Past Events Archive

While modern elections are the most secure in our history, voting in early America was rife with election fraud. We’ll dive into the history of voting in the United States in the 19th century, from stuffed ballot boxes, counterfeit ballots, and the tools developed to combat fraud.

Landon is the Program Manager for the Initiative for Democracy & Civic Empowerment at the University of Michigan. He is fascinated by the mechanics of elections and has been collecting antique voting machines, ballot boxes, and other election materials for more than five years.

Americans in all 50 States and 16 Territories of the United States will read the Declaration of Independence as part of 'Sharing the Spirit of America.'

At the University of Michigan, the event will take place on the Diag. The reading will start promptly at 6:00 p.m. -- arrive early to get a red, white, and blue popsicle and U-M U.S. at 250 stickers!

Gerald Ford Jr. grew up in a region of the nation heavily shaped by the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. Ford Presidential Foundation Executive Director Gleaves Whitney will unpack the significance of this jewel among America’s forgotten founding documents and discuss its impact on the civic and political culture in which our 38th President worked. Lecture will be followed by a free reception.

Too often Detroit has been viewed as a site of social and economic problems, and not as a source of solutions or strategies for the future. With partners at Bridge Detroit, the University of Michigan Detroit Center is hosting a series of public panel discussions exploring the struggles and achievements of local grassroots movements who have confronted the challenges of the 21st century–from food deserts and environmental racism to gentrification and violence–with the grit and spirit of innovation that defines the spirit of the Motor City. Come join the conversation, and learn the lessons that Detroit has to teach the nation and the world

The poster session will feature student-led projects specifically on democracy and civic empowerment visions. Past and present leadership from U-M’s CSG will convene to discuss the history and the future of student leadership on campus.

Rooted in Look to Michigan’s vision of bold civic engagement, Preview Day offers an early look at a pioneering model for discourse - one that bridges evidence-based research and public understanding, and reclaims disagreement as a civic strength.

with
Domenico Grasso
President, University of Michigan

and
Arthur Lupia
Vice President for Research and Innovation

Invite you to attend a conversation with:

Representative Debbie Dingell
U.S. House of Representatives, D-Michigan’s 6th District

Representative Lisa McClain
U.S. House of Representatives, R-Michigan’s 9th District

And a keynote message from:
David Brooks
Author, Political and Cultural Commentator

Check back for the title and abstract for this event.

James N. Druckman is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Rochester. He previously was the Payson S. Wild Professor and a Faculty Fellow at the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University. He is also an Honorary Professor of Political Science at Aarhus University in Denmark. Druckman has published approximately 200 articles and book chapters in political science, communication, economics, science, and psychology journals. He has authored, co-authored, or co-edited seven books. His recent books include Partisan Hostility and American Democracy: Explaining Political Divides (University of Chicago Press, 2024), Equality Unfulfilled: How Title IX's Policy Design Undermines Change to College Sports (Cambridge University Press, 2023), and Experimental Thinking: A Primer on Social Science Experiments (Cambridge University Press, 2022).

The Miller-Converse Lecture is the University of Michigan’s preeminent lecture series on American Electoral Politics. The Series honors the legacy of CPS Founder Warren Miller and former CPS and ISR Director Philip Converse.

This event will be recorded and shared later.