November 28, 2023
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
William Pitt Union / Lower Lounge
Preserving Democracy: Political Violence and Polarization
WATCH THE VIDEO OF THIS PROGRAM BY USING THIS LINK
Guest: Lisa Nelson, Assoc. Professor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and Co-Director of the Collaboratory Against Hate.
As this country moves through unsettling times, there is a growing concern that the threat of political violence has become more real and that the legitimacy of the use of force to achieve political goals has come to be accepted by larger numbers of Americans. Political violence often is linked to select groups and is thought to be spurred by political polarization. The reality, however, may be different. There is evidence suggesting that political violence is rising more generally, that it can be attributed to those across the political spectrum, and that polarization may not be its only cause. The topics to be discussed in this program include the underlying causes for increasing political violence and a consideration of whether our responses to it inadvertently contribute to its continuation.
Professor Lisa Nelson serves on the faculty of Pitt’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, where she specializes in the field of science, technology and society. She is affiliated with the School’s Center for Governance and Markets and also serves as the Pitt Co-Director of the Collaboratory Against Hate, a joint research partnership involving Pitt and Carnegie Mellon University. Her past work has included research into the often-asserted connection between extremism and the veteran community. Her work has been funded by both the National Science Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation, and she has served as a member of the Department of Homeland Security’s Data Privacy and Integrity Committee.
Prof. Nelson will be joined in conversation by Chancellor Emeritus Mark Nordenberg, who serves as Director of the Dick Thornburgh Forum and Chair of Pitt’s Institute of Politics.
The program is co-sponsored by:
The Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, The Center for Governance and Markets at GSPIA, The Collaboratory Against Hate, David C. Frederick Honors College, Pitt Cyber and Pitt Law.
