Humphrey Institute News on-the-go

Podcast: Town hall on "repowering" Minnesota

Humphrey Institute — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 09:57:21 -0600

The Humphrey Institute's Center for Science, Technology, and Public Policy co-sponsored a town hall meeting at the University of Minnesota to explore issues and opportunities from aggressively pursuing new energy and economic policies.

Podcast: Discussion of second-generation assimilation

Humphrey Institute — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:42:50 -0600

The Humphrey Institute's Public and Nonprofit Leadership Center hosted a discussion with Ryan Allen on Richard Alba's article: Bright vs Blurred Boundaries: Second-Generation Assimilation and Exclusion in France, Germany, and the United States.

Podcast: A Humphrey panel discusses taxes: more or less?

Humphrey Institute — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 10:23:27 -0600

The Humphrey Institute hosted a panel discussion about the effects that the current financial crisis may have on the taxes citizens pay at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, at the Humphrey Center.

America’s troubled economy is on the minds of policymakers and taxpayers alike. With each new headline brings a renewed call for solutions to our economic woes. This panel of experts tackled the ongoing question: Will the solution be cutting spending, raising taxes, or a combination of the two?

Panelists included: Hal Lofgreen, professor emeritus of economics at St. Cloud State University, Laura Kalambokidis, professor of applied economics at the University of Minnesota, Jay Kiedrowski, former commissioner of finance for the State of Minnesota and senior fellow at the Humphrey Institute, Arthur Rolnick, vice president and research director of the Federal Reserve Bank, and Alan J. Wilensky, a tax attorney and adjunct faculty member at the Carlson School of Management.

Listen to the audio (1 hour, 28 minutes)

Podcast: Minority Leader Marty Seifert participates in public forum

Humphrey Institute — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 11:00:35 -0600

The Humphrey Institute’s Center for the Study of Politics and Governance hosted a public forum with Minority Leader Marty Seifert on Wednesday, April 1, at the Humphrey Center.

The 2009 legislative session marks Seifert’s seventh term as a representative to from District 21A (Marshall). He served as Majority Whip from 1999 to 2006. Seifert and his colleagues in the legislature face many challenges in their remaining months in session this year, including carrying Minnesota families through the toughest economic conditions in more than a decade. He faces the additional pressure of leading a beleaguered Republican party in the house, after the party lost house seats in two consecutive elections and the majority in 2006.

This public forum was one in a series hosted by the Humphrey Institute’s Center for the Study of Politics and Governance. The center’s goal is to foster informed and substantive discussion of pertinent public policy issues, for the public. This series allows Minnesota’s elected officials the opportunity to rise above the talking points and partisan rhetoric to discuss with Minnesotans the issues important to them.

Listen to the audio (1 hour, 13 minutes)

Podcast: Striking a Balance Between National Security and Law

Humphrey Institute — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 10:43:50 -0600

The Humphrey Institute’s Center for the Study of Politics and Governance hosted a discussion on national security and the law with former Deputy Attorney General James Comey, Vice President Walter Mondale, and Professor Larry Jacobs on Tuesday, Marsh 31, at the Humphrey Center.

James Comey served at Deputy Attorney General of the United States in the Bush Administration (2003 to 2005). As such, he was the second-highest ranking official in the U.S. Department of Justice and ran the day-to-day operations of the department. He previously had served as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

In December 2003, as Deputy Attorney General, Comey appointed the U.S. Attorney in Chicago, close friend and former colleague Patrick Fitzgerald, as Special Counsel to head the CIA leak grand jury investigation after Attorney General John Ashcroft recused himself. In August 2005, Comey left the Department of Justice and became General Counsel and Senior Vice President for Lockheed Martin.

Listen to the audio (1 hour, 13 minutes)

Podcast: Conversation with Father Michael Lapsley

Humphrey Institute — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:40:40 -0600

The Center for Democracy and Citizenship's Warrior to Citizen Campaign hosted a discussioon about storytelling as a way for military veterans to explore their experiences and begin the healing process.

Father Michael Lapsley, who lost both hands and an eye after opening a letter bomb during his involvement in the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, went on to found the Institute for the Healing of Memories in Cape Town and travels internationally training facilitators and leading workshops for people who have experienced different kinds of violence.

Listen to audio

Podcast: Theda Skocpol discusses civic engagement in the 2008 elections

Humphrey Institute — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:50:27 -0600

Harvard University Professor Theda Skocpol discusses a possible a recovery for civic life in America. In the wake of the 2008 election and the innovative Obama campaign, what are the prospects for a sustained revitalization of citizen-initiated democracy?

Listen to audio (1 hour, 4 mins)

Podcast: Jay Kiedrowski discusses Minnesota's budget

Humphrey Institute — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:12:24 -0600

Listen as Humphrey Institute Senior Fellow Jay Kiedrowski discusses Minnesota's unique budget process as a part of the College of Continuing Education's monthly speaker series, "Headliners."

