2023-24 Events
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Please click here to see the full LSE Events programme for Winter Term 2024.
Is the risk of nuclear war increasing?
6.30-8:00pm, Tuesday 30 April 2024
Auditorium, Centre Building, LSE
Nuclear security issues are back on the international agenda. Russia’s war in Ukraine, breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, and mounting rivalry between the US and China in East Asia have raised anew concerns about the risks of nuclear war. This panel event will examine those risks and the steps that can be taken to reduce them.
Made in China: When US-China interests converged to transform global trade
5-6:30pm, Tuesday 7 May 2024
Wolfson Theatre, Cheng Kin Ku Building
How did China—the world’s largest communist nation—converge with global capitalism? And when did this occur? In this event, LSE historian Dr. Elizabeth Ingleson argues that this convergence began in the early 1970s, when the United States and China re-opened trade and the interests of US capitalists and the Chinese state gradually aligned: at the expense of US labor and aided by US diplomats.
The Policing Machine: Enforcement, Endorsements, and the Illusion of Public Input
6.30-8:00pm, Tuesday 21 May 2024
MAR.1.08, Marshall Building, LSE
The past few years have seen Americans express passionate demands for police transformation. Despite calls for increased accountability, police departments have successfully stonewalled change. In The Policing Machine, Tony Cheng reveals the stages of that resistance, offering a close look at the deep engagement strategies that NYPD precincts have developed with only subsets of the community in order to counter any truly meaningful, democratic oversight.
Past events
You can also find links to each event's podcast and video recording if these are available.
Déja vu all over again? Super Tuesday and the race for the presidency
Wednesday 6 March 2024
Will Super Tuesday guarantee a repeat of the 2020 contest between Joe Biden and Donald Trump? The day after this important primary contest, this panel discussion with academics and journalists reflected on the US presidential primary results and gave their predictions for the general election.
Climate Change: America and the World
Monday 6 November 2023 - Friday 19 January 2024
This special exhibition in the LSE Atrium Gallery raised questions about our global responsibility to mitigate the effects of climate change.
The Future of Capitalism in an Age of Insecurity Conference
Friday 20 - Saturday 21 October 2023
Panelists explored the role that governments, businesses and global institutions might play in helping to negotiate the challenges geopolitical turmoil, democratic discontent, anti-globalism, and technological change on capitalist economies at the local, national, and global levels.
The Birth Lottery of History
Thursday 15 June 2023
Does when you are born shape your life chances? A leading sociologist discussed his ground-breaking study of criminal justice, showing that when you come of age matters as much (and perhaps more than) who you are in determining whether you get arrested.
Global Governance in an Age of Fracture
Thursday 1 June 2023
Support for traditional international institutions such as the UN and the WTO is weakening in the Global North as well as the Global South. In this event, an expert panel discusses the future of global governance.
Anti-globalism and the Future of the Liberal World Order
Tuesday 9 May 2023
In their new book Geopolitics and Democracy, Professor Peter Trubowitz and Professor Brian Burgoon provide a new explanation of why the liberal international order has buckled under the pressure of anti-globalist political forces. This roundtable will discussed the book and its broader implications for democracy and the liberal order going forward.
This event was hosted by the LSE Department of International Relations
The Rise and Fall of the EAST
Monday 27 March 2023
In this event, Professor Yasheng Huang, the Epoch Foundation Professor of International Management at MIT, discussed how autocracy and ideological homogeneity have hampered Chinese technological development in the past, and threaten to do so again.
Waning Globalisation
Tuesday 14 March 2023
In this event, Professor Pinelopi Goldberg, former Chief Economist of the World Bank Group, discussed the causes and implications of the retreat from globalisation for growth and inequality.
Hosted by the Phelan United States Centre as part of the Wenger Distinguished Lectures.
Lessons from the Edge: a memoir
Thursday 26 January 2023
In this event, Marie Yovanovitch, former US ambassador to Ukraine, discussed her best-selling memoir, Russia's war on Ukraine, and what the West needs to do next, with Tomila Lankina and Peter Trubowitz.
