After reading friends’ posts on Facebook or the comment threads on stories about elections, many might feel like political campaigns have never been more contentious.
But Colonial Williamsburg hopes to provide historical context Thursday, when it airs the latest American Ideas interactive webcast, “Civil Discourse,” from 6 to 7 p.m.
Webcast host Julie Silverbrook (of the Constitutional Services Project) will talk with President George Washington (portrayed by Ron Carnegie); President Thomas Jefferson (portrayed by Bill Barker); Emily Sydnor, a Ph.D. candidate in American politics at the University of Virginia; and Quentin Kidd, professor of political science at Christopher Newport University.
They’ll talk about the issues that have dogged American politics since the beginning: compromise, polarization, negative advertising and inflammatory rhetoric, while looking at the influence ideology has on governance. Video clips will examine the history of negative ads and the influence of the press on elections. Audio clips from CW podcasts with three sitting governors, along with one former Secretary of Defense, will also help provide context.
Viewers can join the discussion by sending questions before or during the webcast to [email protected] or during the program via Twitter or through the live chat room here.
