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ABOUT In the face of rising economic inequality, political polarization, the expansion of presidential powers over those of Congress, and the resurgence of white supremacy and white nationalism, many commentators have claimed that American democracy is under threat. While many of these trends have been developing for years in American politics, the election of President Donald Trump has brought them to the fore, and political developments since he took office have heightened concerns about the nation’s future. On April 12-13th, researchers, scholars, journalists, and policymakers will come together to address questions about the health and resiliency of American democracy. This conference will consider questions such as can a liberal democracy and representative government persist in the ? Are we experiencing a breakdown of democracy? Are checks and balances that are built into the political system and the mediating institutions that link citizens and government strong enough to sustain liberal democracy? Our conference grows out of a collaborative research venture among scholars of American political development and comparativists who examine how democracies have deteriorated in other parts of the world. This conference will include two keynote speeches by reporters at the Washington Post: E.J. Dionne (5:00pm on Thursday, April 12) and Jennifer Rubin (1:00pm on Friday, April 13). The speeches will be livestreamed and the other seven panels of scholars and journalists will be recorded and available for viewing on the conference website: a-republic-if-we-can-keep-it.inequality.cornell.edu. Additionally, No Jargon, a weekly podcast from the Scholars Strategy Network (SSN), will record interviews with conference participants. The conference title comes from a story about Benjamin Franklin: upon exiting the Constitutional Convention, he was asked by someone in the crowd what kind of government the delegates had created. His answer, according to the legend, was: “A republic, if you can keep it.” The lead organizers are Suzanne Mettler (Cornell), Rick Valelly (Swarthmore), Robert Lieberman (), Tom Pepinsky (Cornell), Kenneth Roberts (Cornell), and Lee Drutman (New America). The staff organizers are Clara Elpi (Cornell), Dave Nelson (Cornell), Elena Souris (New America), and Catherine Wilson (New America). This conference was made possible with generous funding from . CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF INEQUALITY, CORNELL The Center for the Study of Inequality (CSI) at is devoted to understanding patterns, causes, and consequences of social and economic inequality. CSI fosters new and cutting-edge research, trains undergraduate and graduate students, encourages the exchange of ideas among inequality researchers, and disseminates research findings to a broader public. It supports research and knowledge that is evidence- based and systematic, whether it is “basic” research that develops formal models of the social processes that underpin inequality or “applied” research that assesses the intended or unintended consequences of policies that affect equality of opportunity. inequality.cornell.edu

NEW AMERICA Since 1999, New America has nurtured a new generation of policy experts and public intellectuals. Today we are a community of innovative problem-solvers, combining our core expertise in researching, reporting and analysis with new areas of coding, data science, and human-centered design to experiment and innovate nationally and globally. We prize our intellectual and ideological independence and our diversity, seeking to do our best work and to reflect the America we are becoming. newamerica.org

SCHOLARS STRATEGY NETWORK The Scholars Strategy Network is a one-stop resource that connects journalists, policymakers, and civic leaders to America’s top scholars and their research. Together they inform news and help solve the nation’s toughest policy problems. Across the country, chapters and scholars volunteer their research, time, and energy. Scholars join the network to become part of a community of leading researchers who are dedicated to improving policy and strengthening democracy. Through the network, journalists, policymakers, and civic leaders connect with responsive scholars and jargon-free research to support their work. scholars.org THURSDAY

1:30PM - 2:00PM REGISTRATION

2:00PM INTRODUCTION & WELCOME Kim Weeden (Director, Center for the Study of Inequality, Cornell), Suzanne Mettler (Cornell)

2:05PM - 3:20PM SETTING THE AGENDA: IS THE U.S. IN DANGER OF DEMOCRATIC DETERIORATION? Chair: Lee Drutman (New America); Presenters: Kenneth Roberts (Cornell), Tom Pepinsky (Cornell), Suzanne Mettler (Cornell), Rick Valelly (Swarthmore), Robert Lieberman (Johns Hopkins); Discussant: Didi Kuo (Stanford)

3:30PM - 4:50PM INSTITUTIONS & SEPARATION OF POWERS Chair: Robert Mickey (); Presenters: Frances Lee (University of ), Keith Whittington (Princeton), John DiIulio (UPenn), and Sidney Milkis (UVA); Discussant: Kenneth Roberts (Cornell)

5:00PM - 6:15PM KEYNOTE ADDRESS E.J. DIONNE (THE WASHINGTON POST, BROOKINGS INSTITUTE) Introduction by Rick Valelly (Swarthmore)

6:15PM - 7:15PM WINE AND CHEESE RECEPTION FRIDAY

7:30AM - 8:30AM CONFERENCE CHECK-IN & BREAKFAST AVAILABLE

8:30 AM - 9:40AM PRESIDENCY & NATIONAL SECURITY Chair: Daniel Stid (Hewlett Foundation); Presenters: Eliot Cohen (Johns Hopkins), Larry Jacobs (); Kori Schake (International Institute for Strategic Studies); Discussant: Valerie Bunce (Cornell)

9:50AM - 11:00AM LINKAGES BETWEEN CITIZENS & GOVERNMENT Chair: Tom Pepinsky (Cornell); Presenters: Lee Drutman (New America) Matthew Levendusky (UPenn), Daniel Gillion (UPenn); Discussant: Nicholas van de Walle (Cornell)