Sizing up the US Midterm Elections
Wednesday 9 November 2022
The evening after the 2022 midterm elections, a group of leading political analysts took stock of the results and their significance for democratic governance in America.
Viral Justice
Thursday 3 November 2022
In this event, Ruha Benjamin discussed a practical vision of how small changes can add up to large ones, transforming our relationships and communities and helping us build a more just and joyful world.
The Rise and Fall of the Neo-Liberal Order
Monday 17 October 2022
In this event, we were joined by Gary Gerstle to discuss his new book, The Rise and Fall of Neoliberal Order: America and the World in the Free Market Era.
Co-hosted with the Ralph Miliband Programme.
What is the Future of the US Supreme Court?
Tuesday 4 October 2022
In this event, a panel of leading experts on American history and politics considered where the US Supreme Court is headed and what this means for American democracy.
Russia, America, and the Future of European Security
Wednesday 15 June 2022
In this event, leading national security expert Dr Fiona Hill (Brookings Institution) discussed Putin's Russia and the implications of the invasion of Ukraine for the future of European security, with Professor Kristina Spohr (LSE) and Professor Peter Trubowitz (LSE).
This event was hosted by the Phelan United States Centre as part of the LSE Festival.
The Future of the Liberal World Order
Thursday 9 June 2022
In this hybrid event, Professor G. John Ikenberry (Princeton University), Professor Mary Kaldor (LSE), Professor Charles A. Kupchan (Georgetown University) and Professor Ayşe Zarakol (University of Cambridge) discussed the future of the liberal world order, in light of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine and years of international discord.
Hosted by the Phelan United States Centre as part of the Wenger Distinguished Lectures.
Agonies of Empire: American power from Clinton to Biden
Thursday 24 March 2022
This event, co-hosted with LSE IDEAS and the Ralph Miliband Programme, marked Michael Cox's new book, Agonies of Empire - American Power from Clinton to Biden. Professor Michael Cox (LSE), Professor Peter Trubowitz (LSE) and Professor Caroline Kennedy-Pipe (Loughborough University) discussed American foreign policy since the end of the Cold War.
Rethinking American Political Economy
Monday 15 November 2021
Two leading US political scientists discussed how globalisation, economic inequality and democratic erosions are reshaping American political life.
What Climate Change Loss and Damage Means for the US and the World
Wednesday 3 November 2021
This event brought together a range of speakers who have researched and organised around climate change loss and damage who discussed the potential and limitations of existing policy frameworks, and examined how climate justice might inform a global response.
Black Women and Political Leadership in the US
Tuesday 26 October 2021
In the first seminar in the Race, Gender and Politics in the US series, Professor Nadia E. Brown (Georgetown University) and Dr. Anastasia Curwood (University of Kentucky), focused on the issue of Black women and political leadership. The event highlighted the links between figures like Shirley Chisholm, who in 1972 became the first African American woman to run as a candidate of a major party for the US presidency, and current US Vice President Kamala Harris.
More information on the Race, Gender and Politics in the US series
International Religious Freedom under the Biden Administration
Tuesday 15 June 2021
This roundtable discussion featuring Dr Judd Birdsall (Georgetown University), Dr Courtney Freer (LSE Middle East Centre), Dr H A Hellyer (Carnegie Endowment), and James Walters (LSE Religion and Global Society Unit) examined the Biden Administration’s approach to international religious freedom and the implications this has on American foreign policy.
Co-hosted with the Department of International Relations and the Religion and Global Society Unit.
Where Are All the 'Welfare Queens?' Diversity and European Evidence on Single-Parent Families
Thursday 20 May 2021
The American social policy discourse is very much shaped by the image of the “welfare queen” – a never-married single mother who is dependent on public assistance and refuses to work. Professor Janet C. Gornick (CUNY), Dr Laurie C. Maldonado (Molloy College), Professor Ive Marx (University of Antwerp), Dr Rense Nieuwenhuis (Stockholm University), and Dr Amanda Sheely (LSE Social Policy) discussed how experiences of lone parents across Europe and other countries call this stereotype into question, and what this means for social policy.
