Common Ground returns after hiatus

by Brian Seiter 23, Staff Writer

The Spectator
The Spectator

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Former Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers (Obama Administration) Christina Romer and Former Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers (George W. Bush administration) Gregory Mankiw will serve as panelists in the upcoming Common Ground Event. Henry Platt Bristol Professor of Economics Ann Owen will moderate the event. Photo courtesy of Hamilton College.

On Tuesday, Oct. 26, College President David Whippman announced that the Common Ground Series, which was postponed amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, will be returning to the hill on Monday, Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the Wellin Hall.

The Common Ground series began in 2017 with the aim of bringing prominent speakers to campus with differing views on important contemporary issues in order to facilitate and model a productive dialogue. These conversations seek to find the “common ground” amidst the ideological and political gaps between the two speakers. The Hamilton website states that “Common Ground is a forum where speakers discuss contemporary issues and model respectful dialogue from different perspectives.” Concerning the goals and mission of Common Ground, President Wippman said “our objective was for speakers to model the kind of respectful dialogue across political boundaries that should occur more often on campuses and in society.”

To pursue this aim in past years, Hamilton College has invited numerous speakers to campus from various political and ideological backgrounds to have discussions, debates, and discourse regarding important issues such as impeachment and midterm elections. The series has featured speakers such as Condoleezza Rice, Marc Elias ’90, Jim Messina, Reince Priebus and David Axelrod.

The upcoming installment of the Common Ground series will be a panel discussion between two prominent economists and policymakers, Christina Romer of University of California Berkely and Gregory Mankiw of Harvard University, about income inequality and its causes, consequences and policy. The moderator of this event will be Professor Ann Owen, who is the Henry Platt Bristol Professor of Economics at Hamilton College and a former economist for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

These two economists stand on opposite sides of the American political schism but also have very similar backgrounds and fields of expertise. Romer is a liberal professor of economics at Berkeley and a former chair of the Council of Economic Advisors in the Obama Administration. On the other hand, Mankiew is a conservative economist, a former republican and current independent, a professor of economics at Harvard University and the former chair of the Council of Economic Advisers during the George W. Bush administration.

Professor Owen spoke to The Spectator about this upcoming event and her role as the moderator. Regarding the event and its speakers, Owen stated that “I think that the event scheduled for next Monday, Nov. 15 is a good opportunity for our students. Both speakers have been involved in economic policymaking in prominent roles and are well-respected economists. Because the speakers are experts on US economic policy, the discussion will revolve around these issues in the US.” In terms of her role as moderator, Owen stated that “I see my role as moderator as one in which I will try to guide the speakers to talk not just about their own views but also about the sources of any disagreement they might have.”

It is important to note that the Common Ground series is not and has not been devoid of controversy during its relatively short time on the Hill. Many students and faculty stand in opposition and disagreement with the series, and specifically whether finding common ground is possible or worthwhile.

Reflective of another type of view, in 2017, Associate Professor of Africana Studies Nigel Westmaas wrote to The Spectator in a Letter to the Editor stating, “I have serious disagreement with the general thrust and trajectory of the principle of “common ground” or “both sides” in the current U.S. context.” In this same article, Westmaas stated that, despite the good intentions of the event, there is too much at stake in the current context of the country for an “elusive search for a fanciful, polite, common ground.”

Professor Owen and President Wippman spoke about these controversies and their opinions on them. Owens stated that her “intent is to just facilitate conversation on an important topic between two people who have relevant experience to offer. I think that has value, regardless of what we call it or what other events have been in a series with the same name.” Wippman echoed similar sentiments, saying, “I have emphasized on many occasions that part of a student’s education here lies precisely in exploring new ideas and new ways of thinking and in getting to know people with different identities, backgrounds, and perspectives…we learn more when we are open to new ideas and consider other perspectives, even if we find those ideas and perspectives uncomfortable.”

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