Week 2: What’s down the road for President Donald Trump in 2020?

President Trump has the luxury of being an incumbent president leading into the 2020 election.  With the help of the Republican National Committee and supporting groups, Trump is able to raise money and galvanize voters. Alice Stewart is joined by Trump for President Communications Director Marc Lotter to discuss the messaging and direction of the road to November 2020.  

Guest: Marc Lotter, Director of Strategic Communications for the re-election campaign of President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence

Location: Institute of Politics (L-163)

A conversation with activists Ai-jen Poo and Palak Shah, moderated by Executive Director of the Social Innovation and Change Initiative Brittany Butler to discuss the future of the labor movement in America.

The changing media world. As digital upstarts (Vice, Vox, Drudge, Huffington Post) brought new tools and new sensibilities to political coverage, legacy media had to learn fast.

Guests: Nancy Gibbs, former Editor, TIME and Adam Moss, former Editor of New York Magazine and The New York Times Magazine.

Location: Institute of Politics (L-163)

Week 2: Authenticity & Originality

An often popular but complicated phrase we hear daily is to “Be Yourself”. While it is good and safe advice, it is often not realistic. What does it mean to be your authentic self? How can you remain true to that while in an environment that How exactly do we come to the table and operate from a place of authenticity in a world that pushes back? Even further, how do we represent the communities we serve while navigating old-age power structures? 

Guest: Trymaine Lee, MSNBC Correspondent, Pulitzer Prize and Emmy Award winning journalist

Location: Institute of Politics (L-166)

Join Ash Center Director Tony Saich along with Shorenstein Fellow and New York Times Beijing bureau chief Jane Perlez, and University of Notre Dame Associate Professor of Political Science Victoria Tin-bor Hui for a discussion on Hong Kong. 

As its main focus, this study group will explore the recent past and ponder the future of conservatism. In addition, this study group will discuss the nature of compromise in our two-party system. While Barry Goldwater was best known for his declaration that “Extremism in pursuit of liberty is no vice…and moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue,” he also declared “Politics is nothing more than public business, sometimes you make the best of a mixed bargain.” Is there room for bipartisanship in a hyper-partisan era?

Location: Institute of Politics (L-166)

We live in a constant changing, very connected, global scenario. Foreign Policy decisions must be based on:  i. national interests and priorities; ii. other country´s priorities and interest and how they affect our own, iii. the common interest.  Norms, rules and regulations are constantly defined or shaped by intergovernmental bodies where decisions are taken in consensus or by majorities, where very diverse national interests are represented. Constantly this intergovernmental bodies, supranational, mandate actions that must be translated to the national arena thus impacting national agendas. All countries, developing and developed are impacted by these agendas. The question is, in the long term, will the world benefit from this sometimes over extended coordination that represents burdens and costs to national states. I believe we will. My intention, based on my experience as an international civil servant for over 15 years and later a national elected authority of my own country responsible for the Social Agenda and Foreign Policy, is to gear the discussions so that we may all analyze the complexities, positive and negative, of our very interconnected world.
 In order to do I intend to refer to issues that are national, regional and global. 

Location: Institute of Politics (L-163) 

America’s political landscape is shifting in both the global and domestic arenas in ways that threaten the foundation of this country as being a democratic nation. We are witnessing: the shifting of the perception and function of the Executive Branch, the increasing over-reach of Presidential powers, the politicization of the Supreme Court, the intentional reduction of the role of federal agencies in state oversight, an increased polarized Congress based along party lines, and the stacking of the federal courts with conservative ring-wing judges. We are also bearing witness to the passage and implementation of deeply troubling policies, state sanctioned acts and legislation that impact the civil and human rights of immigrant groups, women,  people of color and the LGBTQ community. In light of these political changes, we must ask ourselves two critical questions: 1.) How do we implement innovative practices and new political organizing models to reverse this trend? 2.) How do we reinforce and expand America’s commitment to democracy? The answer is we must organize. 

In this study session, we will discuss various ideologies and theories about the impact of organizing in securing and advancing democracy. We will also explore the major threats and barriers to American democracy. What are the best strategies that move America towards a more inclusive, just and perfect union? Can community organizing secure democracy and combat corporate control over the national political parties? Is community organizing an effective tool for achieving democracy? If so, what are the best models for forging a new path towards transforming America and achieving democracy?

Former President Ronald Reagan encouraged colleagues to “not speak ill-will of fellow Republicans.  Former President Barack Obama advised Democrats to “avoid the circular firing squad” in the primary. In the Trump era we have the line from the hit series Game of Thrones, “It’s hard to put a leash on a dog once you’ve put a crown on its head.”  Whatever happened to civility in politics, do voters care, and what does the future hold for a return to issues-based campaigning? 

A public address by The Right Honourable John Bercow, MP Speaker of the House of Commons.

Imposter syndrome is defined as feeling like you achieved something by luck, not talent. You feel like a ‘fraud’ that could be exposed at any moment, even if you earned every victory and accomplishment. 

Politics can be intimidating, and people often feel they have to be rooted in a specific issue, aligned with a certain candidate or connected to a list of noteworthy personalities in order to be welcomed and effective. We can’t deny that these elements do help, but those are not the only avenues to get inside the beltway.   

As we approach the 2020 election, the call to serve may be itching inside of you, but there may also be a voice of doubt questioning whether you can contribute something meaningful. You may look at those in prestigious positions and tell yourself there's no way you can ever get there, when you should be telling yourself the opposite. This study group will explore how to utilize your unique talents, skills and authenticity to be an effective public servant -- whether it be on a political campaign, government office, or community engagement space. We’ll discuss how to push through the obstacles and fear that naturally arise when you dive into an unfamiliar field or sector.  While the majority of discussion will focus on navigating politics and everything that comes with it, this group is for everyone who feels unqualified or unwelcomed for where they aspire to be.

The 2020 election offers an opportunity to explore the relationship between the presidency and the press. We have an incumbent who has encouraged violence against reporters and declared journalists to be enemies of the state. We have a media establishment that now routinely calls the president a liar, whose leading practitioners sometimes turn to social media to decry the commander in chief in terms that traditionalists worry flout the standards of the profession. This turbulence comes against a backdrop of profound transformation in both institutions. Publishers struggle as their long-reliable advertising model collapses, and as powerful platforms like Google and Facebook erode the clout of media brands. New methods of delivering and consuming information create opportunities for media companies, but only the most sure-footed and entrepreneurial can figure it out. Meanwhile, politicians find that digital media can be useful for field organizing, fundraising, and message-delivery, but also that freewheeling direct-to-voter channels can be tricky to navigate.

How will all of this affect the 2020 presidential race, and the coverage of it? This study group will explore the changing realities of both media and politics against what is already shaping up as an extraordinary presidential campaign.