Co-hosted with the Department of Social Policy as part of the Phelan Family Lecture Series
The Work of the Future: where will it come from?
Wednesday 5 May 2021
How will technological innovation change the workplace? How can we harness technological advances for social benefit? Professor David Autor (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and Professor Judy Wajcman (LSE Sociology) explored the relationships between emerging technologies and the future of work in America and beyond.
Hosted by the United States Centre as part of the Wenger Distinguished Lectures.
Race and Democracy in America
Tuesday 30 March 2021
Professor Khalil Gibran Muhammad (Harvard Kennedy School) discussed race and racial inequity in the United States, past and present.
Hosted by the United States Centre as part of the US Centre lecture series.
Isolationism: the future of US foreign policy?
Thursday 4 March 2021
Charles Kupchan (Georgetown University) discussed his new book, Isolationism: A History of America’s Efforts to Shield Itself from the World with Dr Leslie Vinjamuri (SOAS). The discussion covered how the resurgence of isolationism is reshaping America foreign policy and what it means for the post-COVID world.
Hosted by LSE Festival: Shaping the Post-COVID World.
The Recurring Crises of American Democracy
Wednesday 10 February 2021
Professor Robert Lieberman (Johns Hopkins University) and Professor Suzanne Mettler (Cornell University) discussed America’s current predicament and how it differs from past threats to democracy in the US.
Hosted by the United States Centre as part of the US Centre lecture series.
The Next Four Years: what should we expect for America?
Thursday 21 January 2021
What will the new Biden administration's international and domestic priorities be? In this roundtable discussion, leading experts on American politics, Professor Desmond King (Nuffield College, Oxford), Mark Landler (The New York Times), Professor Paula D. McClain (Duke University), and Professor Theda Skocpol (Harvard University), discussed what may be in store for the United States over the next four years.
Hosted by the United States Centre as part of the US Centre lecture series.
Why Does Globalization Fuel Populism, and What Can We Do About It?
Tuesday, 8 December 2020
Professor Dani Rodrik (Harvard Kennedy School) explored the globalization backlash and the ways (hyper-)globalization has produced a political counter-reaction. In discussion with Professor Sara Hobolt (LSE European Institute), he presented an alternative model of globalization that is more compatible with economic prosperity and social inclusion.
Hosted by the United States Centre as part of the Wenger Distinguished Lectures.
Two Faces of Populism
Tuesday 24 November 2020
Explanations for variants of populism are typically framed as a contest between culture and economics. Building on his recent book, The Populist Temptation, Professor Barry Eichengreen (University of California-Berkeley) considered the arguments for both in discussion with Professor Stephanie Rickard (LSE Government).
Hosted by the United States Centre as part of the US Centre lecture series.
International Climate Politics after the US Presidential Election
Monday 9 November 2020
One week after the US election, Lord Nicholas Stern (LSE), Anne-Marie Slaughter (President and CEO, New America), Naomi Oreskes (Harvard University), and Laurence Tubiana (CEO, European Climate Foundation) assessed the outcome and the prospects for the future of American and international climate policy.
What just happened? Analysing the 2020 US Presidential Election
Thursday 5 November 2020
In this lively discussion, Professor Meena Bose (Hofstra University), Dr David Smith (University of Sydney), Professor Jeffrey Tulis (University of Texas at Austin), and Dr. Linda Yueh (LSE and Oxford University) reviewed the results of the 2020 US presidential election and gave insights into what we can expect over the next four years.
Policing as a Public Good
Thursday 22 October 2020
In this lecture, Professor Tracey L. Meares (Yale Law School) discussed the historical context of the abolition of slavery in the United States, located it in the broader context of Reconstruction, and offered an idea of policing as a public good that is central to a conception of citizenship.
Hosted by the United States Centre as part of the Phelan US Centre Lecture Series.
