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Goldstein Program in Public Affairs

About the Program

The Louis L. Goldstein Program in Public Affairs was established in 1990 to encourage students to enter public service by introducing them to exemplary leaders, both in and out of government. The Goldstein Program has hosted journalists, political activists, foreign policy analysts, diplomats, military commanders and government officials of both national and international stature.

The Goldstein Program sponsors lectures, symposia, and visiting fellows, student participation in models and conferences, and other projects that bring students and faculty together with leaders experienced in developing public policy.

Dr. Christine Wade, Associate Professor of Political Science and International Studies, is the Curator of the Goldstein Program. Past Curators include Dr. Tahir Shad (2003-2010) and Dr. Daniel Premo (1990-2003).

Spring Lecture Series

February 21, 2012

Dan Holler

Dan Holler '05

Communications Director for Heritage Action for America

"Breaking All the Rules: The GOP Primary"

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 7pm in the Hynson Lounge

View photos of the event.

Full Audio

October 20, 2011


Dr. Howard Wiarda, Dean Rusk Professor of International Relations, and Head, Department of International Affairs at the University of Georgia

"Hemispheric Security in the New Millennium: Guns, Gangs and Cartels"

Thursday, October 20, 2011 at 5pm in Hynson Lounge

Sponsored by the Louis L. Goldstein '35 Program in Public Affairs

View photos of the event.

Full Audio.

October 27, 2011


Ryan Lizza, Washington Correspondent for The New Yorker

"The Politics of Climate Change"

Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 5pm at the Prince Theatre

Sponsored by Department of Chemistry and Cosponsored by the C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, The Center for the Environment and Society, the Louis L. Goldstein '35 Program in Public Affairs, and Sultana Projects, Inc.

November 15, 2011


Rebecca Traister, author of Big Girls Don't Cry: The Election that Changed Everything for American Women

"Big Girls Don't Cry: Women, Politics and the Media"

Tuesday, November 15, 2011 at 5:30pm in the Hynson Lounge

Photograph by Sarah Karnasiewicz

Archived Lecture Series

Fall 2011

09/08/11

Dennis Blair, Audrey Cronin, Cofer Black and Sarah Sewall

"9/11 Now: Responding to Terror a Decade After the Al Qaeda Attacks" moderated by John Harwood

Thursday, September 8, 2011 at 5pm in the Gibson Center for the Arts

10/20/11
Dr. Howard Wiarda, Dean Rusk Professor of International Relations, and Head, Department of International Affairs at the University of Georgia

"Hemispheric Security in the New Millennium: Guns, Gangs and Cartels"

Thursday, October 20, 2011 at 5pm in Hynson Lounge

Sponsored by the Louis L. Goldstein '35 Program in Public Affairs

10/27/11
Ryan Lizza, Washington Correspondent for The New Yorker

"The Politics of Climate Change"

Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 5pm at the Prince Theatre

Sponsored by Department of Chemistry and Cosponsored by the C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, The Center for the Environment and Society, the Louis L. Goldstein '35 Program in Public Affairs, and Sultana Projects, Inc.

11/15/11
Rebecca Traister, author of Big Girls Don't Cry: The Election that Changed Everything for American Women

"Big Girls Don't Cry: Women, Politics and the Media"

Tuesday, November 15, 2011 at 5:30pm in the Hynson Lounge

Fall 2010

08/31/10 — Japanese / American Women's Symposium: Gender, Politics and Policy
Japanese-U.S. Friendship Commission, The American Political Science Association
Tuesday, August 31st, 10:00a.m. Hynson Lounge

10/20/10 — Representative Frank Kratovil
Title: TBA
Tuesday, October 20th, 2:00 p.m. Hynson Lounge

11/02/10 —Dr. Audrey K. Cronin
Professor, National War College
Al Qaeda and Terrorism
Tuesday, November 2nd, 5:00p.m. Hynson Lounge

Spring 2010

01/19/10 — Dr. Boyce Watkins
Associate Professor of Finance Syracuse University
King's Dream: The Importance of Access and Affordability in Education
Tuesday, January 19th, 7:00 p.m. Decker Auditorium

