Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate

#TheSenateProject series continues with a special discussion between Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) on June 27. Moderated by Chuck Todd of NBC News, the Senators will debate various policy issues and the conversation will air on C-SPAN networks. The Senate Project brings current US Senators before a national audience to model deliberation and the search for common interest. This fifth installment is made possible through our partnership with the Bipartisan Policy Center and Orrin G. Hatch Foundation. Click here for more information on the initiative: https://lnkd.in/g3WpFT3D

Newsletter: findings and takeaways from our #BolsteringElections symposium on funding American elections with The Dole Institute of Politics. 1. Running elections across America costs about $4-6 billion a year, and costs continue to rise due to national and international threats. However, insufficient data makes it difficult to understand how much funding is needed and spent locally. 2. There is a critical need to focus on the voters, not politics, when it comes to administering elections. See more and stay tuned for more Bolstering Elections programming updates throughout the year! Read our recap and takeaways: https://lnkd.in/ei37Cb-H

NEW VIDEO: What happens when the Senate, a tradition-bound institution, encounters a nonconformist president intent on changing how the government operates? In a virtual conversation hosted by the Kennedy Institute, Prof. Sean Theriault, University of Texas at Austin, Prof. Frances Lee, Princeton University, and Prof. Christina Bellantoni, University of Southern California, discuss their new book out today, “Disruption? The Senate During the Trump Era.” Watch the full conversation on our YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/eETwnZC7

The final feature from the #BolsteringElections series asks the question, “Where do we go from here?” Matt Weil, executive director of Bipartisan Policy Center’s Democracy Program says the financial burden placed on local governments to hold elections is unsustainable, arguing innovative approaches are needed to create a federal, consistent, and non-discretionary source of funding for elections. Watch his insightful conversation with Tammy Patrick from our Election Administration Symposium with the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate on our YouTube Channel: https://ow.ly/Nprp50RsBVx

We were thrilled to host Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and his long-time Chief of Staff, Mike Zamore at the Kennedy Institute for a conversation on their recent book on reforming the filibuster. Moderated by Vox Policy Correspondent Abdallah Fayyad, Sen. Merkley argued that restoring the talking filibuster, “puts the debate in front of the American people.” Watch the full conversation on our YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/eEQm3Z7A 

Tonight’s “Fixing the Filibuster” event with Senator Jeff Merkley, Mike Zamore, and Abdallah Fayyad starts at 6:30pm ET! Tune into our YouTube channel to watch a live stream of the conversation: https://lnkd.in/eEQm3Z7A

The Kennedy Institute’s “On The Point" Spring 2024 newsletter is here! Check out highlights from our 2024 Annual Dinner, featured videos from our #BolsteringElections project, and how we engaged students from across the country in this year’s Civic Learning Week. Read on for more about our past and upcoming events, including tomorrow’s event at the Institute with Sen. Jeff Merkley: https://lnkd.in/eDUZvg_7

In this week’s #BolsteringElections video: Kansas county clerks Jamie Doss of Saline County and Janet Paddock of Franklin County share the challenges of underfunding, limited staff, and increased demands on administering elections and their responsibility to provide voters with a good experience at the polls. Watch their discussion with retired Johnson County Election Commissioner Connie Schmidt , CERA/CMC on the day-to-day experience of Kansas’ 105 county election administrators. Watch here: https://lnkd.in/g7PjNDXd 

NEW DATE: Our Fixing the Filibuster event with Senator Jeff Merkley and Mike Zamore moderated by Abdallah Fayyad has been rescheduled to Thursday, April 18th at 6:30pm EDT. Join us at this new date and time as Sen. Merkley and Zamore discuss their recent book “Filibustered! How to Fix the Broken Senate and Save America” and explore whether restoring the talking filibuster will fix the gridlock in the US Senate. Light refreshments and a book signing will follow the program. If you previously registered and are still able to attend on April 18th, no further action is needed - your existing RSVP remains valid. Haven’t RSVP’d? Register below! https://lnkd.in/eKYR4av3

As we continue highlighting moments from the Election Administration Symposium, we’re highlighting a conversation between Kansas Elections Director Bryan Caskey and elections expert Tammy Patrick about the benefits of placing elections administration responsibility at the county level and keeping the process closer to voters, while acknowledging county election clerks' challenges with increasing pressures and budgeting. Watch Bryan's insightful discussion with Tammy Patrick on our YouTube Channel through the link in our bio and stay tuned for more highlights from the symposium!