While discussing his new
book “How Democracies Die”,
co-authored
with
Harvard
professor
Daniel
Ziblatt,
Steven Levitsky, a professor
of
government
at
Harvard
University,
noted
the
current
Supreme
Court
nomination
process
of
Brett Kavanaugh. Levitsky
argued increased political
polarization will result in
increased conflict, while
addressing a crowd of about
40 students and faculty
members Saturday on the
present state of democracy
in the United States and the
current
administration’s
role
in
the
democratic
landscape.
“As we grow polarized,
Americans on both the left
and the right are willing to
tolerate abuses against the
other side,” Levitsky said.
“Daniel and I had a really
interesting meeting with
seven Democratic senators
earlier this week. One of
them,
Michael
Bennett
from Colorado, told us, ‘I’m
quite sure that never again
will a president without a
majority in the Senate get
his or her (Supreme Court
justice) nomination passed.
The days of a minority
president
nominating
a
person to the Supreme Court,
ever, those days are done.’”
Levitsky
said
President
Donald Trump has contributed
to the public’s declining faith in
U.S. government.
“There are things to worry
about … the impact of his
discourse is accelerating the
erosion of the public trust in
our institutions,” Levitsky said.
“Same thing with the press.
An independent media and
press freedom are essential
institutions in any democracy.
And
Trump’s
discourse,
that the media is conspiring
against him … has accelerated
the erosion of public trust in
independent media.”
However,
according
to
Levitsky, the United States
is still in a strong position in
terms of democratic prosperity.
“U.S. democracy isn’t dead,
it’s not dying, it probably won’t
die,” Levitsky said. “Social
scientists don’t agree on too
many things, but there are a
couple of factors they agree
contribute to the longevity of
democracy — age and wealth.”
2A —Monday, October 1, 2018
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ANN UAL ORGAN CONFE RE NCE RE HE R SAL
A
recent
University
of
Michigan
study
found
each
federal dollar the United States
government spends on the Great
Lakes Restoration Initiative leads
to an extra $3.35 of economic
activity in the region. These
results are conclusive through the
year 2036.
The GLRI was launched in
2010 and Congress has funded
over
$2.5
billion
worth
of
projects to improve the region’s
environmental
concerns.
The
economic
benefits
were
not
initially intended to be part of the
initiative, but through the GLRI,
approximately 1,700 new jobs
in tourism have been created or
supported.
John Linc Stine, chair of the
Great Lakes Commission, said in a
Water Canada article these results
leave a positive legacy for the area.
“This study describes what we
already know in facts and figures:
Cleaning up legacy pollution and
restoring aquatic habitat on the
Great Lakes isn’t only good for
the environment, it creates jobs
and fuels the regional economy,”
Linc Stine said. “It’s a positive
legacy that states and our partner
organizations can leave for future
generations. The Great Lakes
states are ready and excited to
continue this critical work until
the job is finished.”
The study also found the federal
dollars
increased
quality
of
life throughout coastal areas.
Housing values improved by
$1.08
per
home,
an
overall
increase of $900 million. GLRI
was also found to increase new
real estate development, water-
based recreation, tourism and a
permanent young population.
MAX KUANG/Daily
School of Music, Theatre and Dance professors Joan Holland and Kola Owolabi rehearse on the harp and organ, respectively, for the 58th
Annual Organ Conference at Hill Auditorium Sunday.
CASEY TIN/Daily
ON THE DAILY: STUDY FINDS INVESTING IN GREAT LAKES
BRINGS ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO REGION
Harvard professor speaks on political
polarization, importance of voting
ZACH BLUMBERG
For The Daily
BY THE NUMBERS
BY THE NUMBERS
Nurses Contract Agreement
The University of Michigan Professional Nurses Council
reached a tentative 3-year contract agreement with
Michigan Medicine administrators on Saturday. In
upcoming weeks, the more than 5,700 Michigan Medicine
nurses plan to ratify the agreement.
According to the 2017-2018 Sustainability Cultural Indicators
Program survey, 75% of University of Michigan students, an
almost 10% increase from 2015, are “extremely sure” climate
change is occurring. In contrast, a 2017 Yale University survey
found that 45% of Americans were “extremely sure”
climate change is real.
Student Climate Change Survey
Doctoral Student Survey
The Rackham Institutional Research office's first Michigan Doctoral Experience
Study, conducted in 2017 now publicly available , found that 72 percent of surveyed
students pursuing a master’s in social sciences reported they wanted to teach after
earning their degrees. In contrast, the study found that only about 43 percent of
surveyed students pursuing their master’s in the physical sciences or engineering
reported they wanted to teach after earning their degrees.
On Tuesday, the Zell Lurie Institute at the Ross School of Business announced a
$100,000 investment from its Founders Fund into organic snack company SMPL.
SMPL was started by University alum Ellis Fried, whom earned more than $17,000
in the 2017 Michigan Business Challenge while an undergraduate student.
Ross Invests in Alum’s Healthy Snack Company