Unity

The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy will host CBS Chief Washington Correspondent Major Garrett and David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, to discuss their book, The Big Truth: Upholding Democracy in the Age of the Big Lie, on Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 11 a.m. at the Scarritt Bennett Center. Read More

Bestselling authors Peter Baker and Susan Glasser will join Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian Jon Meacham for an evening of discussion Dec. 7 surrounding the legacy of the Trump presidency and the midterm elections’ potential impact on our country’s fractured politics. Read More

With consequential midterm elections less than one month away, the Vanderbilt University Debate Team will host an intercollegiate debate this weekend on how to improve U.S. election processes and boost voter turnout. The event will be on Saturday, Oct. 15, at The Commons Center Multipurpose Room. Read More

Americans’ general faith and trust in democracy has stabilized in the first half of 2022, remaining relatively flat through the second quarter, according to the most recent Vanderbilt Unity Index. Read More

Chancellor Daniel Diermeier participated in a conversation titled “The Path Forward for Academic Freedom in Higher Ed” as part of the world-renowned Aspen Ideas Festival on June 29. The panel set out to explore the “twin ideals of open inquiry and free expression” as well as higher education’s unique role in advancing these forces. Read More

The first two episodes of the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy’s “Unity Talks” series are now available for viewing. In episode one, Arts and Science Dean John Geer speaks with New York Times national political correspondent Jonathan Martin, and in episode two, former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam speaks with Yuval Levin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Read More

Vanderbilt University and the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy will host a panel discussion on the evolving crisis between Russia and Ukraine. The virtual event on Thursday, Feb. 24, is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Read More

Vanderbilt Law School professor Michael Vandenbergh will discuss bipartisan efforts to address climate change and sustainability with environmental activist Benji Backer in a virtual event on Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 12:30 p.m. hosted by the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy. Read More

Chancellor Daniel Diermeier spoke to students in the Unity and American Democracy course Nov. 30 and used his talk in part to discuss the fundamental purpose of universities: to teach students “not what to think, but how to think.” Read More

The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy will host a virtual discussion with three former and current municipal leaders to talk about how local strategies can be effective at the national level. The event will stream Wednesday, Nov. 3, at 12:30 p.m. CT. Read More

A group of Vanderbilt scholars with legal, historical and political expertise on immigration came together Oct. 19 to discuss the crisis around Haitian migrants at the southern U.S. border and the recent influx of Afghan refugees to the United States. Read More

The contentious policy and political battles that led to legalizing same-sex marriage in the United States were highlighted in an in-person and virtual talk by journalist and author Sasha Issenberg at Sarratt Cinema on Oct. 11, marking the 33rd anniversary of National Coming Out Day.   Read More

“Immigration and Inclusion: Who Decides Who Belongs in America,” a panel of Vanderbilt history and legal scholars and political scientists, will discuss the evolving definition of “citizen” throughout the course of American history and the shift toward inclusiveness. The virtual event will be broadcast on Tuesday, Oct. 19, at noon CT. Read More

The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy hosted a virtual event, “The Hill Staffers Who Make Congress Go Round,” on Thursday, Sept. 30, at 12:30 p.m. CT. Read More

In remembrance of the 20th anniversary of the events of Sept. 11, 2001, Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy will host a virtual discussion, “9/11: Two Decades Later,” on Friday, Sept. 10, at noon CT. The event will feature faculty historians and legal scholars Jon Meacham, Samar Ali and Ganesh Sitaraman. Read More

The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy and Vanderbilt University Medical Center will host “Vaccine Hesitancy: The Politics of Public Health in Tennessee,” a virtual event, on Wednesday, Aug. 18, at noon CT. Read More

U.S. Rep. David Price, who has represented the fourth district of North Carolina through seven White House administrations, shared insights about the changes he has witnessed in Congress during an online discussion with Vanderbilt political scientists Alan Wiseman and Larry Bartels on June 28. Read More

The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy will host a virtual discussion on Monday, June 28, at noon CT about the evolution of the U.S. Congress and how to find issues of common ground in a time of polarization. The discussion will feature current U.S. Rep. David Price and Vanderbilt political scientists Alan Wiseman and Larry Bartels. Registration is required.  Read More

Presidential rhetoric expert Vanessa Beasley presents the history of the U.S. president's annual address to Congress—and what to expect in tonight's address. Read More

Research Snapshot: Eunji Kim finds that politics have become more like sports than ever before: It is easier to watch partisan news when your political party is winning. Est. reading time: 75 seconds. Read More