Schedule

Toward a More Responsible and Effective Presidency (Day One)

William Antholis, Don Baer, Peter Baker, Laura Barrón-López, Bob Bauer, Joshua Bolten, Meena Bose, Valerie Smith Boyd, Robert Bruner, Stephen Burns , and more

Leading scholars, journalists, and key practitioners, drawn from both Republican and Democratic administrations, diagnose the problem with the American presidency on day one of this two-day discussion.

Engaging Students with Democracy’s Contested Questions

Prudence Layne, Roosevelt Montás, Josiah Ober, Carol Geary Schneider, Trygve Throntveit

Scholar-teachers discuss promising national initiatives to revitalize democracy learning, help students explore alternative conceptions of the democratic promise, and give precollegiate learners from underserved communities meaningful access to studies that foster humanity, expression, civic inquiry, and social power.

Democracy Across Cultures

Jacqueline Arthur-Montagne, Emily Burrill, Christopher Carter, Oludamini Ogunnaike, Kristina Richardson, Jhanisse Vaca-Daza

How are practices and concepts related to democracy articulated in different cultural contexts? Faculty members gather to discuss three specific examples: the classical ancient world, indigenous Latin America, and Islamic societies.

Local Election Systems: A Case Study in Virginia Beach 

Andrew Block, Kara Fitzgibbon, Charles Hartgrove, Deborah Jonas, Bertrall Ross, Jennifer Rouse

In early 2023, the City of Virginia Beach asked UVA’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service to solicit residents’ feedback and carry out a first-of-its-kind independent review of election systems. Learn more about their findings.

The Great Escape

Sarah Milov, Saket Soni

"The Great Escape" is a stunning book about 500 Indian workers who were held in forced labor camps then escaped, and the yearslong campaign for justice that followed. The book’s author, Saket Soni, discusses that labor fight.

Teaching the Art of Productive Engagement Across Difference

Jonathan Alger, Kourtney Bradshaw-Clay, Ronald A. Crutcher, Riley Davis, Rebecca Russo, Rachel L. Wahl

What is the impact on college students when they participate in structured dialogue across political differences? The featured speakers lead campus and national initiatives to make “bridge building,” “deliberative dialogue,” and “engagement with viewpoint diversity” a higher-education priority.

Voting Rights in an Inclusive America

Guy-Uriel Charles, Jennifer Lawless, Michael Morley, Spencer Overton, Bertrall Ross

Large election participation gaps remain in the United States based on race and gender. What is at the core of these challenges, and what are the best ways to respond?

Democratization of Data: Local Data, Local Governance

Michele Claibourn, Daniel Fairley II, Misty Graves, Lee LeBoeuf, Sherica Jones-Lewis

Communities need locally relevant data to inform policymaking and to hold local governments accountable. How can the collaboratively produced Stepping Stones report about the community well-being of the Charlottesville area promote shared understanding across the country at a local level?

Climate Change and Disproportionate Health Burdens

Ebony Hilton, Karen Johnston, Irène Mathieu, Matthew Meyer

Experts consider direct impacts of climate change on public health, and how communities, health care systems, and clinicians can adapt.

‘How To Disagree Better,’ with World Debate Champion Bo Seo

Bo Seo

Journalist, author, and two-time world debating champion Bo Seo leads a workshop on how to navigate disagreement constructively so that we can have enlightening and productive discussions.

Big Tech’s Effect on Democracy

Alexis Ohanian, Deb Roy, Kara Swisher

Technological advances have drastically changed the political and cultural landscape. How will the rapid expansion of AI and the increased influence of social media shape American democracy going forward?

The New Momentum to Make College Civic Learning Universal

Charles Ansell, Catherine Copeland, John Lane, Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, Jeff Rosen, Janna Vice

A movement for universal civic learning is gaining both policy leadership and campus-level commitment across all sectors in postsecondary education. But can it prevail against a dominant narrative that sees higher education as “job-skills” only?

Constructive Dialogue Institute: Facilitating Dialogue with Peers

Eliza O’Neil

Student leaders review the PSI (prepare-support-intervene) approach, a model created by the Constructive Dialogue Institute that gives leaders the tools to prepare their communities for dialogue, support them during conversation, and intervene if de-escalation is required.

