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Events at The Center for Politics and the People at Ripon College

The Politics of Resentment: Seven Years Later

Thursday, February 9, 4:30 pm.

A conversation with Dr. Kathy Cramer, Professor and Natalie C. Holton Chair of Letters & Science, Department of Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

In 2016, political science professor Kathy Cramer published The Politics of Resentment. Little did Cramer know how much the subject of her book would come to dominate the social and political discourse in subsequent years. In the book, Cramer asks, how is it that the very people who stand to benefit from strong government services not only vote against the candidates who support those services but are vehemently against the very idea of big government? Cramer uncovers an oft-overlooked piece of the puzzle: rural political consciousness and the resentment of the “liberal elite.” Rural voters are distrustful that politicians will respect the distinct values of their communities and allocate a fair share of resources. What can look like disagreements about basic political principles are therefore actually rooted in something even more fundamental: who we are as people and how closely a candidate’s social identity matches our own. At Ripon College, Cramer will reexamine rural political consciousness and what has and has not changed since 2016.

 

Marijuana: Legalize it or Criticize it?

Thursday, March 2, 6:30 pm.

A panel discussion with

  • Wisconsin State Senator Mary Felzkowski (R), 12th District, sponsor of a bill that would create a new state commission to regulate medical marijuana
  • Dale Schmidt, President of the Badger State Sheriffs’ Association
  • Jay Selthofner, Wisconsin Industrial Hemp Grower and Processor at Heritage Hemp Farm, Creator of the Wisconsin Cannabis Activist Network, and Founder & Treasurer of Northern Wisconsin NORML

We will discuss the best legal status of marijuana in Wisconsin. The goal is to provide a space for a civilized and substantive discussion about the arguments for and against marijuana legalization, both for medical and recreational purposes.

 

Cancel Culture: Accountability or Censorship?

Tuesday, April 11, 6:30 pm. East Hall Little Theatre.
A discussion with

  • Duke Pesta, Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Director of FreedomProject Academy & Media, and Founding Member of Free Speech for Campus
  • Nada Elmikashfi, Chief of Staff for Wisconsin State Representative Francesca Hong, Board Member of 350 Wisconsin, and Columnist for The Isthmus

We will discuss how cancel culture functions, how it interacts with the First Amendment, and what the consequences are for society.

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