Common Ground
In October 2017, political rivals David Axelrod and Karl Rove met at Hamilton College as part of a new series called Common Ground. The series has also paired Condoleezza Rice and Susan Rice, Mike Dubke ’92 and Marc Elias ’90, and Jim Messina and Reince Priebus.
Common Ground is supported by the Pohl family in honor of Hamilton graduates Arthur, Class of 1914, Harold, Class of 1915, Leland, Class of 1917, Harold ’50, George ’51 and David ’54 in recognition of their affection for the College and their long association with the Central New York region.
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Common Ground: Income Inequality Causes, Consequences, Response
The Common Ground speaker series resumed on Nov. 15 with a focus on income inequality in the United States. Christina Romer, a professor of economics at University of California, Berkeley, and former chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under the Obama administration, engaged in a dialogue with Greg Mankiw, a Harvard University professor of economics and former chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under President George W. Bush. Hamilton professor of economics and former economist for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors Ann Owen moderated.
Previous Events
Condoleezza Rice and Susan Rice
Jim Messina and Reince Priebus
Mike Dubke ’92 and Marc Elias ’90
David Axelrod and Karl Rove
“The goal is for the speakers to model the kind of respectful dialogue across political boundaries that should occur not just on college campuses, but in the broader society as well. With capable speakers on both sides of a given issue, each willing to acknowledge strengths in the position of the other speaker, we aim to encourage students and other audience members to question their own assumptions and consider carefully the evidence and arguments supporting other viewpoints.
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