The MSU Leadership Institute strives to host a number of multifaceted events that offer participants the opportunity to engage in leadership training through a variety of activities. Our special events are so much more than a mere lecture or training. We aim to make each one different and engaging in new and exciting ways. At our special events, participants will find new perspectives and insight into what it is to be a leader.
2013 ASMSU Presidential Debate
Thursday, February 28th at 12:00pm in the Union Market
This event is free and open to the public
The MSU student body President and Vice President are positions that require a great deal of skill and excellence. Watch your candidates debate a wide variety of issues that pertain to student life and campus policies at Montana State University. Come see who has what it takes to lead our university into the future! The choice is yours. Be informed.
This event is sponsored by ASMSU & MSU Leadership Institute
To read more about ASMSU elections, click here.
The State of Congress and American Politics
Wednesday, Feb 6th at 4:10pm
This event is free and open to the public
MSU Engineering and Physical Sciences Building (EPS) 103, corner of South 7th & Grant Ave
Video conference with Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein
Join us for conversation and thoughtful reflection on the state of Congress and American politics with renowned congressional scholars Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein. From their perches at the Brookings Institute and the American Enterprise Institute, Mann and Ornstein have provided thoughtful scholarly commentary the people’s branch since their time on Capitol Hill as congressional fellows with the American Political Science Association in the 1970s. Their recent books, The Broken Branch and It’s Worse Than it Looks, have inspired a widespread discussion of the reasons for recent congressional dysfunction and possible solutions to the gridlock in Washington, DC. In particular, their criticism of the increasing use of delay tactics and the filibuster in the Senate are in part responsible for a current debate led by the Democratic caucus in the Senate to reform that procedure. The discussion will be moderated by Montana State University political science professor David Parker, and questions will be encouraged from the audience.
A noted congressional scholar, Tom Mann writes and speaks widely on American politics and policymaking, including campaigns, elections, campaign finance reform and the effectiveness of Congress. His most recent book, co-authored with Norman Ornstein, is It’s Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided With the New Politics of Extremism.
Norman Ornstein is a long-time observer of Congress and politics. He writes a weekly column for Roll Call called "Congress Inside Out" and is an election eve analyst for CBS News. He served as co-director of the AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project and participates in AEI's Election Watch series. He also served as a senior counselor to the Continuity of Government Commission. Mr. Ornstein led a working group of scholars and practitioners that helped shape the law, known as McCain-Feingold, that reformed the campaign financing system. He was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2004. His many books include The Permanent Campaign and Its Future (AEI Press, 2000); The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track, with Thomas E. Mann (Oxford University Press, 2006, named by the Washington Post one of the best books of 2006 and called by the Economist "a classic"); and, most recently, the New York Times bestseller, It's Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided With the New Politics of Extremism, also with Tom Mann, published in May by Basic Books.
This event is sponsored by ASMSU & MSU Leadership Institute
