The Meador Center Speaker Series kicks off with two of the most active voices in America’s online political landscape, representing views from both the left and the right. The Center’s theme this year is Politics, Activism, and Voice: A Toolbox for Democracy, with speakers and events focused on empowering citizens to engage with government and civic life.
O Canada! Should the U.S. adopt a single-payer health insurance system?
Monday, April 9
6:30 p.m., Clara Thompson Hall
Dr. Dan Ponder moderates a pro-con-style debate featuring two leading voices in health care policy. The debate kicks off a full week of activities associated with Drury’s Breech Business Week.
Speaking in favor of a single-payer system is Ed Weisbart, M.D., who chairs the Missouri chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program, which has more than 21,000 members nationwide. Weisbart is an assistant professor of clinical medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. He has published several articles over the years regarding the health care needs of the uninsured, and volunteers in a variety of safety net clinics and other nonprofits in the St. Louis area. He also recruits other physicians to practice at free clinics across the nation.
Speaking against a single-payer system is author and policy analyst John C. Goodman, Ph.D., a senior fellow at the Independent Institutue. The Wall Street Journal calls Goodman “the father of Health Savings Accounts,” and his 1992 book Patient Power is credited with playing a pivotal role in the defeat of Hillary Clinton’s health reform efforts. Goodman is the author of nine books and regularly briefs members of Congress on economic policy. He also appears frequently on television including CNN, CNBC and Fox News, and was a regular on Firing Line with the late William F. Buckley.
Monday, April 16, 2018
6 p.m., Clara Thompson Hall
A National Geographic “emerging explorer,” filmmaker, and globally recognized advocate on water issues, Alexandra Cousteau continues the work of her renowned grandfather Jacques-Yves Cousteau and her father Philippe Cousteau Sr. She has mastered the remarkable storytelling tradition handed down to her and has the unique ability to inspire audiences on the weighty issues of policy, politics, and action. Cousteau is dedicated to advocating the importance of conservation and the sustainable management of water in order to preserve a healthy planet. Her global initiatives seek to inspire and empower individuals to protect not only the ocean and its inhabitants, but also the human communities that rely on freshwater resources.
Monday, October 30, 2017
6:30 p.m., Diversity Center
From the right, Tom Nichols is a professor and Course Director for Security, Strategy, and Forces at the U.S. Naval War College in Rhode Island. He is a former Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., and taught international relations and Russian affairs at Dartmouth College and Georgetown University before joining the War College. He is the author of several works on foreign policy and international security affairs, including No Use: Nuclear Weapons and U.S. National Security and Eve of Destruction: The Coming Age of Preventive War. His most recent book, The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why It Matters, was published this spring. Nichols is also a five-time undefeated “Jeopardy!” champion, and is listed in the show’s Hall of Fame. In October 2017, he was named to POLITICO’s annual list of “50 Ideas Blowing Up American Politics – And the People Behind Them.”
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
6 p.m., Lay Hall Auditorium
Based out of St. Louis and with an anthropological background, Sarah Kendzior is the author of The View from Flyover Country. She is a highly sought speaker and commentator from the left. She is currently an op-ed columnist for the Toronto-based Globe and Mail, and has written for POLITICO, The Guardian, Slate, The Atlantic, The Chicago Tribune, Fast Company, The New York Times, and more. She is a frequent guest on NPR, Al Jazeera, BBC World Service and other outlets, and is a recurring guest on MSNBC’s “AM Joy.” Kendzior holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from Washington University. Her academic research focuses primarily on the authoritarian states of the former Soviet Union and how the Internet affects political mobilization, self-expression, and trust.