Dole Institute releases full slate of spring programming

LAWRENCE – The Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas has released the remainder of its programming for the spring 2016 semester. Programs stretching from March through May will include former National Security Adviser Don Gregg, congressmen Martin Frost and Tom Davis, CNN contributor Alex Castellanos and former Truman Library Director Mike Devine.

“We have a great mix of programming in store for this spring,” said Dole Institute Director Bill Lacy. “Don Gregg will be the first national security adviser we’ve ever had speak at the institute, and our programs on political polarization in April will be very timely in this election season.”

In addition to evening programs with Gregg, Castellanos and Devine, a special two-part series on political polarization will highlight the schedule. On April 12, the institute’s Student Advisory Board will host KU professor Patrick Miller as he discusses his research and how strong partisan identities resemble that of sports fans. The series will continue April 17 with the 2016 Dole Lecture featuring Frost and Davis. The former congressmen will share their thoughts on political gridlock and solutions to one of the most pressing issues facing today’s political system.

The institute will also offer a diverse slate of afternoon programming. Korean scholar and author Maija Devine will arrive March 10 for a timely talk on the oft-forgotten suffering of Korean comfort women during World War II. Institute Director Bill Lacy will also host former Dole Fellow Jimmy LaSalvia on March 24 for an afternoon talk about the pitfalls of the current two-party system of politics.

These programs join previously announced events including an event with ABC’s Lynn Sherr on Feb. 24, the Presidential Lecture Series with Richard Norton Smith from March1-2 and the 2016 Discussion Group series.

All events are free, open to the public and located at the Dole Institute unless otherwise noted. More details on the full slate of spring programming can be found below.

“Truman’s Unused A-Bombs: Beyond Fat Man and Little Boy”
March 8 - 7:30 p.m.
Seventy years after Fat Man and Little Boy were dropped on Japan, former Truman Library director and American foreign policy expert Mike Devine joins us for a discussion of the A-bombs that were ready but never used. He will provide insights on President Truman’s decision to use the bomb to end WWII and what may have happened if Japan had refused to surrender. 

“Korean Comfort Women”
March 10 - 3 p.m.
Around 1937, young Korean girls and women began to disappear following Korean and Japanese “job” recruiters. Mostly aged 12-19 and from the poorest families in rural areas, these first comfort women provided sex to 20-30 Japanese soldiers daily, with promised (but mostly unrealized) compensation. Author and Korean scholar Maija Devine joins us for a look at the stories and little-known suffering of women not often counted among WWII’s victims.

“A View From the Bench: Politics and Public Policy”
March 22 & 29, April 5, 12, 19 & 26 - 4 p.m.
Named a 2010 “Diversity Hero” of Massachusetts lawyers, Judge Joyce London Ford is no stranger to adversity. As the nation's first African-American chief U.S. magistrate judge, former professor and legislative assistant, Ford will lead a series that examines the interactions of governance and the law. At each discussion group, she will be joined by distinguished guests for conversations about their unique interactions with justice in the political system

“Director’s Series: Jimmy LaSalvia”
March 24 -3 p.m.
The 2016 Director’s Series will kick off with former Dole Fellow Jimmy LaSalvia and his new book, “NO HOPE: Why I left the GOP (and You Should Too).” LaSalvia will discuss his evolution from team-player Republican to free-thinking independent, and present his arguments against the current two-party political system in the United States. This event will include a book sale and signing.

The Director’s Series is a group of programs selected each semester by the Dole Institute of Politics that enhances afternoon programming with interviews on diverse political topics that are of particular interest to our director, Bill Lacy.

“Election Preview: The Future of the GOP”
March 28 - 7:30 p.m.
Join CNN contributor and Republican strategist Alex Castellanos for his provocative assessment of the status of the Republican Party and in-depth analysis of the 2016 presidential election. Castellanos is the founder of NewRepublican.org and has worked on electoral campaigns for candidates including Bob Dole, George W. Bush, Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney.

“The National Security Advisor”
April 7 -7:30 p.m.
Go inside the most critical security position in the West Wing with President George H.W. Bush's national security adviser, Don Gregg. The former U.S. ambassador to South Korea, chairman of the Korea Society and the first national security adviser to speak at the Dole Institute, Gregg will discuss the role of the national security adviser and contemporary international issues in today’s globalized world.

“Red and Blue States of Mind”
Dole Institute Student Advisory Board Program
April 12  -7:30 p.m.
When it comes to elections, voters’ actions resemble that of sports team members trying to preserve the status of their teams rather than citizens participating in the political process, according to Patrick Miller, KU assistant professor of political science. In the first of two important programs on polarization, Miller will discuss his research and how strong partisan identities lead to hostility more than ideologies and issue preferences.

“2016 Dole Lecture with Martin Frost and Tom Davis”
April 17 - 4 p.m.
In a high-stakes election year with deep divisions along party lines, bipartisanship often feels like a thing of the past. Former congressmen Tom Davis, R-Virginia, and Martin Frost, D-Texas, will join us to discuss why gridlock is more prominent than ever — and how it can be stopped. With 40 years of combined service in the U.S. House of Representatives, Davis and Frost are the authors of “Partisan Divide: Congress in Crisis.” This event will include a book sale and signing.