This revised seminar will discuss the upcoming midterm elections as they may be the most important in the 21st century.  The American political landscape has been transformed from one where tradition, norms and institutions are respected and supported, to one where it seems nothing is off limits - political victory, score settling and personal enrichment are the new "norms."  This seminar will examine where the world's longest running democracy stands, and discuss how, and if, it can continue to stand.

This seminar will provide an update on recent events in Israel and Palestine, building on previous one-day and six-week seminars. The first portion of the session will review key developments, and the second portion will be dedicated to guided class discussion. Participants will have the opportunity to share their concerns, hopes, and questions about the current situation in a respectful learning environment.

This repeats and updates the seminar that was offered in the UDOLLI spring term of this year. In this class we’ll explore the development of the three strands of Christian nationalism (CN); a rapidly growing and disquieting movement that casts a dark cloud over America in our present hyper-polarized political moment. Adherents to these religio-political movements
have the goal of turning America into a theocracy: One nation under God; but their God and for their ends. Concerningly, they see themselves as preparing for what they contend to be the final battle between Good and Evil.
Scholars and social critics alike suggest that there are those among us who have one unshakeable goal: To establish in the United States the Kingdom of God, one ruled by the Elect, and premised on authoritarian and patriarchal principles. Their objective is to radically remake key aspects of American government and education so as to impose their version of Christianity and morality upon the rest of us.
This seminar will challenge participants to reflect on the rise of CN -- a movement that can only be viewed as a perversion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To set the stage we’ll look at some of the historical antecedents to today’s expression of CN going back to the 1920s and 1930s with the rapid rise of Christian fundamentalism. And we’ll also speak to the challenges that CN presents to the Constitutional principle of separation of church and state.

This seminar will examine several ongoing challenges facing American democracy, including the Electoral College, the death penalty, federal courts, gerrymandering, qualified immunity, term limits, the filibuster, voting rights, immigration, gun control, and political polarization. Through discussion, participants will consider how these issues shape public trust, civic participation, and the future of democratic government.

Polls tell us that between 75%—85% of Americans believe the federal government is broken and not capable of solving major problems. This course will review the major problems that have led to the ineffectiveness of government, and present innovative solutions to minimize divisiveness and strengthen our unity in governing.

Compare the conservative Project 2025 with a comparable progressive agenda. How is Project 2025 reflected in the philosophy and staffing of the current Trump administration? Compare how Project 2025 and “Project 2029” would address important economic, social, environmental and governance issues.

According to a recent AP-NORC poll, healthcare has become one of the top priorities for the government to address in 2026. This shift in issue priorities puts healthcare on center stage as voters head to the polls in the midterm elections. This seminar will shine a spotlight on several areas that fall under the category of healthcare policy and practice. You will hear from practitioners and policy makers from top rated medical centers along with medical specialists who influence policy across the country.  Issues to be examined will include but not be limited to the role of technology in medicine, healthcare insurance and how it can contribute to the high cost of healthcare, the erosion of trust in medicine, medical debt relief, medical research, and other issues that capture headlines in news reports. This three-week virtual class will help participants better analyze candidates' positions on legislative solutions related to the cost and quality of healthcare.