Insights into the 2018 Elections, Political Dysfunction, and Civic Engagement
Guest Speaker: Larry Jacobs
Food for Thought
Learn and Nosh before Shabbat Services
5:45 – 6:15 p.m. Food before the Thought
6:15 – 7:15 p.m. Food for Thought Discussions
Hubert Humphrey billed himself as the “happy warrior” who welcomed disagreement but insisted that colleagues from both parties refrain from being disagreeable. By contrast, American politics today is more divided than at any time since just after the Civil War. Many voters and political activists identify with their political parties with ferocious attachment and demand pure victories. Compromise has become a dirty word for some. And, too many citizens have lost interest in today’s fractious politics while others seem content to observe from the sideline while occasionally writing checks and casting ballots.
What are the opportunities for working toward our shared hopes? And, how can we engage citizens to become engaged and part of building a civic culture of disagreeing without being disagreeable?
Larry 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.
