Barack Obama was elected on a promise to bring a new kind of politics to Washington. The post-partisan era he promised hasn’t materialized. What has emerged is a new alignment of Republicans and Democrats that is vastly different from what we saw in the Clinton and Bush administrations—an alignment with profound implications for the long-term future of American politics. In this lecture, Professor Sid Milkis explained how we got here, and why it matters.

About the Speaker

Sidney M. Milkis is the White Burkett Miller Professor of Politics and Director of Democracy and Governance Studies at the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. His research focuses on the American presidency, political parties and elections, social movements and American political development. In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate students, he regularly gives public lectures on American politics and participates in programs for international scholars and high school teachers that probe the deep historical roots of contemporary developments in the United States.