Politicians from across the aisle discuss cross-partisan collaboration and how it can play a vital role in promoting unity, understanding, and constructive dialogue, ultimately benefiting the public by facilitating more inclusive and effective governance.
Join us for an unforgettable evening with four trailblazing women in the arts, each bringing their own unique vision on how art can heal our society—on a national, community, and personal level. Part performance, part interactive workshop, and part discussion, this dynamic event explores the themes of care, resilience, and self expression in times of challenge.
Policy Talks @ the Ford School,
Conversations Across Differences
Joan and Sanford Weill Hall
Annenberg Auditorium (1120)
In the year since the Hamas attack on Israel, the deadly conflict has widened into crises beyond Gaza -- in the West Bank, Lebanon, and Yemen. Two experts with long experience in Middle East policymaking return to the Ford School for a substantive policy conversation about the conflict and the broader implications for the region, and the ways in which U.S. policy and policymakers are acting and reacting to the crises. This event is open to Ford School students, faculty, and staff, and will be streamed live and on-demand.
Join the Spectrum Center for a lunch and learn with Naomi Goldberg (MPP '08), executive director of the Movement Advancement Project. Explore the political landscape and current state of LGBTQIA2S+ civil rights, understand the stakes for queer and trans people in the upcoming election, and learn about safety at the polls. Empower yourself with knowledge, connect with others, and enjoy lunch (on us!) as you look ahead to making your own informed decisions.
Joan and Sanford Weill Hall, Annenberg Auditorium (Room 1120)
Former Ohio Governor John Kasich (R) and Montana Governor Steve Bullock (D) will address the threats to American democracy, and the need for civic discourse across party lines and around the country.
Joan and Sanford Weill Hall Annenberg Auditorium (1120)
Have a question for our panel? Submit your question at: https://myumi.ch/4rPZ4Two high-profile advocates from opposite ends of the political spectrum seek ways to connect and communicate about the most important issues facing the country.
Join us for an inside look at how the FBI is tackling the evolving threats to U.S. elections, from cyberattacks to terrorism. Deputy Director Abbate will discuss the FBI's latest strategies and hard-earned lessons in defending democracy.
A day-long "Conference on Electoral Mechanics, Processes, and Expectations for Fair and Credible Elections" presented by the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, the Ford School of Public Policy, the Carter Center, and More Perfect.
Joan and Sanford Weill Hall, Annenberg Auditorium (Room 1120)
In recent years, the process for securing elections has been called into question. So how do elections really work? What systems are in place to ensure open, fair voting for all?
Joan and Sanford Weill Hall Annenberg Auditorium (1120)
Voting rights activist Stacey Abrams will address the challenges to American democracy, her work to guarantee voter access, and other civil rights battles facing the United States in 2024.
Democracy around the world is both robust -- two billion people will be able to cast a ballot in 2924 -- and fragile, as threats to the voting process, to the structures of democratic society, and to the voters themselves afflict many nations.
Joan and Sanford Weill Hall Annenberg Auditorium (1120)
Federal Reserve Bank Vice Chair for Supervision Michael S. Barr, former dean of the Ford School, will discuss the workings of the Fed, his work on banking reform, and the lessons of leadership he has learned in his career in and out of government service.
Join us for our Fall 2023 Democracy in Crisis event, a conversation with Jake Tapper, CNN anchor and chief Washington correspondent, and Lynette Clemetson, Director of Wallace House Center for Journalists. Their wide-ranging discussion will cover the state of democracy and the role and responsibility of the press in a democratic society, as well as how Tapper’s experience of being an anchor and correspondent informs his craft of writing fiction.
Policy Talks @ the Ford School,
Conversations Across Differences
Join the Ford School for a Conversations Across Difference event with U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and former U.S. Representative Fred Upton (R-MI) for a conversation on the State of the Union and the Congress, civil discourse, and democratic resillience.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer will visit campus for a special event alongside CNN Anchor Chris Wallace as part of an ongoing partnership between the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, Wallace House Center for Journalists, and U-M Democracy & Debate. The hour-long fireside chat between Governor Whitmer and Wallace will focus on politics, public service, and the media.
University of Michigan Martin Luther King, Jr. Symposium
Wallace House Presents journalist and educator Jelani Cobb, in conversation with Ford School Dean Celeste Watkins-Hayes to look at the historic challenges to democracy that centered around race, the impact of the media, and how this frames and informs the current moment.
The Center for Racial Justice proudly welcomes Angela Harrelson to the Ford School and the University of Michigan for the Masterclass in Activism. Angela Harrelson is the aunt of George Floyd, as well as the author of Lift Your Voice.
Join us for a conversation hosted at the Ford School by The Carter Center and the Gerald R. Ford Foundation that tackles how to buttress voter confidence in our democracy. Former Michigan U.S. Representatives Andy Levin (D-MI) and Peter Meijer (R-MI) and Amb (ret) Susan D. Page, Michigan Law and Ford School professor from practice and Carter Center trustee, will explore the bipartisan challenge of restoring faith in our democratic systems and highlight ways individuals can be part of the solution as we work together to uphold the standards of our democracy.
On October 31, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in two companion cases on affirmative action: Students for Fair Admissions (S.F.F.A) v. Harvard and S.F.F.A. v. University of North Carolina. How will each side make its case? What arguments will the judges find most compelling? What questions will they ask?
A conversation between Jeffrey Minear, counselor to Chief Justice John Roberts, and the Hon. Jeffrey Sutton, chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, about the constitutional roles and responsibilities of the U.S. federal courts to American government and its democratic institutions.
Professor John Chin’s (MPP '08) research focuses on the politics of unrest—from coups to nonviolent protest to assassinations—and regime change, authoritarian survival, and democratization.
Michael S. Barr, who took office as the Federal Reserve Board’s vice chair for supervision on July 19, will speak about making the financial system safer and fairer, hosted by the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at Brookings.
At your polling location or local clerk's office, or by absentee ballot
Michigan will hold its primary election on Tuesday, August 2, 2022, and the Ford School strongly encourages all eligible voters to make their voices heard.
Stream the hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, as they consider the nomination of Michael S. Barr to become a member and vice chairman for supervision of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
The Ford School invites graduates from the class of 2020, who are planning to attend the University’s 2020 Comeback Commencement, to an afternoon reception at Weill Hall.
At your polling location or local clerk's office, or by absentee ballot
Michigan will hold a regular election on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, and voters may have measures or candidates on their local ballots. The Ford School strongly encourages all eligible voters to make their voices heard.
Join us for a special pair of discussions on foreign policy priorities and global challenges with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), facilitated by Ford School Dean Michael Barr.
