Wilder School hosts town hall: ‘Popular Politics, Populism and Donald Trump: Who Are ‘We the People?’

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Many Americans are disillusioned with government and the political process, feeling frustrated their voices are not being heard. The divisiveness of the recent presidential election profoundly altered the political landscape. Americans want to find solutions to help their communities and the nation move forward — but how?

The L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University will host a town hall March 22 at the Grace Street Theater, 934 W. Grace St., from 7–9 p.m. The town hall will offer a community conversation about today’s political climate, leadership, the nation’s changing electorate and how citizens can get involved.

The event is free and open to the public.

Leading the discussion will be Gov. L. Douglas Wilder; Robert Holsworth, Ph.D., managing principal, DecideSmart; John Accordino, Ph.D., interim dean of the Wilder School; Jack Trammell, Ph.D., author and associate professor of sociology at Randolph-Macon College; Meghan Gough, Ph.D., chair of the Wilder School’s Urban and Regional Studies and Planning Program; and Alexandra Reckendorf, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science in the College of Humanities and Sciences. VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., will make remarks.

“The American people need to have representation that reflects their views,” Wilder said. “Do they?”

Accordino said, “At a time when so many feel disengaged, the question is how do we move forward. Participation is the bedrock of our democracy, and the Wilder School seeks to facilitate discussions such as this to engage our communities and inform this important conversation.”

For more information, contact Angelica Bega at (804) 828-8520 or aebega@vcu.edu.

The hashtag for the event is #wstownhall.