Political Polarization: The View from the Miller Center

The Miller Center for Public Affairs at the University of Virginia is about to commence a very interesting colloquium series, Parties, Partisanship, and Polarization:

There is a growing sense today that the American political system is inadequate at addressing the major foreign and domestic challenges facing the nation. Growing partisan polarization, abetted by the rise of highly ideological interest groups and a divided mass media, is routinely cited as a primary cause of the nation's ills.

Yet, despite considerable interest in the causes and consequences of partisan polarization, we know very little about how these developments relate to previous episodes of partisan rancor in American history; how they resonate beyond the Washington Beltway; and how they are likely to affect important constituencies, such as Hispanic voters, who are likely to have a profound influence on future party alignments.

This themed colloquium series, organized by the Miller Center's Sidney Milkis, will probe these questions and shed important light on the difficult yet indispensible connection between partisanship and American democracy.

Latino Conservatives: Right Wing Aesthetics and Representative Claims
Friday, February 28           12:30-2:00 p.m.
Cristina Beltrán, associate professor of social and cultural analysis at New York University and author of The Trouble with Unity: Latino Politics and the Creation of Identity.

The Breakdown of Representation in American Politics: A Synopsis
Thursday, March 20          12:30-2:00 p.m.
Morris Fiorina, Wendt Family Professor of Political Science at Stanford University and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution.

Polarization in Historical Perspective
Friday, April 25            12:30-2:00 p.m.
Bill Kristol, founder and editor of the Weekly Review, and William A. Galston, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

These events will take place in the Miller Center's John W. and Rosemary P. Galbraith Forum Room. All colloquia will be webcast live and archived here.