Political Dynamics and the Future of Democracy (In Person and Online)

Description of Talk: Many of us feel that our democracy is in danger, but this is probably not the first time. What can we learn from history? What is different this time? And most importantly, what can we do, individually and collectively, to save and improve democracy?

Our speaker, Michael Abramson, will provide an overview of theories and models of political change. His slides are here: Political Dynamics and the Future of Democracy. It’s a work in progress; they will likely change before, during, and after our discussion. They already included comments from a recent discussion of this topic at humanists@UUCPA, and your discussion comments and ideas will be incorporated as well. As a result, it will be a summary of our collaborative deliberation, not just the presenter's point of view.
Feel free to review the slides by clicking the link above and explore the references that you find interesting. Such pre-meeting research will only enrich our discussion.

Speaker's bio: Michael's area of expertise is system modeling and simulation. Most of his work was related to technical and engineering applications, ranging from electromagnetics and radiation transfer to fluid and gas flows and air traffic control systems. He also had a few publications on modeling social and political dynamics closely related to the current topic.

Michael currently works as a contractor for NASA and lives in Mountain View with his wife and close to their children's families.

Attend in Person:
You can attend our forums in person with fellow humanists in the Maple Room of the Mountain View Community Center at 201 S Rengstorff Ave, Mountain View. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation for lunch. If you attend in person, COVID protocols will be followed. Vaccinations and masks will be required. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom.