Political Jar

The Electoral College & How Other Republics Elect Heads of Government
2025-04-23 17:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | The Institute of World Politics, 1521 16th Street Northwest, Washington, DC, 20036, United States
Mr. Michael C. Maibach is a Distinguished Fellow at Save Our States and will speak on the topic of the Electoral College

About the Lecture:
The American Constitution is the world’s oldest. It was designed by our Founders to withstand the storms of faction, geographic expansion, war – and even Civil War. The Founders studied history. They knew that democracies always fail. Plato writes in The Republic that “democracies always become tyrannies.” How is it that our 235-year-old Constitution still governs our land? In a phrase – “checks and balances.” The Constitution has internal mechanisms that, while imperfect, were created because men are quite imperfect. Just as a sailor must tack back and forth to reach his destination, the Constitution forces us to share and exchange the levers of power to keep the ship of state from floundering and on course. When someone says, “The Electoral College is undemocratic,” a fair reply may be – “Of course it is. We are a republic, not a democracy.” Even so, America is much more democratic than most republics in choosing a head of state. Was Mr. Churchill’s name on the ballots of all Englishmen? Was Mr. Trudeau’s name on the votes of all Canadians? Decidedly not. We will explore why virtually all sustained republics embrace “checks and balances” and a “two-step” electoral process – not a simple majority rule. There is nothing simple about self-government.

About the Speaker:
Mr. Michael C. Maibach is a seasoned professional in global business diplomacy. From 2003 to 2012, he was the President & CEO of the European-American Business Council after serving for 18 years as the Vice President of Global Government Affairs for the Intel Corporation. Today, he is a Trustee and Managing Director of the James Wilson Institute, and a Distinguished Fellow on American Federalism at Save Our States. Mr. Maibach has earned M.A. degrees from Northern Illinois University, Georgetown University, Ashland University, and The Institute of World Politics, where he also serves as a member of our Honorary Board of Advisors. He frequently speaks at schools and civic groups to discuss and defend the Founders’ Constitution and their Electoral College design.
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City of Science: Van Gogh and the End of Nature
2025-04-23 18:30 - 19:45 (America/New_York) | Elebash Recital Hall, The Graduate Center, 365 5th Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
Michael Lobel in Conversation with Peter Groffman

Vincent van Gogh is usually thought of as a painter of nature (sunflowers, fields, stars) portraying his direct encounters with a world unspoiled by technology. Michael Lobel challenges this view by showing how Van Gogh’s work is inseparable from the age of industrialization in which he lived — from its factories and polluted skies to its coal mines and gasworks — even drawing on industrial waste for materials. He reveals how Van Gogh engaged with the environmental realities of his time, forewarning of the threats of climate change and ecological destruction we face today. Lobel, a professor of Art History at Hunter College and the CUNY Graduate Center, speaks about this alternative look at Van Gogh with Peter Groffman, a professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the Advanced Science Research Center at the CUNY Graduate Center and at Brooklyn College.

Presented with the Advanced Science Research Center, the Ph.D. Program in Art History, and the Center for the Humanities.

True False Hot Cold Screening
2025-04-23 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Ray Stark Family Theatre, 900 West 34th Street, #108, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, United States
Join CPF for a screening of True False Hot Cold, an award-winning documentary centered around climate change, empathy, and civil discourse.

The USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future, Bridge Entertainment Labs, and the USC Dornsife Wrigley Institute of Environment and Sustainability invite you to join a screening of True False Hot Cold on Wednesday, April 23 at 7 p.m. in the Ray Stark Family Theatre (SCA 108). This award-winning documentary is centered around climate change, empathy, and civil discourse. It was filmed in Utah over the course of one summer in a county where many residents don’t believe in climate change. Instead of focusing on the obvious divisions, the documentary offers ideas about building bridges with people who have very different identities and beliefs.

ZOOM LINK COMING SOON

Steven Olikara, the President of Bridge Entertainment Labs, will moderate a discussion with Ben Stillerman, the documentary’s Director and Producer. The discussion will be intertwined with various clips. You can find more information and the trailer for the film on the True False Hot Cold website: https://www.truefalsehotcold.com
This event is held in partnership with Bridge Entertainment Labs, the USC Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability, and The USC Schwarzenegger Institute. Partner USC student organizations include the USC Political Union (a chapter of BridgeUSA).

ZOOM LINK COMING SOON

In-Town Pool Call Time
2025-04-24 09:00 (America/New_York)
In-Town Pool

The President greets the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway
2025-04-24 12:00 (America/New_York) | Stakeout Location
Open Press

The President participates in a Bilateral Lunch with the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway
2025-04-24 12:05 (America/New_York) | Cabinet Room
Closed Press

Latin America and the Origins and Development of the Nuclear Order
2025-04-24 12:30 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Riverside Room, 121 Bay State Road, Boston, MA, 02215, United States
Join us for a talk with J. Luis Rodriguez on Latin America’s role in nuclear-weapon-free zones and reshaping global nuclear governance.

In this talk, J. Luis Rodriguez, Assistant Professor of International Security and Law at George Mason University’s Schar School for Policy and Government, will explore how Latin American countries have influenced nuclear politics. He will highlight their role in creating a nuclear-weapon-free zone and shaping the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Drawing on his extensive research into the Global South’s agency in international security, Dr. Rodriguez will discuss the concept of ’embedded ordering,’ showcasing how these states have leveraged existing institutions to reform global governance in nuclear risk reduction.
J. Luis Rodriguez is an assistant professor of international security and law at George Mason University’s Schar School for Policy and Government. He analyzes and compares how developing countries design norms of humanitarian intervention, nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament mechanisms, and regulations on emerging technologies with security applications. Dr. Rodriguez is an adjunct non-resident fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and an affiliate of Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation, where he was a Stanton Nuclear Security Postdoctoral Fellow and a Social Sciences Postdoctoral Fellow with funding from the MacArthur Foundation. He holds a Ph.D. and an M.A. in Political Science from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in International Relations from El Colegio de Mexico.

