American democracy is focus of events by Miami University’s Menard Family Center

At noon Friday, the Center will host this month’s community roundtable discussion at the Miami Hamilton Downtown Center, 221 High St., and virtually. Participants will discuss the 2022 elections in Ohio and recent developments in state politics.

At 7 p.m. March 7, Elizabeth Loftus, Ph.D. (Professor Emerita, University of California, Irvine), described by the New Yorker as “the most influential female psychologist of the twentieth century,” will present a virtual lecture entitled “The Fiction of Memory.” In that talk, which will be followed by a Q&A, Loftus will discuss the state of knowledge regarding eyewitness misidentification and the implications for criminal justice policy and practices.

At 8 p.m. March 14, Laurie O. Robinson, Ph.D. (Professor Emerita, George Mason University), co-chair of the White House Task Force on 21st Century Policing, will present a lecture entitled “Policing in America and the Prospects for Meaningful Reform.” The lecture will address the ongoing debate over police reform regarding the events surrounding the death of George Floyd and the rise of violent crime in many cities. This event will take place in the Armstrong Student Center on Miami’s Oxford Campus. A streaming option is available.

At 5:30 p.m. March 15, the Menard Family Center and the Department of Political Science are proud to present former U.S. Ambassador Ira Shapiro, who will give the 2022 Darrell West Lecture in American Politics entitled “Facing the Challenges to American Democracy: The Senate’s Decisive Role.” This event will take place in the Armstrong Student Center on Miami’s Oxford Campus. A streaming option is available.

At 7 p.m. March 28, Professor William Howell, director of the Center for Effective Government at the University of Chicago and co-author of Presidents, Populism and the Crisis of Democracy (2020), will present a lecture entitled “The Crisis of American Democracy.” This event will take place in the Armstrong Student Center on Miami’s Oxford Campus. A streaming option is available.

To obtain streaming links and to learn more about the Menard Family Center’s events throughout the spring, email MenardFamilyCenter@MiamiOH.edu or visit MiamiOH.edu/Menard-Events.