Political analyst explored America’s divisions in lecture

Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings revealed how divided America has become. Noted author and political analyst Henry Olsen, senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, explained how America has arrived at this divisive state and how it can move forward. His talk, “Our House Divided: Lincoln, Trump, and America’s Irrepressible Conflict,” was held Oct. 30 at 5:15 p.m. in Lewis Auditorium, Goldwin Smith Hall. The talk was free and open to the public.

“Henry Olsen is not only one of the most astute observers of politics and populism today but one of the rare commentators who knows history,” said Barry Strauss, the Bryce and Edith M. Bowmar Professor in Humanistic Studies in the Department of History. “By putting current cultural and political debates in historical perspective, Olsen offers wisdom for troubled times. He will get us to think and maybe even to compromise.”

Olsen is author of “The Working Class Republican: Ronald Reagan and the Return of Blue-Collar Conservatism” and “The Four Faces of the Republican Party,” co-authored with Dante Scala. He is also an editor at UnHerd.com, where he writes about populism and politics around the world.

The talk was sponsored by the Freedom and Free Societies, which aims to enhance understanding and appreciation for constitutional liberty by stimulating inquiry into the nature and meaning of freedom.