03/01/10 — US Senator Benjamin L. Cardin
"How Do We Balance Protecting America Againist Terrorism While Safeguarding Civil Liberties?"
11:30 Meet Faculty, 12:30 Lunch, Hynson Lounge
& followed by 1:50 Lecture

03/29/10 — Michael Meyer
Author/Journalist Newsweek magazine bureau: Chief for Germany and Eastern Europe, Currently chief speechwriter for the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon
"The Year That Changed the World: The Untold Story Behind The Fall of the Berlin Wall"
Monday, March 29th, 7:30p.m. Casey Academic Center Forum

04/06/10 — Dr. Richard Beeman
Professor of History, University of Pennsylvania
"Patrick Henry on Religion, Politics, and the Constitution"
Tuesday, April 6th, 5:00p.m. Hynson Lounge

4/28/10 — David Starkey
British Historian and Author, "King, Court and Church: Why the English Reformation Stopped Short."
The Institute for Religion, Politics, and Culture
April 28th, 4:30PM - Litrenta Lecture Hall, John S. Toll Science Center

Fall 2009

10/07/09 — Panel Discussion: Civil War and Violence in Africa

Bill Berkeley
former investigative reporter & editorial writer for The New York Times
Author of The Graves Are Not Yet Full: Race, Tribe and Power in the Heart of Africa

Howard French
Associate Professor, Graduate School of Journalism - Columbia University
Author of A Continent For the Taking: The Tragedy and Hope of Africa
Wednesday, October 7th, 7:00 p.m.
John S. Toll Science Center Litrenta Auditorium

10/20/09 — Roger Trigg
Professor of Theology, Oxford University
"The Foundations of Religious Freedom"
Tuesday, October 20th, 5:00 p.m. Casey Academic Center Forum

11/05/09 — Harris Whitbeck
Washington College Alumnus
former CNN International Correspondent
Latin America: The Amazing Race en Discovery Channel (Host)
Thursday, November 5th, 7:00 p.m. Litrenta Auditorium

11/10/09 — Dr. Dennis McCornac
Professor of Economics, AACC, Arnold, Maryland
"Vietnam: A Country, Not a War"
November 10th 4:30PM – Goldstein Hall

11/11/09 — Heidi Burns
Senior Editor for publisher Peter Lang
Faculty Workshop " The Fundamentals of Getting Published"
Wednesday, November 11th, 12:00 p.m. Rose O'Neill Literary House

11/16/09 — The Honorable Philip Dimitrov
former Prime Minister of Bulgaria, first post-Communism leader of the Reform Movement under Communism "Religion and the Transition from Communism in Bulgaria and Eastern Europe"
Monday, November 23rd, 7:00 p.m.
John S. Toll Science Center Litrenta Auditorium

Spring 2009

  • 2/23/09 - Mark Blumenthal Editor and Publisher of Pollster.com, Columnist for NationJournal.com, "Polls, Pollsters, and the 2008 Election"
  • 4/02/09 - Layli Miller-Muro, JD, MA, Executive Director, Tahirih Justice Center, 2008 EXCEL Award, "Equality of Women and Men: An Evolving Global Challenge"
  • 4/15/09 - Professor Kathryn C. Lavelle, Woodrow Wilson Center Fellow, Professor of World Affairs, Case Western Reserve University, "A New Iron Triangle? Congress, the Treasury, and The Federal Reserve in the Financial Crisis of 2008"

