Ralph Munro Seminar for Civic Education

Since 1986, the Political Science Department has a Fall seminar that brings together state policymakers, scholars and community leaders to discuss pressing public policy challenges in an open forum attended by Western students, faculty and the community at large. For more information on the seminar and the Munro Institute for Civic Education, contact Institute Director Kate Destler.

Fall Seminar 2021: Complex Problems and Cross-Party Conversations

Each panel brings together State legislators, Washington University faculty and local government officials.

Check out this forum to discuss complex policy issues affecting us all.

Tuesday, October 27th

Institutional Stresses in an Era of Pandemic

Keynote Address at 3:30pm - 5:00pm

• Alasdair Roberts, Professor of Public Policy and Director, School of Public Policy, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Kyle Harper, Professor of Classics & Letters, University of Oklahoma
• Moderator: Vernon Johnson, Director, Munro Institute, Professor of Political Science

We have two distinguished scholars from different orientations who will engage in a conversation centered around “Institutional Stresses in an Era of Pandemic.” 

Panel Discussion #1

“Who Is In Charge Here? Federalism, Bureaucracy And Lessons On “Managing” A Pandemic”

12:00pm - 1:30pm

• Chris Reykdal, Superintendent, Office Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Don Kettl, University of Texas Austin
• Leo Flor, Director, King County Department of Community and Human Services
• Jae Moon, Yonsei University, Director, Institute of Future Government
• Moderator: Kate Destler, WWU Associate Professor of Political Science

Beyond the immediate health concerns, Covid-19 has revealed challenges in governance and the management of public agencies, as key decision-makers often struggled to coordinate and communicate with one another and with the public at large.  At the same time, a bright side of the pandemic has been valuable lessons— both locally and globally—about how public agencies can respond to this crisis and others that may loom in our future. This panel brings together scholars and public officials at the local and state level to discuss what has worked, what has failed, and what we might do differently the next time around.

Panel Discussion #2

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Washington’s LatinX Population

3:30 pm – 5:00 pm

• Rebecca Saldana, State Senator, 37th District
• Giovanni Severino, Lead Policy Organizer, Latino Community Fund of Washington
• Mike Gempler, Executive Director, Washington Growers League
• Norma Chavez, Director, Office of Agricultural and Seasonal Workforce Services
• Moderator: Rudy Alamillo, WWU Assistant Professor of Political Science

In this panel, a group of experts from the private, public, and community organizing sectors discuss the impact of COVID-19 on Washington's Latinx population. Although Latinxs are only 13% of Washington’s total population, they represent 41% of confirmed COVID-19 cases. We talk about why the Latinx population in Washington is especially vulnerable to COVID-19, with a focus on how state and private sector responses to the pandemic affected Latinx farmworkers. We will also discuss where Latinxs stand in a post-COVID-19 Washington after bearing the brunt of the pandemic.