Constructive Dialogue Institute: Fostering Dialogue Skills in Students

Jacob Fay

Participants review the prepare-support-intervene (PSI) approach, which gives educators the tools to prepare students, support them during conversation, and intervene if de-escalation is required.

Mayors: The Frontline Workers for Democracy

Mattie Parker, Evan Smith, Levar M. Stoney

In the United States and across the world, mayors are taking on increased political importance as they combat complex governance challenges. How are mayoral decisions impacting those within and beyond their city limits?

Civics 101: Educating Engaged Citizens and Future Leaders

Carrie Billy, Arne Duncan, Aimee Rogstad Guidera, James E. Ryan

Experts in education discuss the critical influence of civic learning on workforce development, the role two-year institutions of higher education play, and what it means to educate whole citizens.

Toward a More Responsible and Effective Presidency (Day Two)

William Antholis, Don Baer, Peter Baker, Laura Barrón-López, Bob Bauer, Joshua Bolten, Meena Bose, Valerie Smith Boyd, Robert Bruner, Stephen Burns , and more

Leading scholars, journalists, and key practitioners, drawn from both Republican and Democratic administrations, focus on how to fix problems with the American presidency on day two of this two-day discussion.

In Search of Crosswalks: Connecting the K-12 and Postsecondary Civic Learning Movements

Danielle Allen, Martha Kanter, Ace Parsi, Lena Morreale Scott, Nancy Shapiro, Stephanie van Hover

What strategies are educators using to bring high-quality civic learning to 60 million students in 100,000 schools by 2030? Experts in education explore Maryland’s efforts to align K-12 and postsecondary civic learning.

Christian Nationalism’s Impact on Democracy

Philip Gorski, Walter Kim, Esau McCaulley, Micah Schwartzman, Amanda Tyler

How does the fringe Christian nationalist movement endanger American democracy? Scholars and faith leaders come together for a conversation that explores the underpinnings of its ideology and what it means for the future.

Millions on the Move: Climate Change, Displacement, and Migration

Jonathan Colmer, Kirsten Gelsdorf, David Leblang, Kayly Ober

There is a climate refugee crisis. What are the current patterns, opportunities, and challenges to humanitarian aid—and how will the future be impacted by what we know today?

Bringing Civic and Ethical Lenses to Students’ Career Preparation

Theresa Castor, Ashley Finley, Dreama Montrief Johnson, Connie Jorgensen, Ashwin Vaidya

For most college students, their chosen major is the centerpiece of college and an envisioned route to future careers. Now many institutions are changing their approach by emphasizing cross-disciplinary questions and courses along with a focus on practical problem-solving in real-world settings.

Books: The Canonical and the Banned

Krystal Appiah, Anne Coughlin, Timothy Denevi, Robyn Gigl, Amy Woolard

Book bans are proliferating throughout the United States. This discussion focuses on the history of bans, their legal status, their politics, and their functions.

‘More Perfect’: Renewing American Democracy

Danielle Allen, John Bridgeland, Tiana Epps-Johnson, Elizabeth Green, Kristin Hansen, Ian H. Solomon

More Perfect is leading the charge to unify America around a shared vision for democratic renewal and to realize the shared goal of a more perfect union.

Student Pitch Day for Democracy

Undergraduate students from the University of Virginia pitch their ideas for civic engagement to a panel of their peers from the Karsh Institute of Democracy’s Student Advisory Council. Winners will be awarded funding to bring their ideas to life.

Effective Lawmaking: A Cornerstone of Democracy

Earl Pomeroy, Peter Roskam, Craig Volden, Alan Wiseman

What does it mean to be an effective lawmaker in the United States Congress and American state legislatures? And how essential is effective lawmaking to a functioning democracy?

Race, Learning, and American Democracy

Derrick P. Alridge, Laurent Dubois, Bobbie Laur, Tia Brown McNair, Jeremy C. Young

An examination of the nation’s racial learning landscape and the actions that educators can take to help all students fully explore our nation’s past and, going forward, contribute to societal choices about racial healing.

