The UW–Madison La Follette School of Public Affairs is hosting a public presentation by New York Times columnist, podcast host, and author Ezra Klein on April 16 at 7 p.m. at the Monona Terrace in Madison. Klein will discuss why American politics is so polarized, and what polarization has done to electoral institutions, policymaking, and the media.
Registration for the event has already filled up, but more tickets may be released if they become available. A limited number of spots are available for press to cover the event. Please reach out to Lauren Weitkamp (weitkamp@lafollette.wisc.edu) if interested. After the public talk, there will also be opportunities for reporters to connect with the La Follette School’s interim director, a current student, or the associate director to talk about how La Follette’s curriculum and events are addressing political polarization.
Drawing from his bestselling book, “Why We’re Polarized,” Klein will discuss how and why American politics polarized around identity in the twentieth century, and what that polarization did to the way we see the world and one another. He traces the feedback loops between polarized political identities and polarized political institutions that are driving our system toward crisis. After his talk, Klein will answer pre-submitted audience questions.
“Understanding political polarization is key to bridging divides and promoting civil policy discussions that move our country forward, two key priorities for the La Follette School” says La Follette School Interim Director Greg Nemet. “I’m excited to hear Ezra Klein’s take on these important issues.”
Klein is a columnist on the New York Times opinion page and host of the award-winning “Ezra Klein Show” podcast. Before that, he was the founder, editor-in-chief, and then editor-at-large of Vox, the explanatory news platform, which has won many awards and now reaches more than 50 million people each month.
Klein is the La Follette School’s spring 2024 Public Affairs Journalist in Residence. This event is a part of the La Follette School’s 40th anniversary celebration, and is generously funded by the Kohl Initiative, the Paul Offner Lecture Series, and University Communications.