11:10AM - 12:20PM INEQUALITY & INSTITUTIONS Chair: Kimberley Johnson (); Presenters: Desmond King (Oxford) & Rogers Smith (University of Pennsylvania), Robert Kuttner (Co-Founder & Co-Editor, American Prospect), David Brian Robertson ( - St Louis); Discussant: Paul Pierson (UC - Berkeley)

12:20PM - 2:00PM LUNCH & KEYNOTE ADDRESS JENNIFER RUBIN (THE WASHINGTON POST) Introduction by Robert Lieberman (Johns Hopkins)

2:10PM - 3:20PM ORGANIZATIONS, POLITICAL PARTIES, & CHANGE Chair: Sidney Tarrow (Cornell); Presenters: Theda Skocpol (Harvard), Daniel Schlozman (Johns Hopkins), Christina Wolbrecht (Notre Dame); Discussant: Steven Levitsky (Harvard)

3:30PM - 4:50PM MEDIA & HIGHER ROUNDTABLE Chair: Norman Ornstein (American Enterprise Institute); Presenters: Jamelle Bouie (Slate) Christian Caryl (The Washington Post), Paul Glastris (), Gretchen Ritter (Cornell), Sabrina Tavernise (New York Times)

4:50PM - 5:00PM CLOSING REMARKS IN ATTENDANCE

James Astill (The Economist) Matthew Levendusky (University of Pennsylvania) Perry Bacon Jr. (FiveThirtyEight) Adam Levine (Cornell University) Jamelle Bouie (Slate) Steven Levitsky () Valerie Bunce (Cornell University) Robert Lieberman (Johns Hopkins University) Christian Caryl (The Washington Post) Mary Newhart (Cornell University) Matthew Chaffinch () Christine Mehta (Cornell University) Sonya Chen (Swarthmore College) Suzanne Mettler (Cornell University) Eliot Cohen (Johns Hopkins University) Jamila Michener (Cornell University) Jason Cole (Cornell University) Rob Mickey (University of Michigan-Ann Arbor) Danny Rosenberg Daneri (Cornell University) Sidney Milkis () Fernando Delgado (Cornell University) Paul Muniz (Cornell University) John DiIulio (University of Pennsylvania) Dave Nelson (Cornell University) E.J. Dionne (The Washington Post) Norman Ornstein (American Enterprise Institute) Dominik Doemer (Scholars Strategy Network) Radu Parvulescu (Cornell University) Lee Drutman (New America) Tom Pepinsky (Cornell University) Kate Dunbar (Swarthmore College) Ian Philbrick (New York Times) Luize Eihmane (Johns Hopkins University) Paul Pierson (UC - Berkeley) Clara Elpi (Cornell University) Chayenne Polimedio (New America) Peter Enns (Cornell University) Rachel Rhodes (Cornell University) Russ Feingold (Atlantic Philanthropies) Gretchen Ritter (Cornell University) Sergio Garcia-Rios (Cornell University) Kenneth Roberts (Cornell University) Elizabeth Ghedi-Ehrlich (Scholars Strategy Network) Dave Robertson (University of Missouri-St Louis) Daniel Gillion (University of Pennsylvania) Jennifer Rubin (The Washington Post) Paul Glastris (Washington Monthly) Emily Sandusky (Cornell University) Jim Glenn (Johns Hopkins University) Kori Schake (International Inst. for Strategic Studies) Kristin Goss () Daniel Schlozman (Johns Hopkins University) Avi Green (Scholars Strategy Network) Mark Schmitt (New America) Wayne Grove (Le Moyne College) Adrienne Scott (Cornell University) Hamza Hashim (Swarthmore College) Adam Sheingate (Johns Hopkins University) Chip Hauss (Alliance for Peacebuilding) Theda Skocpol (Harvard University) Maye Henning (Johns Hopkins University) Chance Smith (Cornell University) Ron Herring (Cornell University) Rogers Smith (University of Pennsylvania) Jing-Mao Ho (Cornell University) Elena Souris (New America) Kyle Howard (Cornell University) Daniel Stid (Hewlett Foundation) Larry Jacobs (University of Minnesota) Sidney Tarrow (Cornell University) Kimberley Johnson (New York University) Sabrina Tavernise (New York Times ) Johanna Kalb (Loyola University-New Orleans) Kris-Stella Trump ( Research Council) Adoree Kim (Cornell University) Rick Valelly (Swarthmore College) Desmond King (Oxford University) Nicolas van de Walle (Cornell University) Rachel Kleinfeld (Carnegie Institute) Max Vejares (Johns Hopkins University) Sarah Knight (Open Society Foundations) Kim Weeden (Cornell University) Daniel Kryder () Keith Whittington () Didi Kuo () Vanessa Williamson (Brookings Institution ) Robert Kuttner (Brandeis University) Catherine Wilson (New America) Jonathan Ladd (Georgetown University) Christina Wolbrecht () Noah Landay (Swarthmore College) Jason Zengerle (Politico) Claire Leavitt (Cornell University) Frances Lee (University of Maryland) MAP

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? CONCERNS? PLEASE FIND A CONFERENCE STAFF MEMBER: CLARA ELPI (CORNELL UNIVERSITY) DAVE NELSON (CORNELL UNIVERSITY) ELENA SOURIS (NEW AMERICA) CATHERINE WILSON (NEW AMERICA) THANK YOU! A Republic, If We Can Keep It a-republic-if-we-can-keep-it.inequality.cornell.edu #arepublicifwecankeepit @InequalityCU @cornellgov @CornellCAS @Cornell