The Center for the Study of American Democracy (CSAD) will host its 2025 biennial conference on March 26 and 27. Titled “A Nation of Immigrants?,” the conference will explore the topic of immigration through a series of panel discussions and speeches by 15 professors, lawyers, journalists and policy experts.
Since CSAD’s first conference in 2010, each event has centered on a different major political issue. Past topics have included inflation, free speech, privacy, economic inequality, democracy abroad and the future of political parties.
The issue of immigration seemed particularly pertinent this year, according to Director of CSAD and Professor of Political Science Joe Klesner. “Last year, it just seemed like it was likely to be a really big theme in American politics, and so we chose to do immigration as our topic,” Klesner said.
Chandran Kukathas, a professor of political science at Singapore Management University, will deliver the first keynote address, “Immigration Control and the Open Society,” on March 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Archon Auditorium. Kukathas is the former head of the Department of Government at the London School of Economics and the author of multiple books.
Caitlin Dickerson, a staff writer at The Atlantic and winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting, will deliver the second keynote address, “Life on the Move,” on March 27 at 11:10 a.m. According to Klesner, the address will be based on her experiences reporting on migrants crossing the Darién Gap on their way from South America to the United States. “That should really drive home a human perspective on immigration and refugees,” he said.
The event will also include four panel discussions relating to the ethics and politics surrounding the issue of immigration. One panel, “Immigration, Refugees, and the Law,” will feature three attorneys, including Kenyon alumna Christine Dutko ’09. Another panel, “Immigration in Ohio,” will include perspectives from professors at Oberlin College and the College of Wooster.
Klesner hopes that the conference will help students understand the complex nature of immigration policy. “It’s often presented as the two extremes, where, of course, what we’re doing is much more right in the middle of things,” he said.
“I hope people will come to as much of this as they can. I promise some very, very good panels, some very good talks,” Klesner added. “This is, if you follow the news, one of the top three issues of the day — so be there.”
A complete schedule of the event can be found on Kenyon’s website.