Fall 2008

  • 9/24/08 - Professor Lucas Gonzalez, Department of Political Science and International Studies, Universidad Catolica Argentina. "Brazil: Public Policy, Poverty, and Inequality."
  • 10/2/08 - Philip Gourevitch, Author of We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Your Families and co-author of Standard Operating Procedure. "War Lit."
  • 10/14/08 - Professor Richard Wolff, Department of Economics, University of Massachusetts. "Social Investing: Big Money, Big Flaws, and Big Possibilities."
  • 10/23/08 - Stephen Hess, Senior fellow Emeritus at Brookings Institution, Research Professor of Media and Public Affairs, George Washington University, author of Media and the War on Terrorism and The Little Book of Campaign Etiquette, USA Today columnist, "The Hess Report." "Presidential Transitions: The Strange History of Hitting the Ground Stumbling."
  • 11/11/08 - David Greenlee, Ambassador to Bolivia 2002-2006, Ambassador to Paraguay 2002, Special Coordinator for Haiti, Department of State 1997-1999, U.S. Delegate and Chair of the Israel-Lebanon Monitoring Group 1996-1997. "The Politics of Poverty in Latin America: Bolivia as a Paradigm."

Spring 2007

  • 03/28/07 - As'ad Abu Khalil, Professor of Political Science, California States, and Daniel Levy, Senior Fellow and Director of Middle East Initiative at the New America Foundation and Policy Adviser to the former Israeli Ahad Barak's government in the Ministry of Justice. "The Underlying Causes of the Israeli War on Lebanon"

Fall 2007

  • 09/12/07 - Santiago Alles, visiting Professor of Political Science and International Studies and Assistant Professor at the Institute of Political Science and International Relations, Pontificia Universidad Catolica Argentina. "Latin American Populism: Left Versus Right"
  • 09/27/07 - James Thurber, Professor of Government and Director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, American University. "Rivals for Power: Conflict and Cooperation between Congress and the President"
  • 11/13/07 - Mohammed Abu-Nimer, Associate Professor at the American University School of International Service in International Peace and Conflict Resolution in Washington, DC, and Director of the Peacebuilding and Development Institute, American University. "Peace and Interfaith Dialogue in the Middle East"

Spring 2006

  • 02/02/06 - Peter Raymont, documentary producer of Shake Hands With the Devil: The Journey of Romeo Dallaire
  • 02/08/06 - Elsa Tomasto, Professor of Archaeology at Pontifica Universidad Catolica in Peru. "Forensic Anthropology and Human Rights in Peru"
  • 04/04/06 - Dr. Gerald Sue, Professor of Psychology and Education, Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University. "The Myth of the Color-Blind Society and the Invisible Whiteness of Being"

Fall 2005

  • 11/28/05 - Dr. Stephen F. Hayes, author of "The Connection: How Al'Qaeda's Collaboration with Saddam Hussein Has Endangered America." "Bias and Beyond: Liberals, Conservatives and the New World of Political Journalism"
  • 11/14/05 - Lois Raimondo, photo journalist at the Washington Post. "Fragments of Grace: Photographs from The Front Lines of Afghanistan & Iraq"
  • 09/13/05 - Dr. Steven Haines of the Royal Holloway College, University of London. "Anticipation, Pre-Emption and Prevention: Self Defense, International Law and Strategic Common Sense"

2004-2005

  • 09/27/04 - Thomas W. Walker, Professor of Political Science and International Studies, Ohio University. "Witness to Change: Electoral Observation in Latin America"
  • 10/13/04 - Seymour Hersh, investigative reporter and author. "American's Foreign Policy in the Coming Election"
  • 10/18/04 - Theatrical/musical performance of "Tres Vidas/Three Lives" produced by Barbara Mujica
  • 11/04/04 - Philip Watts, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of French and Italian, University of Pittsburgh. "Paris, Hollywood and France's Memories of World War II"
  • 11/05/04 - Peter Bergen, CNN terrorism expert, "Al Qaeda and the War on Terrorism," an International Studies alumni fundraising event held at the Hay-Adams Hotel in Washington, DC
  • 11/11/04 - David Shipler, Pulitzer Prize winning author. "The Working Poor: Invisible in America"
  • 01/27/05 - Carl Ray, stage actor, "A Killing in Choctaw" (a one-man play)
  • 03/17/05 - Augusta L. Bolles, Jamaican author, Seminar in Anthropology lecture
  • 03/28-04/01/05 - Eric Grove, Professor of Politics & International Studies and Director of the Centre for Security Studies, "European Perspectives on the War on Terror" and Richard Woodward, Lecturer in British Politics and Global Political Economy, Department of Politics & International Studies, Hull University, England
  • 04/03-09/05 - Ahmed El Kaladi, Maitre de Conferences, Universitié d'Artois, France, "French Politics in the Arab World: From De Gaulle to Chirac"

