U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) and the authors of Double Down: Game Change 2012 will visit the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics, highlighting a full roster of provocative speakers and programs this fall.
From health reform to the state of American democracy, the Institute will host a series of programs featuring prominent politicians, policy experts and commentators from across the spectrum. Moreover, the IOP will mark a series of historic anniversaries—taking the measure of where America is five years after the financial crisis; 10 years after the invasion of Iraq; and a half-century after Martin Luther King Jr. stirred the nation's conscience and the country mourned President John F. Kennedy's shocking death.
In addition, five distinguished visiting fellows, diverse in their views, backgrounds and experiences, will spend the quarter on campus leading weekly study groups and meeting one-on-one with UChicago students.
“We are excited to launch our first full year of programming with such a stellar lineup,” said David Axelrod, director of the Institute of Politics. “This lineup of speakers and programs will help us fulfill our mission to bring to campus men and women who will provoke, challenge and inspire the next generation of leaders.”
More information on the events can be found at politics.uchicago.edu. Highlights include:
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren will speak and answer questions at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at 10 a.m. on Sept. 27.
- Financial Crisis Symposium: Five years later, after the stock market crash that sent the world economy reeling, we will take stock of what happened and where we are today. The daylong forum will be held in conjunction with the Paulson Institute, led by Henry Paulson Jr., who was the U.S. Treasury Secretary who spearheaded emergency response at the time of collapse. It will include top policymakers, financial leaders, economists and journalists, including former Sens. Christopher Dodd and Judd Gregg; former SEC chairman Mary Schapiro; businessman Charles Schwab; former Treasury Secretary and NEC director Lawrence Summers; CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo; and author Andrew Ross Sorkin. This invitation-only event will take place on Oct. 29 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Lessons from the U.S. War in Iraq: 10 Years After the Invasion: This event will feature Iraqi journalist Ali Adeeb al Naemi, former U.S. Ambassador James Jeffrey, retired U.S. Army colonel Peter Mansoor and noted former CIA intelligence analyst and author Kenneth Pollack. It will take place at 6 p.m. Oct. 23.
- Mark Halperin and John Heilemann will speak about Double Down: Game Change 2012, their new book chronicling the presidential campaign, at 6 p.m. on on Nov. 21.
- Health Care Reform & ACA Series: In partnership with the UChicago Department of Medicine’s MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics, the Institute of Politics will hold a series of conversations on multiple dates about the evolution of health reform and the implementation of the ACA.
- Historian and IOP board member Doris Kearns Goodwin will speak on The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and the Golden Age of Journalism at 6 p.m. on Nov. 20.
- Panel discussions will be held on the hotly debated Common Core education standards, featuring U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan; on the state of the civil rights movement 50 years after Dr. King; and on the legacy of John F. Kennedy.
- Additional guests will include former Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, CNN’s Jake Tapper and author Mark Leibovich (This Town).
- Sen. John McCain will visit campus in October for an informal, off-the-record session with students.
In addition to these events, the UChicago Institute of Politics also will present multiple seminars each week with its newly announced class of Fall 2013 Fellows: former Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, former Minnesota Congressman Vin Weber, Cook Political Report national editor Amy Walter, National Review senior editor Ramesh Ponnuru, and Latin American campaign strategist Miguel Silva.
The UChicago Institute of Politics officially launched in January 2013, and in its first nine months presented more than 150 guest speakers, hosted 114 events and placed students in more than 160 internships.
“We are off to a phenomenal start, inspiring the next generation of leaders through thoughtful programs, engaging discussions and myriad paid internship opportunities,” said Darren Reisberg, the Institute’s executive director. “Our upcoming quarter looks to build on that, and it promises to be an exciting one for the UChicago community and beyond.”
—Prof. Jacqueline Stewart
