Institute of Politics

Pritzker Fellow Kate Brown on "The Painful Urban & Rural Political Divide" (Current UChicago Students Only) Tuesday, November 14 12:30-1:45 PM Over the past 20 years, the political divisions in the United States have evolved from regional conflicts to rural versus urban, impacting state and federal legislatures. This chasm created some of the most difficult challenges during my tenure; Democrats controlled both houses of the legislature and the vast majority of statewide offices, but could not move an agenda forward due to rural senate Republican walkouts over their view that their voices are not being heard at the state capitol. The pandemic exacerbated these cultural, political and economic divides, most recently exemplified by the debate over gun safety. I will discuss strategies I used during my time as Governor to bring parties together. To what extent do investments in technology and infrastructure play a role toward ameliorating this divide? Are there some public policy issues that can bring folks together? What structural changes can be made to our democracy that would reduce polarization? Special Guest: Tim Knopp, Oregon State Senator & Minority Leader Pritzker Fellows seminars are off the record and open to current UChicago students only. Seating in the IOP Living Room is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you have any questions about accessibility, please contact Sarah Palmisciano (spalmisciano@uchicago.edu).