Coloradan Conversations: The Polarization of Politics
Each Coloradan Conversation will bring Forever Buffs and the CU Â鶹ӰԺ community together to discuss a singular topic or theme relevant not only on campus, but around the world. Rather than listening to a lecture, this series invites alumni to engage and connect with thought leaders and fellow Forever Buffs about topics presented in the Coloradan alumni magazine.
During this event, we heard from CU experts about the rise of political branding strategies and how differing approaches to identity and social issues contribute to contemporary patterns of polarization. Watch the full event online below.
Program exhibits featured research from:
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMdsPpYrHTo&ab_channel=UniversityofColoradoÂ鶹ӰԺAlumni%26Students]
Featured Speakers:
Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Research, Professor of Law
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnvziQfoPyw&ab_channel=UniversityofColoradoÂ鶹ӰԺAlumni%26Students]
Doug Spencer is the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Research and Professor of Law at the University of Colorado. Professor Spencer is an election law scholar whose research examines the role of prejudice and racial attitudes in voting, and the ways that election rules and political campaigns contribute to growing inequality in America. Professor Spencer holds a Ph.D. in Jurisprudence and Social Policy from the. He graduated magna cum laude from Columbia University in 2004 with a B.A. in Philosophy.
Professor Spencer will explore the rise of political branding, or the use of corporate advertising strategies to sell political ideas — along with what branding strategies on the machinery of politics means for the right to vote in America.
Associate Professor of Women and Gender Studies, Faculty Director of Miramontes Arts & Sciences Program
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_hwzCRE_kA&ab_channel=UniversityofColoradoÂ鶹ӰԺAlumni%26Students]
Celeste Montoya is Associate Professor of Women & Gender Studies and the Faculty Director for the Miramontes Arts & Sciences Program (MASP). She holds a PhD in political science and her research primarily focuses on the ways in which women and racialized communities mobilize to enact change, with a particular focus on Latinas and other women of color. She has published on social movements, gender violence, voting rights, and political representation. She is currently working on a project exploring Latina political leadership and activism in Colorado.
Professor Montoya will provide a historical overview of how parties have realigned their approaches to race and gender and how this has contributed to contemporary patterns of polarization.
Professor of Law, Co-Director of the Juvenile and Family Law Program
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFPZiwxEmUI&ab_channel=UniversityofColoradoÂ鶹ӰԺAlumni%26Students]
Jennifer Hendricks is a professor here at CU law school. Her research interests include sex equality and sex differences, constitutional family law, equality in sports, and relational feminist theory. Her book on pregnancy and parental rights, Essentially a Mother: A Feminist Approach to the Law of Pregnancy and Motherhood, is coming out from the University of California Press this spring.
Professor Hendricks will discuss the politicization of reproduction’s deep history in the United States and how it is intertwined with racial and gender hierarchies, both under Roe v. Wade’s regime of medical control and in the new, post-Roe regime of state control over pregnancy.
Learn More
Read the work of Mary Ziegler, the leading U.S. expert on abortion law, as she charts the many meanings associated with Roe v. Wade during its fifty-year history.
Read Jennifer Hendricks' book, a feminist approach to the law of pregnancy and motherhood.
This Brennan Center For Justice publication tracks legislation related to voting law (restricting voting access or expanding voting access) in all 50 state legislatures.
The National Conference of State Legislatures (based here in Denver) provides a 50-state overview of several laws and policies related to elections and campaigns.
Celeste Montoya contributes to this multi-faceted account of the role of gender in the electoral process through the 2020 elections.
The Free Mind podcast explores topics in Western philosophy, politics, literature, and history with adventurous disregard for academic fashions and intellectual trends.
Give More
For donating in support of abortion rights:
For donating in support of reproductive justice more broadly: (formerly National Advocates for Pregnant Women)
For donating in support of Colorado Law's continued excellence: The Colorado Law Dean's Fund
For donating in support of underrepresented and/or first generation students in the College of Arts and Sciences: Miramontes Arts & Sciences Program (MASP)
Engage More
Colbalt is a Colorado based non-profit dedicated to abortion access and reproductive rights — working for everyone’s freedom to decide when and how to use birth control, give birth or parent. Get involved!
Discovering a company’s political donations is easy. Buy products that support your values. This app lets you scan product barcodes and shows you the political contributions made by the corporation behind that product.
All Â鶹ӰԺ Redistricting is a one-stop shop for information about the statewide redistricting process run by Professor Doug Spencer. The site reviews the substantive considerations that go into redistricting, the various entities and institutions involved in the process, and the rules, progress, and litigation in each state.
MASP supports traditionally underrepresented and/or first-generation college students who want to be part of a diverse, multicultural academic enrichment community. MASP is a cooperative and collaborative program that offers a participation scholarship and dedicated space for activities, advising, studying, and seminars.