What Would the Founding Fathers Say About America in 2015?
What Would the Founding Fathers Say About America in 2015? – Is the U.S. the democratic republic that our Founders envisioned when they wrote the Constitution? What would the Founders have to say about the current struggle over war powers between the executive and congressional branches? What would their views be on gun control, same-sex marriage, and the role of religion in civil and political life, and how would they view the societal changes brought on by advances in technology? This talk explores the ideas and beliefs that influenced key actors in our nation’s founding and assesses the state of American democracy today in light of their expectations. The writings of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison will be explored. – Wendy Schiller, Ph.D.
Wendy Schiller, Ph.D., is the Royce Family professor of teaching excellence at Brown University. She is also a professor of political science, International and Public Affairs, and director of the Taubman Center for American Politics and Policy at Brown. She completed her undergraduate work in political science at the University of Chicago, served on the staffs of U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan and New York Governor Mario Cuomo, and then earned her Ph.D. from the University of Rochester. After fellowships at the Brookings Institution and Princeton University, she came to Brown in 1994. She teaches popular courses titled “The American Presidency,” “Introduction to the American Political Process,” and “Gender and Public Policy.” Schiller authored or co-authored three books, one edited volume, and one Introductory to a textbook on American Politics. Her latest book, “Inequality Across State Lines: How Policymakers Have Failed Domestic Violence Victims in the United States,” was published by Cambridge University Press in March 2023. She has also published many articles in major American political science journals and offers political commentary to local and national news outlets.
