Jeremi Suri holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a professor in the University’s Department of History and the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. Professor Suri is the author and editor of eleven books on contemporary politics and foreign policy. His recent book, The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America’s Highest Office, was widely reviewed across the United States. He has a new book published in Fall 2022: Civil War By Other Means: America’s Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy. Professor Suri’s research and teaching have received numerous prizes. In 2007 Smithsonian Magazine named him one of America’s “Top Young Innovators” in the Arts and Sciences. In 2018 he received the President’s Associates Teaching Excellence Award from the University of Texas, and the Pro Bene Meritis Award for Contributions to the Liberal Arts. His writings appear widely in blogs and print media (including the New York Times, Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, Atlantic, Time, Wired, New Republic, Foreign Policy, and others.) Professor Suri is also a frequent public lecturer and guest on radio and television programs. He hosts a weekly podcast, “This is Democracy,” available through his professional webpage: http://jeremisuri.net.

LECTURE TOPICS: 

 The Legacies of the Civil War in the Twenty-First Century

Worries about a new civil war in America are misplaced because the Civil War never fully ended.This lecture is about the two decades after the Confederate surrender at Appomattox, when some Americans tried to build a multiracial nation, and others refused. It tells the story of difficult transition years for the United States, and it shows how they created a pattern for exclusion, violence, and coup-plotting that repeated into the twenty-first century. The lecture will show how knowledge of this history can improve political reform efforts today. The lecture is based on my new book, published in early Fall 2022: Civil War By Other Means: America’s Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy.  

 Six People Who Built Modern America 

The years between the Civil War and the Second World War marked the emergence of the United States as the wealthiest and strongest nation in the world. America’s extraordinary rise was unpredictable, difficult, and often close to disaster. A diverse group of citizens made key decisions to transform the country. This lecture will focus on the two most important presidents of this period, Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt. We will see how their leadership interacted with innovators in industry and society, especially John D. Rockefeller and Jane Addams. The lecture will also focus on ground-breaking educators and entrepreneurs of the period, particularly Booker T. Washington and Henry Ford.

The Second World War and its Legacies

This lecture will examine the most destructive war in human history. What were causes of the war, and how did it reach all parts of the world? How did the United States, in particular, fight the war? The lecture will explain how the war ended, and how the end of the war gave rise to a new American-led world order, which has lasted until the twenty-first century. The Second World War changed the world, and those are the changes that still underpin our current conflicts and challenges.

The Evolution of the American Presidency 

The American presidency is the most powerful political office in the world. Surprisingly, most contemporary presidents have found themselves severely constrained in their ability to pursue their chosen agendas for domestic and foreign policy change. This lecture will explain why, focusing on the nature of government bureaucracy, the range of American challenges and commitments, and the development of the modern media. We will begin with the founding vision of the U.S. presidency and the actions of its first occupant, George Washington. Then, we’ll examine the presidencies of Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, and the most recent office-holders. We will focus on how the power of the presidency has changed over time and what that has meant for American society. The lecture will close with reflections for how we can improve presidential leadership in future years. This lecture is based on my recent book, The Impossible Presidency.