NC Live: Can Political Reform Defeat Political Dread?

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23 Santanoni Ave.
Saranac Lake, NY 12983
United States

Can Political Reform Defeat Political Dread?

Presenter: Dr. Pete Suttmeier, NCCC Board of Trustees

Location: S-19, Mulholland Hall, NCCC-Saranac Lake

The American political system suffers from many unresolved problems. The electorate is seriously polarized, many serious issues confronting the country, from managing the debt of the federal government to problems of public education, housing, public health, adaptations to climate change, etc., persist year after year without solutions, regardless of the party in power, and the challenges of rapid technological change make effective governance all the more difficult. Citizens have lost faith in key political institutions and the social trust in one another necessary for a stable, successful democracy has eroded. These trends weaken the nation especially in the face of a rising China and an increasingly unstable and hostile international environment. This talk explores some of the causes of our governance malaise and reviews the menu of political reform possibilities that exist for the consideration of the audience.

Richard P. Suttmeier is Professor of Political Science, Emeritus at the University of Oregon. He formerly served as Professor of Government at Hamilton College. He received his A.B. from Dartmouth College in 1963 and his Ph.D. from Indiana University in 1970. He has written extensively on China but his current interest is on problems with the US political system. He currently serves as the chairman of the Board of Trustees of North Country Community College.