Listen to the audio (1 hour, 27 mins)

Podcast: Screening of Fritz

Humphrey Institute — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:00:26 -0600

Listen as the Humphrey Institute hosts a screening of Fritz, a documentary about Vice President Walter Mondale's life in public service. Mr. Mondale was on hand to answer questions from the audience after the film.

Listen to audio (34 mins)

Podcast: House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher

Humphrey Institute — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:37:52 -0600

Listen as Minnesota House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher discusses challenges faces the Minnesota legislature at a public forum at the Humphrey Institute.

Listen to audio (1 hour, 8 mins)

Podcast: Expert Panel Discusses Housing Crisis

Humphrey Institute — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:59:00 -0600

Listen as Minnesota housing experts discuss America's ongoing housing crisis and possible benefits for the state from federal housing support.

Listen to audio (1 hour, 24 mins)

Podcast: Humphrey Institute Tackles America's Ongoing Financial Crisis

Humphrey Institute — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:18:26 -0600

The Humphrey Institute hosts a panel discussing America's ongoing financial crisis on Wednesday, February 4.

Panelists included: Former Minnesota Commissioner of Finance and Humphrey Senior Fellow Jay Kiedrowski, State Economist Tom Stinson, Federal Reserve Bank Vice President Arthur Rolnick, Chief Economist for Ameriprise Financial Dan Laufenberg, and Associate Professor and economist Maria Hanratty.

Listen to Podcast (1 hour, 25 mins)

Internet Privacy: Weighing Innovation with Personal Liberties- continued

Humphrey Institute — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:27:43 -0600

In Part 2, Christopher Buse of MN's Office of Enterprise Technology, Professor Bill McGoveran of U of M Law School, and Gregory Nojeim of the Center for Democracy and Technology discuss personal privacy and security on the Internet.

Listen to Part 2 (1 hour, 17 mins)

Internet Privacy: Weighing Innovation with Personal Liberties

Humphrey Institute — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:57:19 -0600

The Humphrey Institute's Center for Science, Technology, and Public Policy hosts a panel discussion on Internet Privacy on January 26.

In Part 1, Jeff Breuggeman of AT&T, Daniel Castro of the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, Bill MacLeslie of ip:House, and Representatives Ryan Winkler and Joe Hoppee discuss Internet innovation.

Listen to Part 1 (1 hour, 13 mins)

Market-Based Reforms in Health Care: The Next Step? - Part 2

Humphrey Institute — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:57:36 -0600

Governor Tim Pawlenty and Minnesota business and health care leaders discussed the potential for health reforms that build on private markets and on the implementation of reforms passed during the 2008 legislative session at an event on Tuesday, December 9, 2008 in Cowles Auditorium.

Listen to audio (62 mins 57 secs)

Market-Based Reforms in Health Care: The Next Step? - Part 1

Humphrey Institute — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:26:03 -0600

Listen to audio (55 mins 11 secs)

Minnesota Tradition of Fair Elections - Part 2

Humphrey Institute — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:21:04 -0600

Vice President Walter Mondale, Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, Ramsey County Election Director Joe Mansky, national election expert Edward Foley, and Elmer L. Andersen chief of staff Tom Swain analyze the recount for Minnesota's U.S. Senate seat and Minnesota's administrative and judicial process for elections at an event on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008 in Cowles Auditorium.

Listen to audio (39 mins 52 secs)

Minnesota Tradition of Fair Elections - Part 1

Humphrey Institute — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:39:03 -0600

Listen to audio (73 mins 10 secs)

Strategists Analyze Our New Political Landscape

Humphrey Institute — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:38:37 -0600

A Discussion of the Outcomes of Minnesota and National Elections
November 5, 2008

Minneapolis, MN -- Two of Minnesota's sharpest political minds offered their perspectives today, the day after the 2008 elections were decided, at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.

Prof. Michael Barnett talks about his new book, "Humanitarianism in Question"

Humphrey Institute — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:28:23 -0600

Dean J. Brian Atwood hosts a talk with Prof. Michael Barnett about his new book "Humanitarianism in Question: Politics, Power, Ethics," co-edited with Thomas G. Weiss. Foreign Affairs Magazine calls the book "a superb survey of the rise and challenges of international humanitarian assistance. Published by Cornell University Press:

Years of tremendous growth in response to complex emergencies have left a mark on the humanitarian sector. Various matters that once seemed settled are now subjects of intense debate. What is humanitarianism? Is it limited to the provision of relief to victims of conflict, or does it include broader objectives such as human rights, democracy promotion, development, and peacebuilding? For much of the last century, the principles of humanitarianism were guided by neutrality, impartiality, and independence. More recently, some humanitarian organizations have begun to relax these tenets. The recognition that humanitarian action can lead to negative consequences has forced humanitarian organizations to measure their effectiveness, to reflect on their ethical positions, and to consider not only the values that motivate their actions but also the consequences of those actions.

