Spring 2014
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JANUARY
JAN. 24 COFFEE & POLITICS
Do We Have Moral Autonomy: The Power of Situations, People, and Education
Alfred Mele, a leading researcher and philosopher of conscious decision making and moral autonomy, will discuss the intersection of neuroscience and philosophy. View More
FEBRUARY
FEB. 27 COFFEE & POLITICS
A Long, Strange Trip: Legalizing Recreational Marijuana in WA State
One of the State’s three top marijuana regulators, former State Senator Chris Marr, of the Washington State Liquor Control Board, will discuss the challenges of balancing direct democracy with good public policy. View More
FEB. 21 COFFEE & POLITICS
The New ‘Great Game’ in Central Asia
Anara Tabyshalieva, Professor of History at Marshall University, presents the critical junction of east and west. View More
FEB. 21 OLYMPIA SYMPOSIUM- Co-Sponsored with the Washington Secretary of State’s Office and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation
Disengaged Youth: Encouraging Millennials to Vote
Studies have found that Millennials – those born between 1982 and 2000 – are less civically and politically involved than preceding generations. This demographic group is socially connected but disengaged from political and civic processes, with the lowest voter turnout of any age group. Can this trend be reversed? How can Millennials be re-engaged and enabled to participate? View More
March
MARCH 11 BUSINESS SYMPOSIUM- Co-Sponsored with the WSU College of Business
Post-Crisis Financial Reform: Is it Working and Should More be Done?
In 2008, our economy faced the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Has post-reform regulation helped or hindered economic recovery in the United States? What else should be done? Join our panel of experts who will discuss the successes and limits of financial reform over the past few years. View More
MARCH 13 SCIENCE, ETHICS, & PUBLIC POLICY SERIES
The Moral Status of Animals: The ethics of animal experimentation
What is the moral status of animals? Should they be used in scientific experimentation and under what constraints? Our panel of experts discussed animal experimentation, with specific consideration of animal cognition, ethical principles and current practices. View More
MARCH 24 COFFEE & POLITICS
Remaking Urban Nature: How Industrial Hazards Become Systemic Risks
Jim Elliott, Professor of sociology at the University of Oregon, “socio- environmental succession” – how hazardous waste accumulates in urban areas in ways that produce cumulatively significant changes in local environments. View More
MARCH 25 COFFEE & POLITICS
Is Transparency Good for Democracy?
Associate Professor in the School of Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs, Mark Stephan examined the role of transparency in public policy implementation; arguing for a rethinking of democratic accountability in the 21st century. View More
MARCH 28 COFFEE & POLITICS
The Role of an Independent Judiciary in Washington
From same-sex marriage, to the level of legislative funding of public education, to the power of citizens to impose limits on the legislature’s ability to tax, Chief Justice Barbara Madsen explains that the Court has navigated a fine line between its role guarding constitutionally protected rights and its obligation to defer to the policy preferences of democratically elected majorities. View More
April
APRIL 3 COFFEE & POLITICS
Following the Money: Accountability in Campaign Finance
WA Attorney General Ferguson addressed campaign finance disclosure laws and transparency and their importance in both Washington state and Washington, D.C. View More
APRIL 16 COFFEE & POLITICS
Money in Elections: What Montana can tell us about Citizens United
Associate Professor of Political Science at Montana State University, David Parker discussed how massive spending of outside groups under the Citizens United decision has altered campaigning in the United States. View More
APRIL 23 MEDIA & POLITICS SYMPOSIUM Co-Sponsored with the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
The Media and Political Transformation in the Arab World
Our distinguished panel of experts discussed the power of social media to impact political change. In 2011, civil uprisings that begun in Tunisia and Egypt developed into a wave of protests throughout North Africa and the Middle East. Social media spread dialogue like wildfire; bringing citizens together, giving a voice to the discontent, and disrupting political powers that had long been seen as stagnant. View More
APRIL 28 COFFEE & POLITICS Co-Sponsored with the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
Confessions of a Young Radical
Free-speech activist Mary Beth tinker speaks on her Supreme Court case against the Des Moines Public School system. View More