American Resistance
Thursday 8 October 2020
Who are the millions of people who have marched against the Trump administration, how do they relate to other contemporary social movements and uprisings in the US—and what does it all mean for the future of American democracy? Professor Dana R. Fisher (University of Maryland) joined Professor David Madden (LSE Sociology) in conversation about her new book, 'American Resistance'.
Co-hosted by LSE Department of Sociology and the United States Centre.
A World Safe for Democracy
Thursday 8 October 2020
Professor G. John Ikenberry (Princeton University) discussed the history of liberal internationalism and argued for its continued relevance as a force to protect liberal democracy in a twenty first century marked by rising economic and security interdependence.
The 1619 Project on the Legacy of Slavery in the US
Monday 5 October 2020
In this event, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Pulitzer Prize winning author of the New York Times Magazine’s 1619 Project, was in conversation with US Centre Director Professor Peter Trubowitz.
Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism
Wednesday 30 September 2020
In this event, Professor Anne Case (Princeton University), and Professor Angus Deaton (Princeton University), discussed their book, Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism and tied the crisis to the weakening position of labour, the growing power of corporations, and, above all, to a greedy health-care sector that redistributes working-class wages into the pockets of the wealthy.
Race and Policing in America
Friday 12 June 2020
George Floyd’s death has sparked widespread protest in the US over police abuse. This roundtable discussed the sources of police violence and what can be done to fix America’s police and make law enforcement accountable.
COVID-19 and Illicit Markets
Tuesday 2 June 2020
This event was hosted by the International Drug Policy Unit (IDPU) which is part of the LSE US Centre
The potential impact of COVID-19 on economic markets is well known and widely discussed. But what about the markets we know less about, namely illicit markets?
Shaping America's Future - Super Tuesday event
Wednesday 4 March 2020
The day after Super Tuesday 2020, the US Centre hosted a panel discussion with academics and journalists who reflected on the US presidential primary results and gave their predictions for the general election.
Russian hackers, trolls and #DemocracyRIP
Thursday 27 February 2020
In this lecture, Professor Kathleen Hall Jamieson (University of Pennsylvania) brought together what is known about the impact of the Russian interventions in the 2016 US presidential election, outlined the contours of the #DemocracyRIP Russian plans to undercut the presidency of Hillary Clinton, and asked what’s next and what can we do about it.
Is Progressive Capitalism an Answer to America's Problems?
Wednesday 4 December 2019
We all have the sense that our economy tilts toward big business, but a few corporations have come to dominate entire sectors, contributing to skyrocketing inequality and slow growth. Too many have made their wealth through exploitation of others rather than through wealth creation. In this lecture, Professor Joseph Stiglitz (Columbia University) argued that we need to exploit the benefits of markets while taming their excesses, making sure that markets work for people and not the other way around.
Planning New York
Tuesday 5 November 2019
New York City’s Planning Department undertakes to make the city a better place to live, to maintain what works and improve what doesn’t. How does it face today’s most pressing challenges? Marisa Lago, Chair of the New York City Planning Commission, reflected on the challenges of delivering change in under Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration.
Can America Still Have a Successful Foreign Policy?
Monday 21 October 2019
Donald Trump took office pledging to “make America great again,” but his actions as president have done nothing to make Americans or the world either safer or more prosperous. Professor Stephen M. Walt (Harvard University) discussed what a more realistic and successful foreign policy might look like, and what needs to change in order to implement it.
Donald Trump and the Roots of Republican Extremism in the US
Monday 14 October 2019
Professor Theda Skocpol (Harvard University) explained how sets of organizations expressing two separate currents of right wing extremism – billionaire ultra-free-market fundamentalism and popularly rooted ethno-nationalist resentment – have worked in tandem to remake the Republican Party.
How Millennial Economics Will Shake Up US Politics
Wednesday 9 October 2019
Joseph C. Sternberg (Wall Street Journal) presented an overview of Millennial economics in America and of how the Great Recession particularly affected Millennials in ways that continue to resonate even as economic conditions have improved.
