Public Agenda first joined with Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in November 2005 to launch a series of Policy Breakfasts that have brought world leaders and some of the nation's most important policymakers into close contact at small gatherings of movers and shakers in New York.Moderated by National Public Radio's Robert Siegel, the sessions have become a valuable forum for thoughtful consideration and continue to provide behind-the-scenes insights into some of the most crucial issues confronting today's policymakers.
The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, founded in 1924, is the premier academic institution in the United States committed to scholarship, civic leadership, and education in public and international affairs. Maxwell is home to Syracuse University’s social science departments and to numerous nationally recognized multidisciplinary graduate programs in public policy, international studies, social policy, and conflict resolution. Maxwell's graduate program in public administration—the first of its kind—is ranked consistently the best in the nation.
Public Agenda's mission is to strengthen our nation's democratic capacity and its ability to tackle tough issues by ensuring that the public's thinking—in all its complexities and contradictions—is understood by leaders, and by fostering the best possible conditions and opportunities for the public to engage in the problem-solving process. Public Agenda is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization founded in 1975 by social scientist and author Daniel Yankelovich and former Secretary of State Cyrus Vance.
Private contributions make the Policy Breakfast series possible.
If you would like to help support future speakers, or otherwise assist with the presentation of this series, please contact Mitchel Wallerstein, dean of the Maxwell School of Syracuse University, at 315-443-3461; or Ruth Wooden, president of Public Agenda, at 212-686-6610.
The sponsors thank Bernard G. and Louise B. Palitz for their generous support of the Policy Breakfast series.
November 2008
WILLIAM H. DONALDSON
Former Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Former President of the New York Stock Exchange
"We're no longer isolated. We can address some of these regulatory changesˇ and get our house in order, but it will be meaningless unless we have a global approach... An attempt to get the world coordinated is one of the big challenges going on in the world right now."As the United States works to steady a floundering economy, William H. Donaldson, former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, former president of the New York Stock Exchange, and a member of President-Elect Obama's transition team of economic advisors, offered his economic forecast on the crisis facing Wall Street and the global economy. Drawing on his experience at the S.E.C and Wall Street, Donaldson shared his misgivings and concerns about the current bailout strategy, the lack of regulation from federal agencies around securities and exotic financial instruments, and the future of the auto industry.
October 2008
DREW ALTMAN
President and CEO, The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
"In the past, the big obstacles in health care reform were special interest groups and finding money. In recent times, the biggest obstacle is the fundamental ideological divide which will still be there no matter who wins the presidency. In my view, there needs to be a centrist compromise, or there can be no deal at all."With the election weeks away and the economy facing a historic meltdown, Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation president and renowned commentator on health care, Dr. Drew Altman, assessed the landscape of health care reform for the next administration. Altman discussed the obstacles to reforming health care, including the rigid ideological divide across party lines, and the necessity for policy makers to reframe the issue as one of economic security and affordability for Americans.
- Click here to see video of this event.
- Click here to see the related press release.
- Click here to read a transcript of this event.
April 2008
PAUL BEGALA
"The center of the country has moved left. And so the center of the Democratic Party has as well. The majority of Democrats did not support the war, even though many of its prominent leaders did. And the revulsion against that has really helped move the country, not just the party, to the left. The percentage of Americans who say that the government has an obligation to help those who cannot help themselves---the classic question of liberalism---has gone up. Even among self-described conservatives over the last ten years."Amidst the heat of the Presidential primary campaigns, Paul Begala, political commentator for CNN and former counselor to the Clinton Administration, shared his very candid and pointed views on the 2008 presidential election. Begala spoke with great humor and little reserve about the campaign strategies employed by the Clinton and Obama campaigns, the pitfalls associated with balancing the role of the popular vote with superdelegates in the Democratic Party nomination process, the importance of placing energy independence and security higher on the national agenda, and the candidates' position on the looming fiscal crisis.
February 2008
CONGRESSMAN CHARLES RANGEL
"We have to address Social Security. . . . Because each day, week, month that we do nothing about Social Security, about Medicare, and to a lesser extent the Alternative Minimum Tax, the more indebtedness that we’re getting involved in."With the presidential primary season heating up and the economy teetering on the brink of recession, Democratic Congressman and chairman of the influential House Ways and Means Committee Charles Rangel offered his insights on the election and addressed issues related to the nation’s tax code and tax reform. The outspoken Congressman also shared his views on hot-button issues such as trade policy, the federal budget, universal health care, and the philosophical policy differences between Democrats and Republicans.