2003-2004

  • 10/23/03 - Scott Palmer, Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Boston University, "Terror in the Name of Mao: True Believers and People's War in Peru and Nepal"
  • 10/31/03 - Yehudit Keshet, Rawan Damen and Mai Nassar, "Three Women, Three Faiths, One Shared Vision"
  • 11/06/03 - Nadine Strossen, President of the Civil Liberties Union, "Protecting Civil Liberties and National Security After 9/11: How to Strike a Balance"
  • 11/12/03 - Davorin Kracun, Slovenian Ambassador to the United States, "The New Europe and the European Community: The Case of Slovenia"
  • 11/13/03 - Joyce Mpanga, former member of the Parliament of Uganda, "Social and Political Change for Women in Uganda: The Effect of HIV/AIDS"
  • 11/20-21/03 - Mildred and Robert Mortimer, "War and Peace in Africa as a Challenge to America: Political and Literary Perspectives"
  • 02/03/04 - Jeffrey Lamar Coleman, Brown vs. Board of Education, "Pride and Protest: Poetry of the American Civil Rights Movement"
  • 02/04/04 - Michael Lind, Senior Fellow with the New America Foundation, "Red States, Blue States: Regional and Cultural Divisions in American Politics"
  • 02/11/04 - Debra Newman Ham, Brown vs. Board of Education, "Expert Witnesses: The NAACP's Brown Case Strategy"
  • 03/16/04 - Ngawang Sangdrol, "The Repression of the Tibetan Freedom Movement In China - A Former Political Prisoner Speaks Out"
  • 03/18/04 - Mona Cadena, Field Organizer for the AIUSA Mid-Atlantic Regional Office, "The Women of Juarez - Ten Years of Murder in Mexico"
  • 03/23/04 - Lenneal Henderson, Brown vs. Board of Education, "Brown at 50: New Challenges of the Hardening of the Categories"
  • 03/25/04 - Joseph Wilson, former Ambassador in Iraq, "The Politics of Truth: The Mess in Iraq and the Way Ahead"

2002-2003

  • 10/09/02 - Dr. David L. Craven, University of New Mexico, "Competing Interpretations of Abstract Expressionism in the Art World and the Civil Rights Movement"
  • 10/24/02 - Nubar Hovesian, Associate Director of the Middle East Center, University of Pennsylvania; Scott Lasensky, Foreign Policy analyst at the Council of Foreign Relations; Haim Malka, Research Analyst at the Brookings Institution; Janine Zacharia, Washington Correspondent for The Jerusalem Post; "One Land, Two Peoples: The Conflict in the Middle East"
  • 11/12/02 - Townsend Hoopes, Senior Fellow, "Middle East Dilemmas"
  • 11/19/02 - E.J. Dionne Jr., Political Analyst for The Washington Post, "The People Have Spoken: What did they say? An Analysis of the 2002 Elections"
  • 01/30/03 - Scott Ritter, former UN Weapons Inspector ton Iraq, "The Coming War with Iraq: How Did We Get Here?"
  • 02/06/03 - Eugene Brown, "Chess and Life: Parallel Lessons"
  • 03/24/03 - Alberto Piedra, The Catholic University, former Ambassador to Guatemala, "The Myth and Reality of the Cuban Revolution"
  • 04/01/03 - Kevin Phillips, political analyst, "Wealth and Democracy: Political Change in America"
  • 04/02/03 - Dr. Adrienne McCollum, president and CEO of Research Assessment Management, "Choices and Challenges of a Minority Business Woman"

2001-2002

  • Lecture, "Operation Black Vote," Simon Wooley, National Coordinator, Operation Black Vote, United Kingdom
  • Symposium on National Missile Defense, James Lindsey, Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Studies, The Brookings Institution; Jack Spencer, Policy Analyst, Defense & National Security, The Heritage Foundation; Col. Andrew Fallon, US Army (Ret.)
  • Lecture, "Risk and Return in Emerging Markets: A U.S. Investor in Nicaragua," Dr. Alvin Drischler, Leucadia Investment Corporation
  • Lecture, "A Conversation with Kweisi Mfume," President and CEO, NAACP
  • Lecture, "The Way Things Get Done in Washington: The Challenge to Government and Business since 9/11," Jeff Birnbaum, Washington, DC Bureau Chief, Fortune Magazine
  • Lecture, "Soul Music: The Importance of Music in a Democratic World," Eliot Fisk (co-sponsored)
  • Lecture, "Post-Primitive Art: A Global Tale," Shelly Errington, University of California at Santa Cruz
  • Lecture, "The Changing Face of U.S. Politics," Anita Perez Ferguson, Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow
  • Lecture, "Dilemmas of Successful Capitalism," Dr. Alice Rivlin, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution (co-sponsored)
  • Lecture, "The Growing Threat to Civil Liberties in the USA: from Nixon to 9/11, Christian Parenti, Author, "Lockdown America: Police and Prisons in the Age of Crisis"

2000-2001

  • Lecture, "The Civil Rights Movement: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow," Judy Richardson, Activist, Educator, and Award-winning Producer of "Eyes on the Prize"
  • Lecture, "Succeeding as a Dot.Org Man in a Dot.Com Society: The Value of Idealism and a Liberal Education," Bruce Collins, Corporate Vice-President and General Counsel for C-SPAN
  • Symposium, "Strategic Partners or Competitors? U.S. and China in the New Era," Dr. Minxin Pei, Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Dr. Bates Gill, Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Studies, The Brookings Institution
  • Lecture, "Caesar Rodney of Delaware and the American Revolution," Jane Scott, Author
  • Lecture, "Race Matters," Dr. Cornel West, Harvard University
  • Lecture, "Leading the Band or Dancing Along? The Essential Role of Citizens in New Democracies," Dr. Ramon Daubon, Senior Associate, Kettering Foundation, Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow
  • Lecture, "The Effect of Globalization on Migration," Dr. Ana Maria Aragones, National Autonomous University of Mexico
  • Symposium, "Globalization Revisited: Contemporary Alternatives to Capitalism," Humberto Miranda Lorenzo, Researcher, and Gilberto Valdes Gutierrez, Associate Professor, Institute of Philosophy, Havana, Cuba
  • Lecture, "Breaking the News: How the Media Undermine Democracy," James Fallows, Author and Former Editor, U.S. News and World Report
  • Lecture, "Restorative Justice: 'Ubuntu' Revisited," Linda and Peter Biehl
  • Lecture, "The Future of Network News," Bob Faw, National Correspondent for NBC Nightly News

1999-2000

  • Lecture, "Beyond the Development Impasse: Reflections on Local Economic Development and Job Creation in Post-Apartheid South Africa," Dr. Etienne L. Nel, Senior Lecturer, Rhodes University
  • Lecture, "The CIA in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities," Robert D. Vickers, Jr., National Intelligence Council
  • Symposium on the Millennium, "Reflecting on the Past and Anticipating the Future," Sir. John Maddox, Dr. Vivian Klaff, and Dr. Allen Hammond
  • Lecture, "Democratic Consolidation in Southern Africa," Dr. David Pottie, Electoral Institute of South Africa
  • Lecture, "Jordan's Path to Peace: King Hussein's Legacy," Dr. Marwan Jamil Muasher, Jordanian Ambassador to the United States
  • Lecture, "Bias, Censorship, and Tabloidism in Today's Media," Jeff Cohen, Director, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR)
  • Lecture, "The Future of Diplomacy in the 21st Century," the Honorable Anthony Quainton, former Ambassador and Director General of the Foreign Service
  • Lecture, "Struggling with Stereotypes: Anglo-French Relations in the 'New' Europe," Professor Yannick Boutier, Artois University, France