Book Launch: "I Made Mistakes" - Robert McNamara and Vietnam
Monday 7 October 2019
Although Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara is remembered as the architect of the Vietnam War, Dr. Aurélie Basha (University of Kent) drew on new sources to reveal a man who resisted the war more than most.
In Conversation with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Monday 15th April 2019
The US Centre hosted US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in an evening of conversation on US politics. The discussion ranged over a wide variety of topics including Brexit, the Democratic Party and trade relations with China.
The Dangers of Brexit for the Special Relationship
Wednesday 20 March 2019
In this lecture US Senator Chris Murphy discussed the history and future of the transatlantic relationship, in light of the UK's likely coming exit from the European Union at the end of March 2019.
New Conspiracists
Wednesday 14 November 2018
Classic conspiracy theories, whether plausible or farfetched, tries to explain things, to make sense of the world. The new conspiracism, by contrast, is conspiracy without the theory. Having shed theory and explanation, it can seem like free-floating fabulation. Facilitated by a revolution in communications technology, empowered by the election of a conspiracist to the White House in 2016, it is not a marginal phenomenon on the fringe of politics—and it threatens to delegitimate democratic institutions.
Making Sense of the US Midterms
Wednesday 7 November 2018
The US Centre hosted an evening of conversation as a panel of speakers discussed the midterm election results and what they meant for Donald Trump's presidency and the US.
A New Foreign Policy: Beyond American Exceptionalism
Monday 22 October 2018
Jeffrey Sachs, a world-renowned professor of economics, leader in sustainable development, senior UN advisor, bestselling author, and syndicated columnist whose monthly newspaper columns appear in more than 100 countries, came to the US Centre for a conversation about his new book 'A New Foreign Policy: Beyond American Exceptionalism'.
Janesville: an American story
Tuesday 2 October 2018
What really happens to workers, families and a community when good jobs go away? Amy Goldstein discussed the story of one small, proud city in the American heartland that lost the United States’ oldest operating General Motors assembly plant two days before Christmas in the midst of the Great Recession – and the lessons it offers about economic pain and resilience.
Conspiracy Theories in the Age of Trump
Wednesday 25 July 2018
Professor Joe Uscinski discussed the idea that conspiracy theories follow a strategic logic: they are tools used by the powerless to attack and defend against the powerful.
Texas, Trump and the Future of America
Tuesday 15 May 2018
Lawrence Wright, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, screenwriter, playwright and a staff writer for The New Yorker magazine talked about the most controversial state in America and what it tells us about Donald Trump and the future of the US.
Rethinking the Origins of the Drug War in Mexico
23 February 2018
This public lecture re-evaluated the history of the drug war in Mexico by bringing together two eminent historians to examine the crucial developments of Mexican drug policy and its discourse on drugs over the past 100 years.
Militarisation and the "War on Crime"
7 November 2017
The deployment of armies, navies, military assets and militarised approaches can send a powerful message, but have produced mixed results. This debate, co hosted between the LSE US Centre's International Drug Policy Unit and the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime discussed four different areas of criminality – wildlife crime, piracy, human smuggling and drug trafficking – to see how effective a militarised response can really be, and what might be lost as collateral damage.
Webinar for LSE staff and students on Roper Center for Public Opinion Research
31 October 2017
The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research is the largest archive of public opinion survey data in existence. It’s also available for LSE students and staff to use in their research. Together with the LSE Library, the US Centre co-hosted a webinar on the Roper Center’s collection of public opinion data and how LSE staff and students can use it.
The First 100 Days: Taking Stock of the Trump Presidency
26 April 2017
The US Centre hosted a roundtable debate about the 45th US President’s first 100 days in office. A panel of academics and journalists discussed the new administration’s priorities and the international implications of the current US political landscape.
