The current dysfunction and political gridlock in Washington D.C. and around the nation will be explored in a three-day, groundbreaking summit April 15-17, hosted by the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley.
The summit will address the historical causes of the widening gap between the left and right, along with fractures inside the Democratic and Republican parties that have caused widespread political upheaval. Speakers will ask whether there has been common ground between liberals and conservatives in the past, and whether there could be today.
The Progressive/Conservative Summit will bring together political thought leaders and eminent historians to discuss the ways in which progressives and conservatives might share common ground and common cause, both in the past and the present. At the same time, speakers will explore the current frenzy in Washington, D.C. said Joe Hogan, program manager for the Hauenstein Center's Common Ground Initiative.
The conference will feature nine sessions and more than a dozen experts and thought leaders over three days to explore the fundamental problems in politics and between progressives and conservatives. Keynote addresses will feature:
- George Nash, a national thought leader on conservatism
- E.J. Dionne, Jr., a journalist and political commentator, and longtime op-ed columnist for The Washington Post
- Michael Ignatieff, former leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and political expert
- Kevin M. Schultz, a noted author and history professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago
- David Hollinger, an author and the Preston Hotchkis Professor of History emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley
- Andrew Hartman, an author and expert in the history of the Culture Wars
- Christopher Shannon, an author and expert on culture in modern American social thought
"Across the nation, Americans are wondering what on earth is going on in both parties. Has Donald Trump won the Republican base? Has Bernie Sanders brought ‘socialism’ into the liberal mainstream? Regardless of who wins the presidency, voters will wonder what the next four years will bring, and whether progressives and conservatives will be able to work together,” said Hogan. “Our presenters will explore the roots of these political fractures, as well as discuss what can be done about them.”
Progressive/Conservative: A Common Ground Summit
April 15-17
Loosemore Auditorium, DeVos Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
Free and open to the public, but RSVPs requested here: http://hauensteincenter.org/progcon/
Schedule of events:
Friday, April 15
7-8:30 p.m. keynote: Michael Ignatieff on Politics and the Humanities
Saturday, April 16
8-9 a.m. keynote: Kevin M. Schultz on William F. Buckley and Norman Mailer
9:15-10:30 a.m. panel: Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen on Friedrich Nietzsche, Claire Rydell Arcenas on John Stuart Mill, and Judy Whipps on John Dewey and Jane Addams
10:45 a.m.-noon panel: Benjamin Lockerd on T.S. Eliot, Bradley J. Birzer on Russell Kirk, and Lisa Szefel on Peter Viereck
Noon-1:30 p.m. luncheon keynote: George H. Nash on Conservatism
1:45-3 p.m. panel: Natalia Mehlman-Petrzela on the Culture Wars in Education, Raymond J. Haberski, Jr. on Just War and Civil Religion, and Paul Murphy on Early Twentieth-Century Humanism
3:15-4:30 p.m. panel: Corey Robin on Clarence Thomas on Capitalism, Paul D. Moreno on Progressives and the Administrative State, and Kevin Mattson on Contemporary Distrust Between Progressives and Conservatives
6-7:30 p.m. keynote conversation: E.J. Dionne, Jr. and David Hollinger on Common Ground between Liberal Protestants and Secular Liberals
Sunday, April 17
11 a.m. keynote debate: Andrew Hartman and Christopher Shannon on the Culture Wars
The event is hosted in partnership with the Progressive Women's Alliance of West Michigan and the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal.
For more information, visit hauensteincenter.org.
