State of Democracy

The State of Democracy Lectures Series is dedicated to providing a forum for meaningful dialogue over public issues that cut across the disciplinary boundaries of the social sciences. The series is a centerpiece of the Maxwell School. It enables the intellectual exploration of current events and issues while fostering discussion and debate, which is the heart of meaningful democratic citizenship.

All events begin at 4:00 in the Maxwell Auditorium and are followed by an open reception at 5:30, unless otherwise noted.

 For Videos of previous State of Democracy Lectures please visit our Media Page  

2011-2012 Series

March 30, 2012
Arthur Brooks, President, American Enterprise Institute
"The Future of Conservatism" 

Arthur C. Brooks is the president of AEI. Until January 1, 2009, he was the Louis A. Bantle Professor of Business and Government Policy at Syracuse University. He is the author of eight books and many articles on topics ranging from the economics of the arts to applied mathematics. His most recent books include The Battle: How the Fight Between Free Enterprise and Big Government Will Shape America's Future (Basic Books, May 2010), Gross National Happiness (Basic Books, 2008), Social Entrepreneurship (Prentice-Hall, 2008), and Who Really Cares (Basic Books, 2006). Before pursuing his work in public policy, Mr. Brooks spent twelve years as a professional French hornist with the City Orchestra of Barcelona and other ensembles. Mr. Brooks is the author of the forthcoming book, The Road to Freedom, to be released on May 1st 2012. 
 

October 28, 2011
Jon Oberlander, University of North Carolina
"The Future of Medicare" 

  Medicare is the most politically charged of all the “third rails” in the current debates over reducing the debt and deficit, and addressing entitlement spending.

How will the politics surrounding Medicare play out?
How will the health care reform law affect the program?
What is the program’s likely future? Might it look completely different ten years from now?
Should Americans be thinking differently about their health care needs as they plan their retirements?

A leading expert on the program will help untangle these vexing questions.

Jonathan Oberlander is Professor of Social Medicine and Health Policy & Management at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. His research focuses on health care politics and policy, health reform, and Medicare. Oberlander is author of The Political Life of Medicare and is co-editor of a 3-volume book series The Social Medicine Reader. His articles have appeared in journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Health Affairs, and the Annals of Internal Medicine. He comments on health reform for a number of media outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, the New York Review of Books, National Public Radio, the BBC, CBS News and PBS.
 

September 30, 2011
Jean Bethke Elshtain, University of Chicago Divinity School
“Democracy on Trial Revisited”

Regularly named as one of America’s foremost public intellectuals, Jean Bethke Elshtain is the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Professor of Social and Political Ethics, Divinity School, The University of Chicago, with appointments in Political Science and the Committee on International Relations. She is also holder of Georgetown University’s Leavey Chair in the Foundations of American Freedom.

Respondents include Rochelle Gurstein, an Independent Scholar, Peter Levine, Director, Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, and Research Director at Jonathan Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, Tufts University and Wilfred M. McClay, SunTrust Bank Chair of Excellence in Humanities, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

2010-2011 Series

Anne Kornblut, White House correspondent for The Washington Post and author of Notes from the Cracked Ceiling.
Video Archive 

Roger Hardy, former Middle East and Islamic Affairs Analyst with the BBC World Service and author of The Muslim Revolt: A Journey Through Political Islam 
Video Archive 

Jon Trickett, is a Labour Member of Parliament, former Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister Gordon Brown and former Mayor of Leeds.

2009-2010 Series

Laura Nader, University of California, Berkeley

Len Burman, The Maxwell School

Claudia Goldin, Harvard University
 

2008-2009 Series

The 2008-2009 series was sponsored by Betsy Levitt Cohn and Alan Cohn 

Nancy Foner

Charles Murray

2007-2008 Series

Michael E. Toner

James Hunter

Irshad Manji 

2006-2007 Series

Jacob Hacker

Shibley Telhami

Thomas Mann

Deborah Stone

2005-2006 Series

Toby Moffett

Harvey C. Mansfield

2006 Constitution Day Lecture: Peter Schuck 

Thomas Carothers 

2004/2005

Michele Moody-Adams

E.J. Dionne

Michael Walzer

2003/2004

Jeffrey Rosen

Jonathan Schell

Kay Hymowitz