Anxiety, Fear, and National Identity: Anti-Immigration Politics and the Rise of Latino Power in the US
14 March 2017
Neil Foley explored how the surge in immigration since the 1970s has led to increasing levels of xenophobia resulting in anti-immigrant politics and policies, including militarization of the border, state laws curtailing rights of undocumented immigrants, mass detention and deportation, the building of a 700-mile border fence in 2006, and Donald Trump’s recent promise to build a wall along the 2,000-mile border with Mexico.
Coffee with Professor Charles Kupchan
7 March 2017
The LSE US Centre and the LSESU Grimshaw Club held a career development workshop for students where Professor Charles Kupchan discussed his experiences and answered questions on entering the field of International Relations.
Congress to Campus - President Trump and the Republican Congress: Prospects under the new Administration
6 March 2017
The new US Administration has elements that are perhaps unique in American history, and Republicans are in the rare position of controlling both the executive and legislative branches of the federal government. The Democrats have much to consider as they re-group both inside the Beltway and around the nation. Former Members of the US House of Representatives from both the Republican and Democratic Parties discussed their thoughts on the altered political landscape of the US and its implications abroad.
The Fractured American Republic and the Possibilities for Political Renewal
21 February 2017
As part of the 2017 LSE Literary Festival, Yuval Levin discussed his new book, The Fractured Republic. Levin's talk covered how US politics are failing 21st-century Americans as both parties are blind to how America has changed over the past half century and why the dysfunctions of the nation's fragmented national life will need to be answered by the strengths of its decentralized, diverse, dynamic character.
The Yanks Are Coming! LSE in the American Century
17 November 2016
LSE has helped shaped the United States and Americans have helped define the LSE since its foundation in 1895. Professor Mick Cox explained what has been a very “special relationship”.
Fed Power: How Finance Wins
16 November 2016
Larry Jacobs and Desmond King discussed their new book, Fed Power: How Finance Wins, which traces the Fed's historic development during the 19th century to its current position as the most important institution in the American economy, possessing unparalleled capacity and autonomy to intervene in private markets.
What's Next? Analysing the 2016 US Presidential Election
9 November 2016
A lively evening of discussion with media and academic experts on US politics reviewing the unprecedented results of the 2016 US presidential election, as well as insights into what we can expect from the incoming Donald Trump administration.
What Ever Happened to the Party of the People?
11 October 2016
Financial inequality is one of the biggest political issues of our time: from the Wall Street bailouts to the rise of the One Percent, who between them control forty-percent of the US wealth. So where are the Democrats - the notional 'party of the people' in all of this?
Why Washington Won’t Work
5 October 2016
Marc Hetherington examined why Americans today viscerally dislike and distrust the party opposite the one they identify with more than at any point in the last 100 years, and how these negative feelings are central to understanding the political dysfunction and gridlock that has gripped the U.S. for the past decade.
Race, Reform and the New Retrenchment: the perils of post-racialism after Obama
11 May 2016
Heightening tensions in the US over police killings of black people have undermined confidence that the election of Barack Obama signaled a new era on race relations in the US. Through a Critical Race Theory prism, Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw discussed Black Lives Matter and Say Her Name as challenges to contemporary jurisprudence on race, and assessed the new openings presented by current events.
The Evening After the Night Before: analysing Super Tuesday
2 March 2016
On the 1st of March millions of American voters in 12 states went to the polls in the 2016 US presidential election's 'Super Tuesday’ primary. The US Centre held a lively evening of discussion and debate on the Super Tuesday results with six experts on US politics.
Who will be the next US President?
24 February 2016
Professor Lawrence Jacobs, Walter F. and Joan Mondale Chair for Political Studies and Director of the Department of Political Science at the University of Minnesota, evaluated the most polarizing and anti-establishment candidates in modern US politics, speculated on who will win the nomination and why, and what this might mean for the 2016 presidential election.
The Future of Work
25 January 2016
Anne-Marie Slaughter, president and CEO of New America, and former Director of Policy Planning at the US State Department under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, visited LSE and discussed the need to transform gender roles for men as much as women and to reinvent the workplace.
Lessons for the Euro from America's Past
19 January 2016
Drawing on early America’s struggle to develop a single currency, Professor Jeffry Frieden discussed the implications for the European Union’s efforts today to provide monetary and financial stability.
