Session 1 - Hope, Fear, and Desire for Democracy on the Eve of an Election

Elections offer the spectacle of democracy being “exercised,” democratic theorists are equally attuned to the ways the electoral process channels and confines democratic energies. But 2020 feels different. The pandemic and the widespread uprisings against white supremacy and police violence have no precedent in memory. In this discussion we will explore the potential in how this ongoing crisis is unsettling politics.
Who: Dean Mathiowetz, Debbie Gould, Cristina Beltrán (Porter, ’92)

University Forum Election Series Presented by:
The Institute for Social Transformation and University Relations.

The November 2020 election provides an historic opportunity to shape the future of California and the nation. This series takes on the 2020 elections through the national struggles for democratic accountability, racial justice, equal citizenship, and economic equality. In California, propositions may dramatically shift our tax system, affirmative action, courts and criminal justice system, voting eligibility, labor relations and housing policy. Join the conversation as UC Santa Cruz professors engage with community organizers, political advocates, and other scholars.

Moderated by Chris Benner, Director of the Institute for Social Transformation and Professor of Environmental Studies and Sociology.