Examining the Roots of Polarization in Our Constitutional Order
Friday, October 9, 2015
Since the American founding, broad agreement on the republican principles embodied in the Constitution has long been a necessary precondition for constructive policy debate. But what if the broad consensus over the Constitution breaks down? What if the nature of the conflict that currently animates our politics, which has often been encapsulated by the term “polarization,” is in fact the result of underlying disagreements on the basis of the American regime? Are we primarily attempting to manage conflict among factions with differing conceptions of constitutional order?
During a half-day conference in Claremont, DRt convened policy experts, politicians, academics, journalists, and professionals to explore how the roots of political conflict originate in divergent visions of the Constitution. Separate panel discussions examined how constitutional conflicts contribute to polarization in the Federal Reserve and the Supreme Court, followed by a Roundtable luncheon conference, featuring Chairman Dreier; Thomas Campbell, Dean of the Chapman University Law School and former Member of Congress; Thomas Mann of the Brookings Institution; and other distinguished panelists.
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE, VIDEOS, AND PICTURES
Friday, October 9, 2015
8:30 – 9:45am
“Federal Reserve: Administration vs. Accountability” | Freeberg Forum, Kravis Center, Lower Level, #62
- Introduction by Zach Courser, CMC
- Eric Helland, CMC, moderator
- Scott Sumner, Mercatus Center, George Mason University
- Alex Pollock, American Enterprise Institute
- Binyamin Appelbaum, New York Times
10:00 – 11:15am
“Examining Polarization in the Supreme Court” | Freeberg Forum, Kravis Center, Lower Level, #62
- Ken Miller, CMC, moderator
- Steven Teles, Johns Hopkins University
- Amanda Hollis-Brusky, Pomona College
- Tom Campbell, Chapman University
Concluding Remarks:
- Spencer Abraham, Abraham Group, LLC
11:30 – 1:00pm
Luncheon and Roundtable Discussion | Security Pacific Room Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum
Roundtable Discussion
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Introduction by Hiram Chodosh, President, CMC
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Opening remarks by David Dreier, CMC’75
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David Dreier, CMC’75
- Tom Campbell, Chapman University
- Thomas Mann, Brookings Institution
- Zach Courser, moderator