A Conversation with Ben Bernanke
28 October 2015
The LSE US Centre, together with the Economics Department, hosted the Former Chair of the US Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke. Bernanke discussed his new book, The Courage to Act: A Memoir of a Crisis and its Aftermath, and his time as chair of the US Federal Reserve.
Past Research Seminars
African Americans in a 'White' House: Presidential Politics, Race, and The Pursuit of Power
5 March 2020
Using one of the most outrageous scandals in modern American political history as a case study - the Housing and Urban Development Scandal (HUD) of the 1980s and 1990s which saw political officials steal billions in federal funding set aside for low-income housing residents – Professor Leah Wright Rigueur (Harvard Kennedy School) told the complex story of the transformation of Black politics and the astonishing racial politics of presidential administrations that have paved the way for patterns of political misconduct that have continued into the present.
In 2015 and 2016 the US Centre held a series of Brown Bags and Dialogues with key speakers.
The Rise of the Rural One Percent
17 March 2016
Speaker: Joseph Baines
In rural America, recent high and volatile agricultural prices have seen the average commercial farm ascend into the top income percentile of US households.
Joseph Baines is a Fellow in the Department of Government at the London School of Economics.
Religion and the Delegated State in America
15 March 2016
Speaker: Margaret Weir
Non-profit organizations have become key arms of the American welfare state. Yet accounts of the rise of the third sector have little to say about the South and the Southwest, areas of the country where population and poverty have grown the most over the past two decades. Historical legacies of race, religion, and immigration gave rise to diverse organizational ecologies for assisting the poor in different parts of the country, resulting in two distinct forms of delegated state in America: a civic-public model in the North and Midwest and a religious-private model in the South and Southwest. These regional differences mean that organized resources for resisting neoliberalism vary systematically in different parts of the country.
Margaret Weir is Professor of Political Science and International and Public Affairs at Brown University.
The American Democratic Deficit
24 February 2016
Speaker: Lawrence Jacobs
American presidents often claim to speak for the "people" but new research based on White House archives demonstrates that presidents largely respond to the affluent and well-organized.
Lawrence R. Jacobs is the Walter F. and Joan Mondale Chair for Political Studies and Director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance in the Hubert H. Humphrey School and the Department of Political Science at the University of Minnesota.
Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. and the Decline of the Eastern Establishment
2 February 2016
Speaker: Luke Nichter
Senator, statesman, presidential advisor, and presidential candidate by popular demand, Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. and his national political career that stretched from the 1930s to the 1970s have up to now escaped biographical treatment.
Luke A. Nichter is an Associate Professor of History at Texas A&M University - Central Texas. He tweets at @lukenic.
Currency Politics, Political Economy and the Gold Standard
19 January 2016
Speaker: Jeffry Frieden
For much of the late nineteenth century the United States was a hotbed of exchange rate controversy, but by 1896 the election of William McKinley, the pro-gold candidate, signalled the triumph of the Gold Standard and paved the way for dollar hegemony. What can the experiences of the 1890s tell us about today's currency politics?
Jeffry Frieden is Professor of Government at Harvard University, specializing in the politics of international monetary and financial relations.
The Debate on the Iran Deal: Learned and Unlearned Lessons from History
10 November 2015
Speaker: Joseph F Pilat
The debate over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was agreed between Iran and the P5+1 in July 2015, raises fundamental issues about noncompliance, international monitoring and verification and nuclear latency that have been in the forefront of concerns about nonproliferation over the last 25 years. In this session, Joseph F. Pilat discussed lessons learned and unlearned from Iraq, North Korea, South Africa and Libya, and how they shaped the negotiation and content of the agreement and the prospects for the JPCOA’s success, in what will be one of the most important foreign policy legacies of the Obama administration.
Joseph F. Pilat is a Program Manager in the National Security Office of the Los Alamos National Laboratory and a Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars where he co-directs the Nonproliferation Forum.