert Joly who makes the case for “shareholder capitalism” in his book, The Heart of Business. He is joined by Harvard Business School Professor Rebecca Henderson, author of Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire.