National Agenda
National Agenda Speaker Series
The National Agenda speaker series is among the numerous initiatives hosted by the Center for Political Communication at the University of Delaware. Since National Agenda launched in 2011, the series has brought to campus dozens of prominent speakers. Students have had the opportunity to interact with prominent speakers — including politicians, journalists, authors, artists and political insiders.
National Agenda is the University of Delaware's annual political affairs speaker series, free and open to the public, and an undergraduate course in which students meet practitioners in politics and media. Students in the course meet privately with all guest speakers prior to the evening presentation. The program is supported by UD's Center for Political Communication.
See video and news stories of past National Agenda series since 2011
09/07/22
The University of Delaware welcomed Blue Hen Paul Kane (AS92) to the National Agenda series, “Politics by the Numbers,” hosted by the Center for Political Communication. The Washington Post congressional correspondent became part of the story on January 6, 2021. He was covering the joint session to certify the 2020 election results when the attack on the U.S. Capitol began. He spoke with Dr. Lindsay Hoffman about the attack, the upcoming midterm elections, and measures journalists must take to do their jobs safely.
09/21/22
The University of Delaware welcomed Pearce Godwin, CEO and founder of the Listen First Project. Described as a national voice for bridging divides in America, Godwin was the featured speaker for the National Agenda series, “Politics by the Numbers,” hosted by UD’s Center for Political Communication. The Listen First Project and its partners have hosted thousands of conversations through the annual America Talks and National Week of Conversation, reaching more than 50 million people.
09/28/22
the University of Delaware welcomed visual journalists Denise Lu and Tailyr Irvine. Lu is a New York Times graphics editor who specializes in data visualization. Irvine is a Salish and Kootenai photojournalist who documents the lives, complex issues, and diversity of Native American communities. Both use their expertise in digital storytelling to build knowledge and empathy.
10/26/22
On October 26, 2022, the University of Delaware welcomed UD alumna Nora Kelly Lee (AS 12), a contributing writer at The Atlantic. She previously served as a senior editor on the magazine’s politics desk. The proud Blue Hen credits her career to field experience at The Review, UD's independent school newspaper.
11/09/22
The University of Delaware welcomed Harvard pollsters John Della Volpe, Ph.D., and Jing-Jing Shen to the National Agenda speaker series. They unpacked the 2022 midterm elections from the perspective of Gen Z voting attitudes and behaviors. Della Volpe directs the Harvard Youth Poll of 2,000 18- to 29-year-olds. Shen, a Harvard University senior, served as the 2021 chair of the Harvard Public Opinion Project.
09/08/21
The University of Delaware welcomed back two speakers who appeared in the 2017 National Agenda speaker series. David Joy, an award-winning novelist, is a sixth-generation North Carolinian grew up in Appalachia and lives in Jackson County, North Carolina. His stories often focus on troubled characters who share a deep connection to the land but struggle with poverty and addiction. Asma Khalid, an award-winning White House correspondent for National Public Radio, is co-host of the NPR Politics Podcast and has reported on the 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020 elections.
09/28/21
The University of Delaware welcomed Berny Jacques and Geston Pierre to the National Agenda 2021 series, “Reflecting America,” hosted by the Center for Political Communication. Friends since middle school, these children of Haitian political refugees settled in Florida. Despite their friendship and shared family immigration story, they have reached very different conclusions about ideology, politics, and social issues in the United States. They talk with Dr. Lindsay Hoffman about the importance of civil discourse and listening.
10/06/21
The University of Delaware welcomed Eric Michael Garcia to the National Agenda 2021 series, “Reflecting America,” hosted by the Center for Political Communication. Garcia is a senior D.C. correspondent for The Independent, and the author of "We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation." He spoke with Dr. Lindsay Hoffman about autism, the anti-vaccine movement, Latino voters, and more.
10/20/21
The University of Delaware welcomed student activist and March for Our Lives co-founder David Hogg. Thrust into the world of activism by one of the largest school shootings in American history, the Parkland survivor has become a compelling voice of his generation.
11/03/21
On November 3, 2021 — exactly one year to the day she was elected to the Delaware State Senate — Sen. Sarah McBride joined Dr. Lindsay Hoffman of the Center for Political Communication for UD's National Agenda speaker series. A Delaware native, State Senator Sarah McBride represents the First State Senate District in northern Delaware. When she was elected, she became the first openly transgender state senator and the highest-ranking openly transgender elected official in American history.
11/19/21
The University of Delaware welcomed Nikkolas Smith, a self-described "artivist," children's book author, and Hollywood film illustrator. As an illustrator of color, Nikkolas is focused on creating captivating art that can spark important conversations around social justice in today's world, and inspire meaningful change. Many of his viral sketches are included in his book "Sunday Sketch: The Art of Nikkolas." His works have been featured in TIME Magazine, the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, Buzzfeed, the Academy of Motion Pictures, The Guardian, and many more. He is also the illustrator of the book "The 1619 Project: Born on the Water," a picture book written by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renée Watson released on Nov. 16, 2021.
09/16/20
The University of Delaware welcomed humorist Scott Dikkers on September 16, 2020. He compared satire and fake news as the first guest speaker of the National Agenda 2020 series, “We Are the People,” hosted by the Center for Political Communication. Dikkers, the cofounder of the satirical news site the Onion, addressed almost 600 viewers from nineteen states and four countries including National Agenda students, alumni, and the UD community for a live Zoom event. Dikkers also discussed how to succeed in comedy and how politics intertwines with humor.
09/30/20
On September 30, 2020, the University of Delaware welcomed political minds from Washington D.C. to Hollywood to examine portrayals of the White House and the real thing for the National Agenda 2020 series, “We Are the People,” hosted by the Center for Political Communication. Homeland co-creator Howard Gordon, House of Cards co-executive producer John Mankiewicz, NPR TV critic Eric Deggans, and political strategist and UD alumnus Steve Schmidt convened for "Fact vs. Fiction: Presidents in Hollywood."
10/28/20
On October 28, 2020, the University of Delaware welcomed Mary Louise Kelly to the National Agenda 2020 series, “We Are the People,” hosted by the Center for Political Communication. Kelly, the co-host of National Public Radio's All Things Considered, shared her experience with covering the Trump administration, including a tense confrontation with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that made headlines.
11/11/20
On November 11, 2020, the University of Delaware welcomed Julia Ioffe and Domenico Montanaro to the National Agenda 2020 series, “We Are the People,” hosted by the Center for Political Communication. Ioffe is a correspondent for GQ Magazine, former staff writer for The Atlantic, and former Russian correspondent for The New Yorker. She is a leading authority on Russian-US relations built on in-depth reporting in Russia. Domenico Montanaro, a UD alumnus (AS01) and National Public Radio's senior political editor and correspondent, gave a post-election update.
11/18/20
On November 18, 2020, the University of Delaware welcomed Yamiche Alcindor, White House correspondent for PBS NewsHour, to the National Agenda 2020 series, “We Are the People.” Alcindor often examines the intersection of race and politics as well as fatal police encounters. As a contributor for NBC News and MSNBC, Alcindor appears on Morning Joe, Andrea Mitchell Reports, The Rachel Maddow Show, and Meet the Press with Chuck Todd.
09/04/19
Delaware native Dan Pfeiffer, a senior advisor to President Barack Obama discusses the state of the Democratic party, podcasts, and the upcoming election in 2020. Dan is a co-host of the wildly popular "Pod Save America" which also aired on HBO. Dan is also the author of the 2018 book, "Yes We (Still) Can."
09/11/19
Political cartoonist Rob Rogers came to the University of Delaware to discuss the legacy and future of political cartoons in the U.S. Rob was fired from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2018 for his anti-Trump cartoons. He is the author of the 2019 book, "Enemy of the People: A Cartoonist's Journey."
09/25/19
Jamelle Bouie is a columnist for the New York Times and political analyst for CBS News. He covers U.S. politics, public policy, elections, and race. Dr. Hoffman and Bouie talked about the recently announced impeachment proceedings and the White House's release of the Trump-Zelensky call memo.
10/02/19
Tara Setmayer is a CNN political contributor, media commentator, and podcast host. She became a household name for her no-nonsense commentary as an anti-Trump Republican during the 2016 presidential election cycle.
11/07/19
With trademark candor, sharp humor and a palpable pride for his alma mater, the former New Jersey governor and presidential hopeful spoke at the ninth annual National Agenda Speaker Series on “Deciphering Political Power.”
11/20/19
Director of Polling at the Harvard Institute of Politics John Della Volpe joined Dr. Hoffman to discuss the results of the latest Youth Poll. The poll, which surveys 18-29 year-olds, has been conducted twice a year since 2000.
09/12/18
The 2018 National Agenda Speaker Series opened with Lauren Duca, an award-winning journalist and columnist for Teen Vogue magazine. She is best known for a 2016 piece titled, "Donald Trump Is Gaslighting America."
09/26/18
University of Delaware alum David DeWalt (EG ’86) returned to campus to discuss issues around cybersecurity and the Midterm elections. Widely considered one of the most influential executives in technology and cybersecurity, DeWalt was named one of the 25 most influential executives in high technology by the readers of the industry publication CRN.
10/10/18
The 2018 National Agenda Speaker Series featured teen journalist, Gabe Fleisher, who writes a daily political newsletter that reaches more than 50,000 subscribers.
10/24/18
The 2018 National Agenda Speaker Series continued with Amberia Allen, a stand-up comedian, writer, and Ph.D. candidate studying diversity in Hollywood.
11/14/18
Closing the 2018 National Agenda speaker series, Washington Post journalists Mary Jordan (national political correspondent) and Kevin Sullivan (senior correspondent covering national and international affairs) discussed the results of the 2018 midterm elections, the state of journalism, fake news, and other topics relevant to the midterm elections.
09/11/17
Game designer Brianna Wu advocates for more female representation in video game industry.
09/29/17
North Carolina novelist David Joy writes about life in Appalachia, focusing on struggles of the people with poverty, crime and drug abuse.
10/16/17
Reporter Asma Khalid, who is Muslim, described the religious divides she witnessed and experienced during her time covering the 2016 U.S presidential campaign.
10/17/17
Joe Biden and John Kasich discussed bipartisanship at UD’s National Agenda. The discussion stood out for its emphasis on the value of political cooperation and consensus. Biden, a Democrat, and Kasich, a Republican, served together in Washington, D.C., for years.
11/07/17
David Bonior and Mike Castle, both veteran former legislators, discussed past and present political divides. The speakers addressed the divide between Democrats and Republicans, especially since the 2016 election.
11/15/17
The University of Delaware’s National Agenda 2017 speaker series concluded on November 15 with a conversation about cultural divides with Los Angeles-based comedian and writer Chris Garcia. The firstborn son of Cuban refugees said that his cultural heritage and his respect for his family shape his identity and connect him to his community..
09/08/16
NPR’s Domenico Montanaro and Sam Sanders said making sense of a presidential election campaign where nothing appears to make sense still requires reporters to be on the scene, gathering facts and presenting this information to an increasingly skeptical and restive American electorate.
09/23/16
People who wonder if comedy really has a place in the world of serious political discussion are missing the lessons of history, said comedian and "Full Frontal" writer Ashley Black during her discussion about humor, satire and politics.
10/07/16
Author D. Watkins, who writes from his own experiences growing up in a Baltimore neighborhood and a family where life was often dominated by drugs, shared his views on the 2016 elections and urged students to reach out and make a difference.
11/04/16
The presidential race has thrown out the rulebook, said former Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich. He has never witnessed a more turbulent election season or unhappier voters than in this year’s presidential race.
11/18/16
Election results surprised nearly all political experts, panelists say.
