November 5, 2020
To the Hamilton Lugar School Community,
If you are stressed about the election and the weeks until the presidential inauguration, we have some resources to help.
2020 has sent challenges our way, global in scope, and beyond the reach of any person or any country to address alone. Yet in the last nine months, we have seen the impact of our community's resilience and leadership—in the classroom, in your research and writing, in our town, and across the country and world.
Navigating the escape room that is the U.S. electoral system is difficult at any time. Yet, this year, despite an obdurate pandemic, voters have turned out at the highest levels since 1908. This is a national demonstration of resilience and civic engagement to celebrate and not to take for granted.
The next two months will present us with more tests, unknowns, and opportunities. We hope some of the following will help you stay safe, centered, and engaged.
HLS Hang Out
I will host a hang out for all members of the HLS and IU community to compare notes and share resources. A special guest or two may drop by. Feel free to join us tomorrow from 11:30am–12:30pm.
Campus Resources
- Read President McRobbie's note of assurance to the IU community.
- The campus has collected helpful information and resources for students, faculty, and staff, as well as lists of events and gatherings that are planned on campus to discuss aspects of the election. Check out election.iu.edu.
- The Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center has put together a Community Support Network with IU and community experts serving as a post-election resource to students. To connect with CSN, please reach out to nmgrad@iu.edu.
- This piece in Axios, a daily tip sheet, offers advice on what to expect and how to prepare for the days and weeks to come.
Food for Global Thoughts
As we think about the state of democracy in our own country, here is food for thought addressing the state of democracy globally.
- Melissa Schwartzberg, a democratic theorist at NYU, addresses the question of "why democracy survives in some countries and crumbles in others" in this piece by Ezra Klein in Vox.
- Larry Diamond describes "democratic regression in comparative perspective," in the journal, Democratization.
- The impact of the presidential election is global. Here’s how "A Riveted World Waits to See What’s Next in America."
An Indiana Diversion
As is occasionally the case, Indiana can provide singular insight into our country’s trajectory. Check out the results still dribbling in from Vigo County, a bellwether whose residents have only missed voting for the winning presidential candidate twice since 1888 and have been perfect since 1956. The county's last miss? Voting for Adlai Stevenson in 1952.
Be well and be safe.
Lee