The President participates in a Bilateral Meeting with the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway
2025-04-24 13:05 (America/New_York) | Oval Office
White House Press Pool

Pathways to Peace in the Middle East? A Conversation with Rhodes and Boot
2025-04-24 15:00 - 19:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | USC Davidson Conference Center, 3409 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, United States
Join CPF for a discussion on the challenges and solutions for achieving lasting peace in the Middle East with two expert guests.

From the war in Gaza to the post-Assad government in Syria, new challenges have emerged in the path toward achieving peace in the Middle East. Is a 2-state solution currently viable or fantasy? Is the status quo tenable? Which version of a single state has promise? What does the US support and what do major regional players support? Given where we are, what are the most viable pathways to peace between Israel and its neighbors?
Join CPF Director Bob Shrum and renowned foreign policy experts Ben Rhodes and Max Boot for an insightful discussion on April 24 at 4:30pm at the USC Davidson Center Vineyard Room. Arrive early for check in. Reception to follow.

ZOOM REGISTRATION LINK COMING SOON

WHERE:The Vineyard Room at the USC Davidson Conference Center

WHEN:
Doors open at 3:00 PM; full itinerary coming soon

WHO:
Ben Rhodes – former Deputy National Security Advisor; co-founder and co-chair of National Security Action; host of Crooked Media’s “Pod Save the World”; author of “After the Fall: Being American in the World We’ve Made”
Max Boot – Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow in National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations; author of New York Times Bestsellers “The Road Not Taken” and “Reagan: His Life and Legend”
Bob Shrum – Director, USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future; Carmen H. and Louis Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics; Author of “Concessions of a Serial Campaigner”

FREE copies of the Ben Rhodes book “After the Fall” and the Max Boot book “Reagan: His Life and Legend” will be made available on a first come first served basis. Supplies are limited.
This discussion is part of the CPF “Combating Antisemitism and Other Forms of Hatred” series. Thank you to our sponsor the Nir family. See videos from prior events in this series.Oct. 15, 2024 “Experiencing Hatred: True Stories to End Hate and Educate“Oct. 23, 2023 “Conversation with Bret Stephens and Zev Yaroslavsky“

ZOOM REGISTRATION LINK COMING SOON

The President signs Executive Orders
2025-04-24 16:30 (America/New_York) | Oval Office

The President departs The White House en route Leesburg Executive Airport Landing Zone
2025-04-24 18:35 (America/New_York) | South Lawn

The President arrives Leesburg Executive Airport Landing Zone
2025-04-24 19:00, 2025-04-24 21:20 (America/New_York) | Leesburg Executive Airport, Leesburg, VA, United States
In-Town Travel Pool

The President departs Leesburg Executive Airport Landing Zone en route Trump National Golf Club Washington, D.C.
2025-04-24 19:10 (America/New_York) | Leesburg Executive Airport, Leesburg, VA, United States

The President arrives Trump National Golf Club Washington, D.C.
2025-04-24 19:25 (America/New_York) | Trump National Golf Club Washington DC

The President participates in a MAGA Inc. Dinner
2025-04-24 19:30 (America/New_York) | Trump National Golf Club Washington DC

The President departs Trump National Golf Club Washington, D.C. en route Leesburg Executive Airport Landing Zone
2025-04-24 21:05 (America/New_York) | Trump National Golf Club Washington DC

The President departs Leesburg Executive Airport Landing Zone en route The White House
2025-04-24 21:30 (America/New_York) | Leesburg Executive Airport, Leesburg, VA, United States

The President arrives The White House
2025-04-24 21:55 (America/New_York) | South Lawn

Out-of-Town Travel Pool Call Time
2025-04-25 07:25 (America/New_York) | Joint Base Andrews
Out-of-Town Travel Pool

In-Town Pool Call Time
2025-04-25 07:30 (America/New_York) | The White House

The President and The First Lady depart the White House en route Joint Base Andrews
2025-04-25 08:30 (America/New_York) | South Lawn

The President and The First Lady arrive Joint Base Andrews
2025-04-25 08:40 (America/New_York) | Joint Base Andrews

The President and The First Lady depart Joint Base Andrews en route Leonardo da Vinci International Airport
2025-04-25 08:50 (America/New_York) | Joint Base Andrews

The President and The First Lady arrive Leonardo da Vinci International Airport
2025-04-25 16:50 (America/New_York) | Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, Rome
Pre-Credentialed Media

The President and The First Lady depart Leonardo da Vinci International Airport en route Villa Taverna
2025-04-25 17:00 (America/New_York) | Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, Rome

The President and The First Lady arrive Villa Taverna
2025-04-25 17:35 (America/New_York) | Villa Taverna, Rome, Italy

The President and The First Lady depart Villa Taverna en route St. Peter's Basilica
2025-04-26 03:15 (America/New_York) | Villa Taverna, Rome, Italy

The President and The First Lady arrive St. Peter's Basilica
2025-04-26 03:30 (America/New_York) | St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City

The President and The First Lady attend the Funeral Mass for the Roman Pontiff Francis
2025-04-26 04:00 (America/New_York) | St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City
