Pitt's Honors College to Host Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein For Discussion on 2008 Presidential Election and the Future of American Politics.

PITTSBURGH-As part of the American Experience Distinguished Lecture Series, the University of Pittsburgh Honors College will host two renowned governmental and political analysts for a lecture on America's ever-changing political climate. Thomas E. Mann, W. Averell Harriman Senior Fellow in American Governance at The Brookings Institute, and Norman J. Ornstein, resident scholar with the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI), will take part in a lecture titled "After the 2008 Elections: How Can They Govern?" at 8 p.m. Dec. 3 in the Twentieth Century Club, Bigelow Boulevard and Parkman Street, Oakland. Pitt political science professor and American politics expert Susan B. Hansen will moderate a discussion following the lecture.

In a career spanning more than 35 years, Mann has served as the executive director of the American Political Science Association, chaired the Board of Overseers of the American National Election Studies, and served as a legislative assistant to Sen. Philip A. Hart and Rep. James G. O'Hara, both of Michigan. Mann has taught at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Virginia, and Georgetown University. He frequently lectures in the United States and abroad on political and governmental policy issues and has written numerous articles and opinion pieces for such publications as "The New York Times" and "The Washington Post."

A native of Milwaukee, Wis., Mann earned his BA degree at the University of Florida and his MA and PhD degrees at the University of Michigan. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Public Administration. He also is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and of Phi Beta Kappa.

Ornstein serves as senior counselor to the Continuity of Government Commission, which works to ensure that U.S. governmental institutions will be maintained in the event of a terrorist attack. He founded the Campaign Finance Reform Working Group and served as director of the Transition to Governing Project, an initiative launched by AEI in 1998 to improve the process by which elected officials transition from campaigning to governing. He has taught at Johns Hopkins University and the Catholic University of America. Ornstein also writes the weekly column "Congress Inside Out" for "Roll Call" and frequently serves as an election analyst and political pundit for such programs as "CBS News," "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," and "Nightline".

A native of Grand Rapids, Mich., Ornstein earned his BA degree at the University of Minnesota and his MA and PhD degrees at the University of Michigan. He is a recipient of the American Political Science Association's Goodnow Award for distinguished service to the profession and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Mann and Ornstein have collaborated on numerous projects involving politics and public policy, including coauthoring or coediting "The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track"(Oxford University Press, 2006), "The Permanent Campaign and Its Future" (AEI Press, 2000), and "Congress, the Press, and the Public" (Brookings Institution Press, 1994).

The late Robert G. Hazo created the American Experience program 38 years ago to offer Pittsburgh's mid-to-high level managers the opportunity to gain insight into political and economic thought, with the intent of enlightening the public's political discourse. The program's current director is Edward L. McCord, director of programming and special projects in Pitt's Honors College. The series focuses on political and economical issues featuring annual addresses by such internationally renowned speakers as the late John Kenneth Galbraith, Pat Buchanan, Paul R. Ehrlich, and Teresa Heinz Kerry.

The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Those interested in attending must RSVP with name, phone number, and name/s of additional attendees to uhcevent@pitt.edu or 412-624-2654. For more information on the American Experience Lecture Series, visit ae.honorscollege.pitt.edu.

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11/18/08/amm