Friday, January 23, 2026 at North Beach Restaurant: Eric Schickler, Professor of Political Science at UC Berkeley
- tarmour2
- 2 days ago
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U.C. Berkeley Professor Eric Schickler, recognized as a top Congressional scholar and a leading expert on American politics, government and policy, is our featured speaker this Friday, January 23 at 12:15 p.m.
Prof. Schickler appears regularly in national and international media — an example, Thomas Edsall’s recent weekly NY Times column addressing “Why Does Trump Get Away with it?” — in which Prof. Schickler is noted for directly addressing the question posed by his column: https://www.nytimes.com/by/thomas-b-edsall
Eric Schickler joined us by Zoom during Covid, discussing the Trump Presidency's challenges to core assumptions about the operation of American democratic institutions and how we think about the threats to our democracy. Since then, he and Berkeley colleague Paul Pierson have published “Partisan Nation: The Dangerous New Logic of American Politics in a Nationalized Era.” They have a new book, “Madison’s Constitution is Coming Undone,” out soon. It examines how Trump and Musk are testing the founder’s assumptions as never before. How did we get to this moment?
He is co-director of the Institute of Governmental Studies and works closely with IGS Poll Director Mark Di Camillo. IGS was established to provide research expertise to the Legislature regarding public issues and sits at the intersection of civic engagement, public policy and governance. Coincidentally, IGS published our own Bill Bagley's book, "California's Golden Years, When California's government worked and why."
Prof. Schickler is the Jeffrey & Ashley McDermott Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. He authored three books on legislative politics: Disjointed Pluralism: Institutional Innovation and the Development of the U.S. Congress (2001), Filibuster: Obstruction and Lawmaking in the United States Senate (2006, with Gregory Wawro), and Investigating the President: Congressional Checks on Presidential Power (2016, with Douglas Kriner). His book, Racial Realignment: The Transformation of American Liberalism 1932-1965, won the Woodrow Wilson Prize for the best book on government, politics or international affairs published in 2016. He is co-author of Partisan Hearts and Minds (2002). Schickler was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2017
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It’s not every day that The Wall Street Journal publishes a letter-to-the -editor from a Sac Sem member. See Seminarian Richard Alexander’s opinion letter “What Venezuela Should Remember from Iraq, Recovery will require reliable economic arrangements.” WSJ subscribers (there’s a paywall):
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UPCOMING SEMINARS:
There’ll be a Sac Sem roundtable on Friday, January 30 starting at 12:15 p.m. The roundtable’s topic: Greenland and Trump. Many seminarians tell us that they miss roundtables. They’ll be scheduled more often in 2026. In the years after the Seminar was established, roundtables were the norm and Friday speakers the exception.
Lori Brooke, a candidate for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors District 2, is our guest on Friday, February 6. Lori’s background and platform can be found at https://www.loribrooke.com/about The Second District includes The Marin., Pacific Height and Jordan Park. The appointed incumbent, Stephen Sherrill, will seek a full four-year term. The big issue is Mayor Dan Lurie’s plan for more multi-story apartments and condos in the City’s neighborhoods. Most of it will be clustered around commercial streets and along Muni bus and streetcar lines.
“Ace” Smith is our guest on Friday, February 13. Averell “Ace” Smith is the campaign guru behind Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom. Capitol Weekly says he’s “a legend among California political consultants, the San Francisco-based Smith has handled campaigns for president, governor, senator, local contenders and, perhaps most memorably, his own father.” (Past Seminarian and San Francisco District Attorney) Arlo Smith. https://capitolweekly.net/oral-histories/ace-smith-political-consultant/ Ace will be introduced by Sac Sem’s new speakers/program chair Brian Chase.
Alan Wong, the newest member of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors is the Seminar’s guest on Friday, February 20. Supervisor Wong was appointed by Mayor Dan Lurie to the board’s Sunset District-centered District 4 seat on December 1. The post had been held by Supervisor Joel Engardo until he was recalled over the conversion of the Great Highway to Sunset Dunes Park. A Lincoln High Grad, Supervisor Wong received degrees from UC San Diego and a masters in public affairs from USF. He previously was an elected City College of SF trustee. He has served in the California National Guard for the past 15 years.
San Francisco Chronicle columnist Carl Nolte will return to Sac Sem on Friday, February 27. Carl writes the “Native Son” column on page 2 of each Sunday Chron., A lifelong San Franciscan, Carl was a beat reporter with the “Voice of the West” starting in the 1970s. Carl will look back and reflect on where and how The City has changed for the better and where change has been for the worse. Chair emeritus Dick Spotswood will introduce our guest.
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OTHER THOUGHTS: “Freedom is a fragile thing. It’s never more than one generation away from extinction.” Ronald Reagan
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