Our events bring thought-provoking conversations about democracy to the Penn State community and beyond. We also partner with organizations across Penn State and throughout the State College community to co-sponsor programming. All events are free and open to anyone.
The Great Perceptual Divide: Identity and Democracy in the U.S. and Britain
Wednesday, October 28, 12:15 p.m. (rescheduled from September 30)
515 Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building
Lunch will be provided at this event.
The divergence of perceptions of political outcomes typical of pluralist societies has developed into a Great Perceptual Divide in the U.S. and Britain, where populations now reside in alternate universes. Perceptions are driven by identity. In the U.S., the perceptual gulf coincides with political partisanship, while in the UK, the perceptual divide centered around the 2016 Brexit decision. In both countries, politicians are called to account for waging war on enemies rather than for advancing policy objectives, destroying traditional political accountability.
Mitchell Smith will explore these divisions in a talk based on his book The Great Perceptual Divide: Identity and Democracy in the U.S. and Britain, which will be published in September by Bloomsbury. Smith is the director of the School of International Affairs at Penn State and a professor of international affairs. He holds an MPA and a Ph.D, both from Princeton. He has been a Fulbright Fellow in European Union Affairs and a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels, Belgium.
Safeguarding Democracy: Addressing Risks to the 2026 Midterm Elections
Chris Krebs
Thursday, October 29, 4:00 p.m.
Sutliff Auditorium, 118, Lewis Katz Building
As the 2026 midterms approach, we’re thrilled to have election security expert Chris Krebs join us to discuss election security and its implications for a healthy democracy. He previously served as the first director of the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
In that role, Krebs oversaw CISA’s efforts to manage risk to the nation’s businesses and government agencies, bringing together partners to collectively defend against cyber and physical threats. At CISA, Krebs also pioneered the Rumor Control program, which was designed to counter disinformation campaigns.
Before serving as CISA Director, Krebs served in various roles at the Department of Homeland Security, responsible for a range of cybersecurity, critical infrastructure and national resilience issues. He also served in the George W. Bush Administration, advising DHS leadership on domestic and international risk management and public-private partnership initiatives.
Krebs is a CBS News contributor, as well as the founding partner of Krebs Stamos Group.
This event is co-sponsored by the College of Information Sciences and Technology and School of International Affairs.