Democracy and Demography: Changing Racial Makeup

Qian Cai, Nichole M. Flores, Hamilton Lombard, Meghan Murray

In the United States, an aging population that is predominantly white and an increasingly diverse youth population have fueled a sense of anxiety, insecurity, or even fear about who is the majority, who has the power, and whose democracy it will be.

President’s Council on UVA-Community Partnerships: Anchor Institutions as Civic Participants

Ben Allen, Harold Folley, Pace Lochte, Cristine Nardi, James E. Ryan, Ridge Schuyler

Panelists discuss how the University of Virginia has worked collaboratively to address key challenges to civic participation, including housing, workforce development, educational opportunities, and access to health care.

Public Media and Democracy

Margaret Low, Evan Smith, Lauren Williams, Kimi Yoshino

A panel of media veterans explores innovative news models, the role public media plays in sustaining an engaged democratic culture, and the future of journalism in America.

Student Showcase: Participating in Democracy

How do students learn about and engage with key ideas and practices of democracy? Students offer their answers through the lenses of different fields and areas of study—music, history, writing, urban and environmental planning, law, and environmental sciences.

Education and Democracy: UVA Equity Center’s Starr Hill Pathways

Panelists discuss how universities as anchor institutions can effectively support access to educational resources for underrepresented local youth in the Charlottesville-Albemarle region of Virginia.

Stories of America: Democracy, Identity, and Culture

Melody Barnes, Daniel Darling, Conor Friedersdorf, Cecilia Muñoz, Annise Parker

What does it mean to be an American? In this time of deep polarization, is it possible for all sides to embrace a shared national identity?

Covering the White House

Peter Baker, Laura Barrón-López, Elaina Plott Calabro, Mike Emanuel, Judy Woodruff

This panel of esteemed journalists—moderated by PBS News’ Judy Woodruff—offers its insights on what it takes to report on the innerworkings of the White House, especially in times of crisis.

Satire as Political Changemaker

Barbara Brandon-Croft, Laurent Dubois, Jeffrey Koterba, Pedro Xavier Molina, Rayma Suprani

A panel of esteemed editorial cartoonists discusses how accessible—and often humorous—illustrations can be used to comment on culture, corruption, censorship, and democratic norms.

A Global Imperative: Free Press, Free Flow of Ideas

Michael Abramowitz, Susan B. Glasser, Amna Nawaz, Michael Powell

Vibrant societies and healthy democracies rely on the free flow of ideas, but ensuring a free press is a constant struggle. For this session, a panel of journalists and experts explores the state of freedom of the press in the United States and around the world—and what it means for the future of democracy.

Women in Print and on Film: 50 Years of Feminism at Home and Abroad

Emily Burrill, Samhita Sunya, Siva Vaidhyanathan, Jennifer Weiss-Wolf

Jennifer Weiss-Wolf of "Ms." magazine and UVA cinema expert Samhita Sunya join a live recording of the Karsh Institute’s "Democracy in Danger" podcast. Weiss-Wolf’s work is featured in the new book "50 Years of Ms." Sunya studies film, feminism, and gender dynamics in South Asia and the Middle East.

Democracy, the Constitution, and the Rule of Law with Judge J. Michael Luttig

Adam Harris, J. Michael Luttig

Judge J. Michael Luttig, one of the most celebrated legal minds of his generation, is joined by The Atlantic’s Adam Harris for a conversation about the politicization of the rule of law, the importance of institutions, and the future of American democracy.

Live ‘Crystal Ball’ with Larry Sabato

Jamelle Bouie, Larry Sabato, Tara Setmayer, Sean Trende

Larry Sabato brings together leading political analysts on stage to discuss new insights, emerging trends, and potential outcomes of the 2024 general election.

‘Renegade’ with Adam Kinzinger

Jeffrey Goldberg, Adam Kinzinger

In his recently released book "Renegade: Defending Democracy and Liberty in our Divided Country," former congressman Adam Kinzinger tells the inside story of the January 6 Committee, examining the forces that led to the attacks on the Capitol.

‘The Equity Clinic’: Good Governance at the Local Level

Molly Harlow, Charles Hartgrove, Siri Russell

The Local Government Equity Clinic participants discuss the role of local government in facilitating equity in the community—and what has made the clinic a success.