Join us as we explore why we as a nation rose to meet critical challenges and why, too, we failed at other moments in our history. These examinations will give us insights into what lies ahead for our future. America started out as the grand experiment in Democracy. Certainly, those intrepid souls who worked on framing our constitution had many doubts, but they persevered and ultimately worked through profound differences and agreed on a document that has served us well for more than two centuries.

We shall look at other major moments when our government – Congress and the Executive – together grappled with seemingly insoluble problems – and solved them. To name a few: Lincoln’s team of rivals; the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Food Stamp Program of 1977; Social Security Reform of 1983 and the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016. And then, in contrast, there are the moments when we, as a nation, failed, such as the rationale for and conduct of the Iraq War.

Format: Each session will set the scene on a major topic, tracing how we got there and determining key and possible determinants of the outcome. Participants are expected to lead a discussion on a topic from a list we will provide or one of their own choosing. We will provide a list of key points to be covered.

Resources/Expenses: There is no required textbook. We will provide a list of suggested readings and online research sources. Access to the internet is essential.