Berkeley professors Paul Pierson and Eric Schickler, authors of Partisan Nation: The Dangerous New Logic of American Politics in a Nationalized Era, will discuss the disturbing authoritarian tendencies of the current presidential administration, the limited resistance from the other two branches of the federal government, and the uneven responses of major civic institutions. They'll be joined in conversation by professor Henry Brady. In addition to examining the causes of this "democratic backsliding," the panelists will assess the current situation and offer thoughts on the prospects for effective steps to reassert meaningful checks on executive power.

About the Speakers

Henry Brady is Dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy and Class of 1941 Monroe Deutsch Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley.  He received his PhD in Economics and Political Science from MIT in 1980.  He has written on electoral politics and political participation, social welfare policy, political polling, and statistical methodology.

Paul Pierson is the John Gross Distinguished Professor of Political Science at  Berkeley, where he also directs the newly established Berkeley Economy and Society Initiative (BESI). Pierson is the author or co-author of six books and numerous journal articles, along with a wide range of popular writings on American politics and public policy.

Eric Schickler is the Jeffrey & Ashley McDermott Professor of Political Science and co-Director of the Institute of Governmental Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. He studies American politics, with a focus on the U.S. Congress, American political development, political parties, and polarization. He is the author of three books which have won the Richard F. Fenno, Jr. Prize for the best book on legislative politics.

Details

• Friday, Feb. 6, 10:30–11:30 AM
• Open to all:
  • $0 for OLLI members and faculty
  • $10 for public
• The event will be livestreamed and recorded
• The Zoom link will be included in the registration confirmation email, and in a reminder email the morning of the event
• The video will be shared with registrants as soon as it's captioned — typically within a week.

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