2022-2023 Common Ground Initiative Event Series
Hal Brands: Russia, China, and Authoritarianism
The Russian invasion of Ukraine, the buildup of tension between China and Taiwan, and the “no-limits” friendship between Russia and China required a better understanding of the broad reach of authoritarianism abroad and at home. To provide this much-needed context, The Common Ground Initiative welcomed scholar, author, and foreign policy expert Hal Brands to our stage to share how lessons from the Cold War could help us understand the events that frame our world.
2022 Election Panel
The Common Ground Initiative and the Grand Valley State University Department of Political Science brought together a panel of experts from Grand Valley State University and the community to provide an analysis of the electoral landscape with a focus on our state races ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
Eyeing the Bench: A Supreme Court Panel
The Common Ground Initiative, in partnership with the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum, welcomed Supreme Court journalists James Romoser (SCOTUSblog) and Adam Liptak (The New York Times) for a conversation about the impact of recent Supreme Court rulings and explore what was next for our highest court.
Housing Solutions: What's Next?
The Common Ground Initiative was excited to partner with local housing advocacy organization Housing Next to convene a panel of housing leaders to discuss potential solutions to the local housing shortage. Moderated by Brooke Oosterman of Housing Next, the panel featured Nicole Hofert of the City of Wyoming, Jeremy DeRoo of Dwelling Place, and housing policy expert Shane Phillips, author of The Affordable City. Together, we explored the causes of West Michigan's housing challenges and sought new, innovative solutions to address our region’s housing needs.
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Progressive / Conservative Summit: Preventing Political Violence
The Common Ground Initiative, in partnership with the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, invited the public to learn about the history of political violence and what we can do to promote a politics of nonviolence. This half-day event featured bipartisan conversations between state and national elected officials as well as policy experts. For more information about the annual Progressive / Conservative Summit, click here.
Our YouTube channel hosts full event videos from all of the Hauenstein Center programming, including all Common Ground Initiative events.
Our podcast collection includes series like Off The Stage and The Rewind, featuring Common Ground Initiative's event speakers.
Programming Suggestions
Have you ever listened to a podcast, watched or attended a lecture, read a book/article and wanted to bring the speaker/conversation to your community? Now’s your chance! The Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies wants your input on potential speakers, topics, and programs. Your ideas and suggestions may be accepted and implemented into the Center’s programming. Simply submit your information in the space below and if you’d like, a member of the Hauenstein Center’s staff will reach out to you for further discussion on your suggestion. We’re serious, we want to hear your ideas!
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