National Agenda 2019

The University of Delaware's Center for Political Communication has been hosting the National Agenda speaker series since 2011. For this year's theme of "Direction Democracy," nationally known speakers explore where we have been, where we are going, and the current state of democracy in the United States. National Agenda Director Dr. Lindsay Hoffman says, "We are at a critical juncture in this unique experiment that is American democracy. This series sheds light on who we are as citizens, on the left and the right, and even in the middle."

The National Agenda speaker series is free and open to the public. It is held on Wednesday evenings at 7:30 p.m. during the fall semester in Mitchell Hall Theater on the University of Delaware's Newark campus.

Each fall, nationally known speakers examine the most important political issues facing Americans today. We encourage students, staff, faculty and community members to join the conversation. Lindsay Hoffman, Ph.D., a communication and political science associate professor, directs the National Agenda speaker series and teaches the National Agenda class. 

To learn more about National Agenda, please visit our YouTube playlist of events and our National Agenda podcast. National Agenda is made possible by generous support from the University of Delaware's Office of the Provost and College of Arts and Sciences. 

Visit the event review to read the story, watch the video, listen to the podcast, and read the full transcript.

Author of the New York Times #1 best-seller, Yes We (Still) Can: Politics in the Age of Obama, Twitter and Trump, Dan Pfeiffer is a co-host of Crooked Media's popular political podcast, Pod Save America. The former Obama campaign communications director pioneered the use of digital and social media platforms in political campaigns.

Visit the event review to read the story, watch the video, listen to the podcast, read the full transcript, and view Rob Rogers's presentation.

Rob Rogers is the award-winning, nationally syndicated editorial cartoonist formerly with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Rogers’ work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, Time, Newsweek and The Week. In his most recent book, Enemy of the People: A Cartoonist’s Journey, Rogers talks about the importance of satire in today’s political climate.

Visit the event review to read the story, watch the video, listen to the podcast, and read the full transcript.

A New York Times columnist, CBS News political analyst and former Slate Magazine chief political correspondent, Jamelle Bouie covers U.S. politics, public policy, elections and race. He takes audiences to the front lines of the nation's most significant news events, from civil unrest to political partisanship. He was named to Forbes' "30 Under 30 in Media" in 2015.

Visit the event review to read the story, watch the video, listen to the podcast, read the full transcript, and read the Review news story.

Tara Setmayer is a CNN political contributor, media commentator, podcast host and former GOP communications director. She became a household name for her no-nonsense commentary as a CNN political commentator during the 2016 presidential election cycle. Vulture.com recognized her as one of 2016's "Top 20 Election Coverage Stars." 

Watch the video. Listen to the podcast. Read the transcript. Read the stories in UDaily, The Review, WHYY, and WDEL.

University of Delaware alumnus Chris Christie (AS84) was New Jersey’s 55th Governor from 2010 to 2018. He earned praise from leaders in both parties and drew national attention for successes in battling political corruption, corporate crime, human trafficking, gangs, terrorism and environmental polluters. Governor Christie describes his political life in his 2019 book, Let Me Finish: Trump, the Kushners, Bannon, New Jersey, and the Power of In-Your-Face Politics.

Visit the event review to read the story, watch the video, listen to the podcast, read the transcript, and read the Review news story.

John Della Volpe directs polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics. The Washington Post called Della Volpe one of the world’s leading authorities on global sentiment, opinion and influence especially among Millennials. The founder of SocialSphere, a public opinion and analytics company, has appeared on national media outlets such as MSNBC’s Morning Joe and The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.

The University of Delaware routinely uses photographers and videographers at its events. By attending a public event hosted by the University of Delaware, you grant the University permission to publish or display photographic images of you. Images may be used in promotional material, publications or other applications. Please let us know if you have any concerns.