The new media environment, gender, race and class are all important themes of 2016 Presidential Elections, according to national experts who spoke at the Duke Sanford School of Public Policy’s annual “Sanford on the Hill” event at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center on July 12.
Notable Duke alumni, distinguished speakers, and other DC professionals who have supported the Sanford School gathered at this year’s event, which was co-sponsored by POLIS, Duke’s Center for Political Leadership, Innovation, and Service. The evening featured a panel discussion, “Election 2016 and the Future of American Politics,” followed by a reception.
Participants benefited from the unique perspectives of noted experts, including Amy Walter, national editor of the Cook Political Report, Jennifer Lawless, professor of government at American University and director of the Women and Politics Institute at AU’s School of Public Affairs, and Deondra Rose, assistant professor of public policy and political science at Duke.
Rather than focusing on the “horse-race” aspects of the campaign, panelists took a forward-looking approach in their analysis of the 2016 elections election cycle, focusing on the broad themes of the election and what they may mean for the future of politics.
“We wanted to give Duke alumni and friends of Sanford a special opportunity to hear about the elections from the unique perspective of the three panelists. Focusing on the big-picture, contextual climate of our political process is a hallmark of POLIS, and our three panelists added to our understanding of their themes,” said Professor Frederick “Fritz” Mayer, Associate Dean for Strategy and Innovation at the Sanford School of Public Policy and Director of POLIS.
During the reception, Sanford School Dean Kelly Brownell gave the crowd updates on Sanford School and POLIS activities. Sanford alumnus Representative Bradley Byrne (R-AL) and Sanford Professor Rep. David Price (D-NC) also addressed the gathering.
In addition to Byrne and Price, other notable members of Congress in attendance included including Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) (T ’75) and Representatives G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Dan Lipinski (D-IL) (G ’98), Scott Peters (D-CA) (T ’80), and Mark Walker (R-NC).
