Washington, DC (January 15, 2019) — Americans have been bombarded with reports of a democracy in decline, intensified recently by the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history. Ideological divisions and partisanship have further diminished an already historically low trust in governmental and civic institutions.
Although this troubling diagnosis holds true at the federal level, states from Massachusetts to Montana have elected popular governors from the minority party who are discovering innovative ways to reach across the aisle and achieve consensus.
What can we learn from these leaders? Are their successes attributable to politics, policy, or personality? What ideological continuities, habits of mind, or policy priorities do they share?
The Johns Hopkins University Stavros Niarchos Foundation Agora Institute will sponsor a PBS NewsHour event Divided Nation, United States, to try to uncover how these governors work with their legislatures, relate to their constituents, and define success.
PBS NewsHour anchor and managing editor Judy Woodruff will moderate a conversation with Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, and Gov. Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania.
WHEN: Monday, Jan. 28, 2019 7 p.m.
WHERE: Stavros Niarchos Foundation Parkway Theater, 5 W. North Ave., Baltimore, MD 21201
LIVESTREAM: The event will be livestreamed by PBS NewsHour at pbs.org/newshour.
TO ATTEND: To cover the event, media must RSVP to Nick Massella at nmassella@newshour.org. The event is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required.
About PBS NewsHour
PBS NewsHour is a production of NewsHour Productions LLC, a wholly owned non-profit subsidiary of WETA Washington, DC, in association with WNET in New York. Major funding for PBS NewsHour is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, PBS and public television viewers. Major corporate funding is provided by BNSF, Consumer Cellular, and Raymond James, with additional support from Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Lemelson Foundation, National Science Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Ford Foundation, Skoll Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Friends of the NewsHour and others. More information on PBS NewsHour is available at www.pbs.org/newshour. On social media, visit PBS NewsHour on Facebook or follow @NewsHour on Twitter.
About the SNF Agora Institute
The SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University was announced in 2017 with a $150 million gift from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. It serves as an academic and public forum dedicated to strengthening democracy by examining the root causes of polarization and developing and testing new ways to foster civic engagement, inclusive dialogue and the open exchange of ideas. The Institute will bring together a diverse group of scholars and practitioners to support these efforts.
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