09/10/15
Veteran broadcast journalist Bill Plante believes that despite changing approaches to campaign coverage and declining access to those at the highest levels of government, the responsibility for change in the political and public policy arenas continues to depend on careful decisions by an informed and concerned electorate.
10/01/15
Black Lives Matter activists Johnetta (Netta) Elzie and DeRay Mckesson said grassroots participation and social media are key to the Black Lives Matter movement.
10/15/15
Author, journalist and University of Delaware alumnus Peter Bailey advocates an honest discussion on race that would replace the misconceptions and divisions that seem to define racial relations in America today. Bailey shared his experiences as a UD undergraduate student, journalist, and host of the docu-series NiteCap with Peter Bailey on Oct. 14 in Mitchell Hall.
10/22/15
Comedian and author Maz Jobrani said he hopes that the perception of Middle Easterners by Americans will become more positive as cultural stereotypes are replaced by a more realistic appreciation of their many contributions to the nation’s economic and cultural life.
11/05/15
In a discussion about his art and race relations, cartoonist Keith Knight said black lives do matter and that the time has come for a change in the way law enforcement and the criminal justice system treat black youths.
11/19/15
Redditt Hudson believes that equal treatment under the law must become a reality if America is going to move forward on matters of race and social justice.
09/12/14
Comedy writer Frank Lesser thinks that poking fun at the politically powerful has a serious side, but it should always be fun for the writer and the audience.
10/02/14
CNN Digital national political reporter Peter Hamby wonders whether the exploding use of social media to cover political campaigns may actually be pushing candidates further away from the press and the public.
11/03/14
Teddy Goff, who directed President Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 digital campaigns, believes that while technology has radically changed the way campaigns are conducted, the average voter still wants to be listened to and respected.
11/20/14
Strategists say battle for control of Congress, White House is just heating up.
11/01/13
During a program held on Oct. 30 in Mitchell Hall, the National Agenda program looked at how Delawareans view state and national politics. In the aftermath of the recent federal government shutdown, a majority of Americans polled said they wanted to see more compromise among their elected representatives. But when it came to issues about which voters have strong feelings, the push for cooperation tended to waver. Citizen reaction to the shutdown and the way Delawareans view major issues and rate their elected members of Congress were discussed.
09/14/12
A University panel offered insights into national political conventions on Sept. 14. The panelists included three people who attended the Republican convention in Tampa, Fla. – senior political science major Bradley Gunther, former Maryland governor and congressman Robert Ehrlich and his wife Kendel Ehrlich, a UD alumna – and three who attended the Democratic convention in Charlotte, N.C. – UD faculty members Lindsay Hoffman, David Wilson and Tracey Holden, who are affiliated with UD’s Center for Political Communication.
09/21/12
If the 2008 election was one of hope and change and the 2010 election was one of anger, the 2012 election may be defined by disappointment, ABC News political director Amy Walter told a University of Delaware National Agenda speaker series audience Wednesday night, Sept. 19, 2012 in Mitchell Hall.
10/08/12
This year's national elections are shaping up much like those eight years ago, Republican congressional strategist Ken Spain told a University of Delaware National Agenda speaker series audience on Wednesday night, Oct. 3, 2012, with tight battles at the top of the ticket as well as for seats in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. "I see a race like in 2004," Spain said, with either Democratic President Barack Obama or Republican Mitt Romney winning by a margin of about 51-49 percent of the vote and neither party dominating in the polls across the states.
10/05/11
On the tenth anniversity of the war in Afghanistan, Washington Post editor Pamela Constable discusses effects of America’s longest war.
10/20/11
"Selling the Candidates": National Agenda audience got a behind-the-scenes look at political advertising. The award-winning Joe Slade White and Valerie Biden Owens, a UD alumna and the sister of Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., also a Blue Hen, discussed key principles and best practices for successful media campaigns in a presentation titled “Selling the Candidates.”
11/16/11
Homecoming was extended with the return to campus of University of Delaware alumnus and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who delivered an animated National Agenda talk on leadership, politics and the challenges facing the nation’s governors before a full house Nov. 16 in Mitchell Hall.
