Via email:

On behalf of New York University School of Law, you are cordially invited to a special program, “Exploring ‘Polarization’: A Conversation”, co-chaired by Bob Bauer and Sally Katzen, on Thursday, December 12, 2013 from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the NYU Academic Center at 1307 L Street, NW in Washington DC. The program is being sponsored by NYU School of Law’s new Legislative and Regulatory Process Clinic.

Through presentations and panel discussion, the program brings together experts from politics, the media and public policy to discuss how the question of “polarization” has become so prominent in our national policy debate and politics.  The key questions explored will be whether and in what form polarization exists;  the sources, scale and impact of any such problem; and whether the solution to “polarization” lies in ordinary politics, or in legal or institutional reform.

The program will begin at 9:00 a.m. with a dialogue between two scholars from the fields of law and political science: Richard Pildes, Sudler Family Professor of Constitutional Law at NYU School of Law and John Sides, associate professor of political science at George Washington University, who will provide the context for the panels to follow.  The program will conclude with remarks from Senator Tom Daschle.

Panel I: Polarization: the Role and Response of the Media and Think Tank Communities (10:00-11:00 a.m.)

Moderator, John Fortier,  Director, Democracy Project, Bipartisan Policy Center

Karlyn Bowman, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
Major Garret, Chief White House Correspondent, CBS
John Samples, Director, Center for Representative Government, Cato Institute
Neera Tanden, President of the Center for American Progress
Trevi Troy, Visiting Fellow, Hudson Institute

Panel II: “Polarization” in the “Political World” (11:15 a.m -12:15 p.m.)

Moderator, John Fortier,  Director, Democracy Project, Bipartisan Policy Center

Eliot Cutler, Independent Candidate for Governor of Maine
Rick Davis, Partner and Chief Operating Officer, Pegasus Sustainable Century Merchant Bank and National Campaign Manager, 2000 and 2008 McCain Presidential Campaigns
Anita Dunn, Managing Director, SKDKnickerbocker
David Keating, President, Center for Competitive Politics

Remarks of Senator Tom Daschle (12:15 p.m.)

To register, please click here[nyulaw.imodules.com] or copy and paste the link below.

Registration link:: http://nyulaw.imodules.com/politicalpolarization[nyulaw.imodules.com]

A note about NYU Law’s Washington DC Clinic
The NYU Law Legislative and Regulatory Policy Clinic was established this fall at NYU’s campus in Washington DC.  Under the leadership of Distinguished Scholar in Residence and Senior Lecturer Bob Bauer, former White House Counsel, and Visiting Professor of Law Sally Katzen, former administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs and former Deputy Director for Management at the Office of Management and Budget, students have spent a semester examining the multifaceted role of government lawyers while gaining experience at federal agencies and congressional offices.