With the goal of fostering civil and reasoned discussion of pressing political questions, the Department of Political Science and Philosophy at Missouri State University will launch a new Conversation Series in October.

The Conversation Series is inspired by the state of American politics and political discussion, according to Department Head Dr. Christopher Lynch.

“We think our college and university should weigh in on issues productively,” Lynch said. “Also, we believe we have the expertise in our department to do so, as well as the desire to bring in experts from other institutions and MSU departments.”

Cultivating genuine conversations

The series is characterized as a “conversation” because each event will feature two experts with differing opinions presenting their views about the question.

“We seek to help our community—this college, university, city, and region—confront such issues squarely while also maintaining the highest level of civility, mutual respect, and intellectual rigor,” Lynch said.

Lynch, who is also a professor of political science, reiterated the need to facilitate conversations without hostility.

“We want to model and encourage cross ideological conversations, without either papering over real differences or denigrating opposing views,” Lynch added.

Conversation Series kickoff

The first event of the series kicks off at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 26 in the Meyer Library Auditorium with speakers Dr. Thomas Powers and Dr. Jennifer McCoy.

Powers and McCoy are professors of political science at Carthage College and Georgia State University, respectively. They will address the question, “Is American democracy in crisis?”

“With this question, we want to provoke a more fundamental discussion for our first conversation,” Lynch said.

Future conversations will dive into specific aspects of the question, such as polarization and inequality. The second event will take place in the spring.

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