Dialogue Across Difference

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 dispari...

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...

In the aftermath of the 2020 elections, election audits have taken center stage. They have been used to demonstrate the integrity of an election and, conversely, used in an attempt to demonstrate an election was flawed. Jennifer Morrell, an expert in election audits, will moderate a conversation with election officials that will explore the changing landscape of election audits - best practices, c...

Judge Steve Leifman of Miami-Dade County, Florida, has transformed the way the criminal justice system and police in this huge county deal with those with serious mental illness, saving lives and saving money at the same time. The best practices he and his team have crafted, embodied in a film called Definition of Insanity (www.doifilm.com), can be adapted to the needs and resources of every commu...

Joe Biden is walking a tightrope. He was elected on promises of effectiveness, empathy, and unity. Yet, his unpopularity now rivals Donald Trump's after the public backlash against his handling of the bloody Afghan withdrawal, persistence of Covid surges, threats of inflation, and Democratic infighting over his ambitious legislative agenda. Prominent Republican conservatives Rich Lowry and Vin Web...

Health reform is a big part of President Biden’s Build Back Better plan. Sweeping proposals have been negotiated carefully among Democratic leaders and party factions. Join us to hear how these changes may impact access, the cost of health care, and state and federal budgets. This program brings together keen observers of health reform in Washington DC, Jim Capretta from the American Enterprise In...

Organizing communities of color, working people, the disaffected, and politicos on the left and right has lit up our politics - from protests around George Floyd to the January 6th mobilization. What separates these different forms of organizing and are they improving public life or threatening it? A leading progressive organizer - Marshall Ganz - reflects on the high points of success, disappoint...

Rent stabilization is on the ballot in both Minneapolis and St. Paul next month. How does rent stabilization work? What are advocates hoping to see come from the ballot initiatives and are those hopes realistic? And, how are groups in the two cities organizing to influence the outcome? Professor Edward Goetz of the Humphrey School, and the lead author of the report to the Minneapolis City Council...

Dr. Alvin Tillery, Dr. Michael Minta and Dr. Jamil Scott discuss the growing power of Black and Latinos in Congress in relation to the BLM protest movement and if Congress and more mainstream Black and Latino civil rights organizations are addressing the priorities of the BLM movement.

When Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the National Anthem in 2016 to protest police violence and racial inequity, he did more than shake up the NFL and the world of pro sports. His actions also sparked an unreported movement in high schools and colleges across the country. Join us to consider Kaepernick's impacts on sport, politics, and culture. Professor Douglas Hartmann moderates a conversati...

Many Democrats would like to wish away the large portion of the country that remains enthusiastic supporters of former President Donald Trump. That won't work. Trump loyalists are among the most likely to vote in the 2022 midterm elections and may help flip Congress to Republican control. Why are they loyal to Trump? Can Democrats lure them away? Democratic pollster and former Yale University Prof...

We are accustomed to words and numbers as forms of communication. Photography is a visceral medium to express love, outrage at injustice, and a future of righteousness and morality. Nationally acclaimed multidisciplinary artist Bobby Rogers joins award-winning poet Douglas Kearney for a searching conversation. To see the photos, view this event on Youtube at z.umn.edu/Photography2021,

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 oppor...

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, accessi...

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 go...

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 u...

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? M...

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 Par...

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 interest...

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 Congres...

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...

Things have not gone well for the Republican Party. It lost the races for president and control of both houses of Congress after the two Democrats won the Georgia runoff elections. Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty joins us to make the case for changing the GOP's current direction. He argues that the winning path combines conservative principles and populism to modernize the Republican brand....

How will President Biden proceed administratively and legislatively to build on the ACA? Will advocates for the Public Option prevail and, if they fail, will they be pragmatic or stop any reform? How will health care providers and the larger health care industry respond? And, by the way, the Supreme Court will be deciding a lawsuit aimed at declaring the ACA unconstitutional—again. One of Washingt...