Geoff Lorenz, assistant professor in the Department of Political Science, will continue the 2022-23 College of Arts and Sciences Inquire lecture series with “Making polarization work for you: a politician’s survival guide” at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 24 in the Nebraska Union’s Swanson Auditorium.

The talk is free and open to the public and will also be livestreamed on Zoom. Register for the Zoom link.

The CAS Inquire program’s 2022-23 theme is “Searching for Common Ground in a Polarized World.” Students in the program connect with college thought leaders and other inquisitive students to discuss ideas, using a college-wide series of public lectures as a focal point.

Lorenz will examine the strategies political elites use to survive and thrive, and sometimes even govern effectively, in an era of partisan polarization. Along the way, the audience will learn how political scientists get reliable data about actors whose job depends on their ability to spin, sell, and self-promote. He will explore how interactions between the mass public, political elites, and special interest groups contribute to the status quo, and how “policy entrepreneurs” such as individual legislators, advocacy groups, and lobbyists navigate these conditions to change policy on behalf of their constituencies, communities, and clients.

This academic year’s series includes five lectures in the disciplines of English, political science, sociology and history, culminating in a panel discussion with the speakers in March 2023. Julia Schleck, English; Elizabeth Theiss-Morse, political science; and Regina Werum, sociology, contributed talks around the theme last year.

During the three-year program, CAS Inquire students take specialized courses, help with facilitating the program and enjoy additional benefits. They can apply, or be nominated by faculty, for the program as freshmen. The program launched in September of 2019 with the theme “Rise of the Machines” and centered around the theme “Pleasure and Pain” in 2021-22.