Past Lectures

Renowned Speakers Since 1997

To see a timeline of past speakers, click here.

“Is There a Fair Way to Reduce the Federal Deficit?”
featuring Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson (Ron Insana, Moderator)
“How Can Public Education Succeed for Our Children?”
featuring Jack O’Connell, Charles Reed and Antonio Villaraigosa (Gloria Borger, Moderator)
“How Does America Lead in a Competitive World?”
featuring Chris Dodd, Stephen Hadley and Jim Jones (Gloria Borger, Moderator)
“Can Civility Be Returned in Governing Our Nation?” featuring Evan Bayh and John Warner (Judy Woodruff, Moderator)

“Our Economy: How Can Recession Become Recovery?”
featuring Harvey Pitt and Robert Reich (Ron Insana, Moderator)
“Our Foreign Policy: Who Will Lead the World?”
featuring James Rubin and Frances Townsend (Aaron Brown, Moderator)
“Our Politics: Does Bipartisanship Have a Future?”
featuring Jeb Bush and James Carville (Mara Liasson, Moderator)
“Our Environment: Can We Save the Planet That Sustains Us?” featuring Al Gore (Frank Sesno, Moderator)

“Can Healthcare Reform Finally Happen?”
featuring Tom Daschle and Michael Leavitt (Judy Woodruff, Moderator)
“Can the Economy Recover From This Recession?”
featuring Jim Nussle and Alice Rivlin (Judy Woodruff, Moderator)
“Can the Partisan Divide Ever End?”
featuring David Plouffe and Karl Rove (Frank Sesno, Moderator)
“Can America Win the War On Terror?”
featuring General John P. Abizaid, USA (Ret.) and David Ignatius (Frank Sesno, Moderator)

“Economic Challenges at Home and Abroad”
featuring Alan Blinder and David Walker (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“The Role of the Military and Intelligence in National Security”
featuring General Peter Pace, General Barry McCaffrey and John Arquilla (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“The Clash of Politics and Leadership”
featuring Tucker Carlson, Bill Press and Bill Richardson (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“Diplomacy, Preemption or Isolation – What Role for America?”
featuring Andrew Card and Richard Holbrooke (Leon Panetta, Moderator)

“Money, Charisma or Ability?”
featuring George Pataki, Tom Vilsack and Gloria Borger (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“The Role of the Press in Choosing a Candidate”
featuring Dan Rather and Bob Woodward (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“Picking Winners from Losers”
featuring James Carville and Bill O’Reilly (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“Issues Facing the Next President”
featuring Chuck Hagel and Bob Graham (Leon Panetta, Moderator)

“Can Democracy Survive in Iraq?”
featuring John Murtha, Slade Gorton and Richard Haass (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“How Do People in a Democracy Get Their Information?”
featuring Pat Buchanan and Paul Begala (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“The Relationship Between our Economy and our Democracy”
featuring William Kristol and Robert Reich (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“How to Balance National Security and Freedom in our Democracy”
featuring Tom Daschle and Jack Danforth (Leon Panetta, Moderator)

“The Demographic Explosion-The Challenges of Health and Retirement Security”
featuring Donna Shalala and Tommy Thompson (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“Democracy and the Media-Choosing Sides or Reporting the News?”
featuring Ann Compton and Judy Woodruff (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“America’s Role in the World-To Lead, Follow or Do It Alone?”
featuring Sandy Berger and Robert Gates (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“Economic Policy–Borrow and Spend, Tax and Spend or Punt?”
featuring Bill Bradley and Alan Simpson (Leon Panetta, Moderator)

“Leadership In California During the 21st Century”
featuring Arnold Schwarznegger (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“Women and Leadership in the 21st Century”
featuring Hillary Rodham Clinton (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“Domestic Leadership in the 21st Century”
featuring Richard Gephardt and Tony Snow (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“World Leadership in the 21st Century”
featuring George Mitchell and Fred Thompson (Leon Panetta, Moderator)

“The Challenges of Presidential Leadership”
featuring William Jefferson Clinton (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“The Role of the Presidency in Governing During Crisis”
featuring Doris Kearns Goodwin and David Gergen (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“Politics and the People During Crisis”
featuring James Carville and Mary Matalin (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“The Role of the Congress in Governing During Crisis”
featuring Newt Gingrich and Tom Foley (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“The Responsibility of the Press in Times of Crisis”
featuring Al Hunt and Mark Shields (Leon Panetta, Moderator)

“Responding to the Attack-Terror, Rescue and Relief”
featuring Rudolph Giuliani and Richard Grasso (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“Tracking the Terrorists-Balancing Our Nation’s Security and Freedom”
featuring Lee Hamilton, Barry McCaffrey and William Sessions (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“Covering the War-The Search for Truth and the Threat to Journalists”
featuring Gloria Borger and Bernard Shaw (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
Governing in Crisis-The Role of War, Money and Politics”
featuring Norman Ornstein and Cokie Roberts (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“Fighting Terrorism-Diplomacy, Defense and Deficits”
featuring Warren Rudman and William Safire (Leon Panetta, Moderator)

“Challenges of Foreign Policy”
featuring Madeleine Albright (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“Elections, Politics and Governing”
featuring James Carville and Bill O’Reilly (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“The Generations-Past, Present and Future”
featuring Tom Brokaw and Clint Eastwood (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“Let the Games Continue”
featuring Mark Russell (Leon Panetta, Moderator)

“Third Party Candidates”
featuring Jesse Ventura (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“Running for the Presidency”
featuring Lamar Alexander and Geraldine Ferraro (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“Covering the Candidates”
featuring Bill Plante and Sam Donaldson (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“The Presidential Race”
featuring Bill Press and John Sununu (Leon Panetta, Moderator)

“Media and Politics”
featuring David Broder and Alan Simpson (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“Communication and Entertainment”
featuring Jack Valenti and Michael McCurry (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“Business Education and Society”
featuring Mark Andreessen, Joyce Brothersand Larry Irving (Leon Panetta, Moderator)

“The Court”
featuring Antonin Scalia and Abner Mikva (Leon Panetta, Moderator)
“The Cabinet”
featuring Henry Cisneros and Jack Kemp (Cokie Roberts, Moderator)
“The Congress”
featuring Richard Gephardt and John Kasich (Bob Schieffer, Moderator)

“The Presidency”
featuring James Baker III and Leon Panetta (Tim Russert, Moderator)