In the indispensable Humanitarianism in Question, Michael Barnett and Thomas G. Weiss bring together scholars from a variety of disciplines to address the humanitarian identity crisis, including humanitarianism's relationship to accountability, great powers, privatization and corporate philanthropy, warlords, and the ethical evaluations that inform life-and-death decision making during and after emergencies.

Listen to audio (57 mins 44 secs)

Sen. Norm Coleman Candidate Forum: "The Bipartisan Path to Energy Independence"

Humphrey Institute — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:58:00 -0600

Senator Norm Coleman, the Republican Party candidate for the U.S. Senate, spoke at a public forum on Thursday, October 23, in the Cowles Auditorium. This forum is one of a series of candidate forums with major party candidates for Minnesota's U.S. House and Senate seats.

Listen to audio (70 mins 21 secs)

Audio: Panel discussion on the current financial crisis

Humphrey Institute — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:56:10 -0600

The financial crisis continues to unfold, sending economies across the globe into turmoil. Join us for an expert panel on what the future might bring. Panelists include:

V. V. Chari, professor of economics at the University of Minnesota
Tim Kehoe, professor of economics at the University of Minnesota and advisor to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
Arthur Rolnick, senior vice president and director of research for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
Thomas Stinson, state economist for the State of Minnesota and professor of applied economics at the University of Minnesota.

The panel was moderated by Jay Kiedrowski, a senior fellow at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs and former Minnesota Commissioner of Finance. A live-blogged account of the event can be found at the pubTalk blog.

Listen to audio (1 hr 29 mins)

Ashwin Madia Candidate Forum: "Green Technology, Green Power, and Greenbacks" (Part 2)

Humphrey Institute — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:56:20 -0600

Ashwin Madia, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Candidate for the 3rd Congressional District of Minnesota, spoke at a public forum on Monday, October 13, in the Humphrey Forum. This forum is one of a series of candidate forums with major party candidates for Minnesota's U.S. House and Senate seats.

Listen to Audio (37 mins 41 secs)

Ashwin Madia Candidate Forum: "Green Technology, Green Power, and Greenbacks" (Part 1)

Humphrey Institute — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:45:40 -0600

Listen to Audio (21 mins 14 secs)

Dean Barkley Senate Candidate Forum "The Polarization of Our Political Parties" (Part 1)

Humphrey Institute — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:01:49 -0600

Dean Barkley, the Independence Party candidate for the U.S. Senate, spoke at a public forum on Wednesday, October 8, in the Cowles Auditorium. This forum is one of a series of candidate forums with major party candidates for Minnesota's U.S. House and Senate seats.

Listen to Audio (23 mins 05 secs)

Dean Barkley Senate Candidate Forum "The Polarization of Our Political Parties" (Part 2)

Humphrey Institute — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 03:15:00 -0600

Listen to Audio (45 mins 46 secs)

Saint Paul*itics program featuring Harry Boyte on citizenship

Humphrey Institute — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:54:42 -0600

Senior Fellow Harry Boyte was a featured speaker in
the St. Paul Public Libraries' Saint Paul*itics program series. Boyte talked about his new book, The Citizen
Solution: How You Can Make a Difference, and made
the case for being an engaged citizen and informed voter.

Listen to audio (65 mins 44 secs)

Harry Boyte talks about his new book The Citizen Solution

Humphrey Institute — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:09:38 -0600

Senior Fellow Harry Boyte celebrated the publication
of his new book, The Citizen Solution: How You Can Make a Difference, (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2008), on Monday, July 28, at Magers and
Quinn Booksellers.

In this presentation, Boyte talks about the everyday citizen's power to make change. He uses personal
experiences and the civic heritage of Minnesotans to articulate his case.

Listen to audio (52 mins 27 secs)

Robert Pastor on his trip with Jimmy Carter to the Middle East

Humphrey Institute — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:26:54 -0600

In this discussion, Dr. Robert Pastor talks about his recenttrip with President Jimmy Carter to the Middle East. Their meetings included discussions with leaders of Hamas, April 13-21, 2008. Pastor is Professor of International Relations at American University and founding directorof AU's Center for North American Studies and Center for Democracy and Election Management. He has enjoyed a career of diplomacy, public policy, scholarship, and teaching.
Listen to audio (56 mins 44 secs)

Freeman Forum: Water, water everywhere?

Humphrey Institute — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:41:18 -0600

Water quality impacts everything—from our food and our health to the environment and the economy. The 2008 Freeman Lecture focused on the implications and complexities of policy decisions we make about water resources. Rep. James Oberstar, chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, deliver the opening keynote address. Steve Morse, executive director of the Minnesota Environmental Partnership, followed Oberstar's remarks with a luncheon address. The program concluded with afternoon panel discussions about water policy issues in Minnesota.

Listen to Rep. James Oberstar's lecture (44 mins 20 secs) and the Q&A that followed (63 mins 55 secs)
Listen to Steve Morse's remarks (24 mins 35 secs) and the Q&A that followed (11 mins 49 secs)
Listen to the panel 1 discussion about "Threats to Minnesota's Water Resources" (64 mins)