December 2007
ADMIRAL BOBBY INMAN
Public Agenda board member, retired U.S. Navy Admiral, Former Director of the National Security Agency and Former Deputy Director of Central Intelligence Bobby R. Inman spoke officially off-record on some of the most pressing and difficult philosophical issues related to our nation's intelligence gathering and foreign policy. In a session titled "U.S. Intelligence: What Are the Prospects for the Future?" Inman talked candidly to the room of 100 about what motivates intelligence gathering heads, what are some of the common mistakes and how he believed the Department of Homeland Security ought to be operating. Inman is currently the LBJ Centennial Chair in National Policy at the University of Texas Austin and remains a key advisor to some of the nation's most prominent intelligence and international affairs leaders.September 2007
ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU
"When you are seeking to work for peace... sometimes we say 'We are ready to speak to you, but not to them.' But my understanding of the concept of negotiation is that it is not something that happens between friends usually. Negotiation happens between enemies. If you want peace you must speak to those who are most unacceptable in your view."Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Desmond Tutu was the sixth speaker in the policy breakfast series and he brought with him an international crowd of world leaders. Co-hosted by Ireland's Niall Mellon of the Mellon Township Trust, the session ranged over a host of international issues including housing development efforts for the poor, truth and reconciliation efforts post-apartheid, the role of the United States in world affairs as perceived by developing nations, the shortcomings of South African's present government, crime in South Africa, thoughts on Zimbabwe and Mugabe, and turning the tide on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa.
June 2007
KENNETH MEHLMAN
Former Republican National Committee Chairman and Campaign Chair of Bush/Cheney '04 Kenneth Mehlman put forth his predictions for the 2008 Presidential election just as things were starting to heat up in the race for primary positioning. With several members of the media in the room and breakfast attendees with some very pointed questions about how the 2004 election campaign was conducted, this session generated sparks. Mehlman not only talked about campaigning, but also the future of the Republican party and the influence of Evangelicals. April 2007
BRENT SCOWCROFT
"Strangely enough in this period of conflict and weak government – no government on the Palestinian side, weak government in Israel – there probably has never been a better chance to resolve the issue."General Brent Scowcroft, National Security Advisor to Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush, talked openly about his position on the Iraq war — what he told President George W. Bush before, during, and after the invasion and why he thinks things went so wrong. Scowcroft also discussed the new realities of our relationship with the European Union and the growing influence of China. This session was officially off-the-record.
December 2006
AMBASSADOR JOHN BRUTON
"Europeans would probably see 9/11 as a huge crime rather than a huge act of war-making."John Bruton, former European Union ambassador to the United States, covered topics as varied as the integration of Muslims into western cultures; why Americans don’t “get it” when it comes to global warming; common challenges for the U.S. and E.U. on aging populations; how or if to address Russia’s threats to democratic functioning; and why America is “no longer cool” among young Europeans.
April 2006
DOUGLAS HOLTZ-EAKIN
"We don't understand why healthcare costs per person have risen 2.5 percent faster every year than income per capita for the past four decades. . . . Until we diagnose it, we can't fix it very well."Douglas Holtz-Eakin, former Congressional Budget Office director and former chief economist for the White House Council of Economic Advisors, covered a diverse array of topics ranging from tax policy to war funding, from global warming to the challenges that anyone elected president will face. Holtz-Eakin spoke unguardedly and humorously about some of the nation’s thorniest issues.
November 2005
PAUL VOLCKER
"The U.S. economy is doing very well. The question is how long it will last. Consumption is in general terms being financed by a lot of borrowing abroad."In the series’ inaugural breakfast, former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker provided prescient thoughts on the American economy and the performance of leaders in Washington, as well as insider knowledge of his experiences as chairman of the Independent Inquiry Committee into the United Nations Iraq Oil-for-Food Programme, which had recently released its final report detailing corruption and kickbacks.
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Copyright © 2008 Public Agenda
No reproduction/distribution without permission
Copyright © 2008 Public Agenda
No reproduction/distribution without permission