Political Power & Influence: Prisms of the People & Hijacking the Agenda

Session Submission Type: Author meet critics

Session Description

`Prisms of the People: Power and Organizing in Twenty-First-Century America’ and `Hijacking the Agenda: Economic Power and Political Influence’ are two recently published books that deal with inequalities in the U.S. political system, but from very different angles. `Prisms of the People’ focuses on the obstacles to grassroots organizing and strategies for success, while `Hijacking the Agenda’ explains why the interests of the wealthy dominate the congressional agenda and why exceptions sometimes emerge. This APSA panel brings the two books together with the goal of better understanding political power and influence from organization to agenda setting to legislative outcomes.

To discuss the implications of these books, offer critical feedback, and identify strategies for increasing political equality, we have assembled a panel of practitioners, legislators, and scholarly experts. Confirmed panelists include:

Julie Fernandes: Associate Director for Institutional Accountability and Individual Liberty, Rockefeller Family Fund

LaGina Gause: Assistant Professor, University of California, San Diego

Jacob Hacker: Stanley B. Resor Professor of Political Science, Yale University

Steve Israel: Director, Institute of Politics and Global Affairs, Cornell University; Former member of congress

Christina Wolbrecht: Professor of Political Science and C. Robert and Margaret Hanley Family Director of the Washington Program, University of Notre Dame.

John Wright: Director of Strategy, National Education Association

The book authors (Hahrie Han, Elizabeth McKenna, and Michelle Oyakawa and Chris Witko, Jana Morgan, Nate Kelly, and Peter Enns)

Sub Unit

• Division 55: Class and Inequality

Chair

• Peter Enns Cornell University

Discussants

• Jacob S. Hacker Yale University

• LaGina Gause University of California, San Diego

• Christina Wolbrecht University of Notre Dame

Presenters

• Christopher M. Witko Pennsylvania State University

• Hahrie C. Han Johns Hopkins University

• Nathan J. Kelly University of Tennessee, Knoxville

• Jana Morgan University of Tennessee, Knoxville