Political Science

Our ability to effectively respond to forced migration flows in the 21st century is hampered by legal and regulatory regimes that reflect neither the reality of modern displacement nor the moral and social imperatives of our age. Looking at Syrian refugees in Jordan as well as the forthcoming issue of the climate displaced, Peter Stavros will discuss how current regimes serve hardly any party’s interests in the ongoing debate over how to address forced migration.

Many Americans are of two minds on the issue of affirmative action in college admissions. On the one hand, they recognize that the United States has an egregious history of racial discrimination that needs to be addressed. They also believe that all students learn more—and society benefits—when colleges bring together people of diverse backgrounds. On the other hand, many Americans are uncomfortable with the idea that the racial box an applicant checks has a large impact on his or her chances of admission.

In the interest of ensuring the safety of students, faculty, staff, and community members, the lecture by Ryszard Legutko scheduled for later today will not take place

“In the wake of Ryszard Legutko” - A conversation on how we challenge ideas with which we disagree, and how we engage with challenging ideas. This is an opportunity to listen and understand; to question and disagree; and to engage in thoughtful discourse. The panel format will be modeled off of Professor Sarah Stroup’s “Engaged Listening Project.” There will be plenty of opportunities for small group discussion, and audience Q&A. Faculty are encouraged to attend to participate as members of the audience.

A talk by Diana J. Schaub (Loyola University in Maryland)

Diana J. Schuab is Professor of Political Science at Loyola University in Maryland. Her recent work is focused on American political thought, particularly Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, African American political thought, and the relevance of core American ideals to contemporary challenges and debates. Concurrently, she is visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

A lecture by James W. Ceaser
University of Virginia

A lecture and Q & A with Teresa Bejan, University of Oxford

Politicians and intellectuals today warn that we face a crisis of civility, with partisan hatreds and wars of words polluting our public sphere. In liberal democracies committed to tolerating diversity as well as active, often heated disagreement, the loss of this conversational virtue appears critical. But is civility really a virtue? Or is it, as critics claim, a covert demand for conformity that silences dissent?

A leading socialist economist and a leading free-market economist/political scientist will advance contrasting views on a crucial question in American public life: IS CAPITALISM WORTH SAVING?