The State of Modern Conservative Politics

Sponsored by: Marquette Civic Dialogues Program and MKE Communities & Cultures FilmFest

Part I: Civic Dialogues Panel Event

With the Republican National Convention set to take place in Milwaukee in July 2024, there is no better time to delve into the current state of local and national Republican politics. Led by GOP diagnostician Charlie Sykes and featuring insightful discussions on a range of topics pertinent to conservatism and Republican constituents, this event aims to foster understanding and encourage civil discourse.

Moderating the discussion, Charlie Sykes will be joined by panelists representing a broad set of perspectives, including:

• Julia Azari (Professer of Political Science a Marquette University)
• James Wigderson (writer on WI politics and former owner/editor of RightWisconsin)
• Michael Behrens (President of the Marquette Federalist Society and RNC field work volunteer)
• Olman Chaheine (a Marquette Evans Scholar, studying Real Estate and Finance, and President of the Marquette College Republicans).

The Civic Dialogues Panel Event is the first component of a two-part event and will be held at 4 PM in the Weasler Auditorium on the Marquette University Campus. Doors open at 3:30 PM.

Part II: Civic Dialogues Dinner (Following Event)

THE DIALOGUE DINNER IS AT CAPACITY. FURTHER RESERVATIONS ARE NOT PERMITTED.

The second component of this two-part event is a Dialogue Dinner from 5:30 - 7 PM in Sensenbrenner Hall, Room 304. A buffet dinner including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options will be provided. This event is free and open to the public.

This Dialogue Dinner will provide an opportunity for students and members of the public to continue this conversation over dinner in a smaller setting. Guided by trained student facilitators, attendees will be able to engage in both civic and civil dialogue, with the opportunity to share and listen to multiple perspectives and address some of the most difficult topics facing the country today.

What is Civic Dialogues?

The Marquette Civic Dialogues Program works to foster deliberation about the pressing issues facing our world today, prepare students to be citizens with purpose, and advance scholarship on civic dialogue. Through our programming and research, we encourage students to "Be the Difference" by engaging differences in political thought and lived experience.

Civic Dialogues' Fall 2023 Event Calendar promises to host a number of timely discussions. To learn more about our past speakers, visit a gallery of our past speaker series here. The Civic Dialogues program hosts a number of speaker events each year to encourage campus discussion of important issues and increase the diversity of perspectives in the conversation. In the last two years, we've hosted a dialogue on the pandemic and economic policy with Michael Strain (AEI) and Betsey Stevenson (University of Michigan, formerly in the Obama Administration) as well as a number of guest talks, including Rich Lowry (National Review), Benji Backer (American Conservation Coalition), and Ganesh Sitaraman (Vanderbilt Law, advisor to Elizabeth Warren).