After Hope and Change: A Panel Discussion

A May 1 discussion at Heritage:

The 2012 elections were, by all accounts, a turning point in American politics. President Obama and challenger Mitt Romney fought a grueling ground-war for the hearts and minds of American voters. Demographic shifts, the skyward rise of social media's political relevance and shocking developments on shores both foreign and domestic ultimately led Barack Obama back to the White House for a second term. In After Hope and Change: The 2012 Elections and American Politics, noted political scientist James Ceaser and his co-authors offer a comprehensive account of the national election, including the presidential nomination process and election and congressional elections. The new status quo after 2012 includes a more active federal government and a more divided America. What does American politics look like after hope and change? How should conservatism respond to the lessons of the 2012 election?

James W. Ceaser is Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia, where he has taught since 1976. He has written several books on American politics and political thought, including Presidential Selection, Reconstructing America, and Nature and History in American Political Development. He is co-author, along with Andrew E. Busch and John J. Pitney Jr., of After Hope and Change: The 2012 Elections and American Politics and Epic Journey: The 2008 Elections and American Politics. Henry Olsen, Director of AEI's National Research Initiative, studies and writes about the policy and political implications of long-term trends in social, economic, and political thought. Michael Franc, Vice President of Government Studies at The Heritage Foundation, oversees Heritage’s outreach to Capitol Hill and the Executive Branch.