Ari Berman

Whether you're a Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, the amount of money in our political system should be a cause for great alarm. President Obama plans to raise $1 billion to finance his reelection campaign, shattering all previous fundraising records. Republicans and a new breed of shadow "Super PACs" will no doubt raise just as much. Members of Congress now spend five to six hours a day fundraising. There are ten lobbyists for every elected member of Congress in Washington. American democracy is literally being sold to the highest bidder. Based on his extensive reporting in the field of money and politics, Berman will explain the threat to democracy posed by a staggering army of lobbyists in Washington, the disproportionate influence the wealthy and powerful have over our political process, and the adverse impact of the Supreme Court's "Citizens United" decision, which allows unlimited secret political contributions from corporations and unions to candidates for federal office. Just as importantly, Berman will detail how to fix this broken system and explain how citizens can get involved in the important fight to get money out of politics.

In 2008, Barack Obama's groundbreaking presidential campaign seemingly rewrote all the rules in electoral politics and heralded a new progressive era in America. In particular, a diverse group of young voters (dubbed the "coalition of the ascendant") propelled Obama to the White House. These compelling stories, described in Ari Berman's Herding Donkeys, captured the hearts and minds of Americans in 2008.

But just two years later, Republicans dominated the 2010 elections, fueled by ascendant Tea Party conservatives. What has become of the thrilling grassroots political movement that defined Obama's campaign? Where is Generation Obama today? What role will they play in the upcoming 2012 election? How are they impacting other important social movements, such as Occupy Wall Street or the fight for labor rights in Wisconsin? In this timely and original presentation, Ari Berman answers and illuminates these vital questions, explaining the unique role young voters play in politics today and describing how they can rekindle the spirit of hope and change that proved so impactful in 2008.

The 2012 election will be one of the most important in our lifetimes. Can President Obama re-inspire his energetic base of supporters from 2008 in order to win a second term or will he be dragged down by a bad economy and public disapproval of his administration? Can Republicans unite the dueling establishment and Tea Party wings of their party in order to assemble a winning electoral coalition or will they fracture amidst intraparty strife? Has the president led the country in a bold new direction or has he lost control of the American economy and government? Could the public's unhappiness with Democrats and Republicans lead to the emergence of a new third party? Ari Berman will answer the essential questions that are destined to define the 2012 election and will analyze the key issues that are shaping our great national debate.

The world watched with amazement in 2008 when Americans elected the first African American president. In February 2011, the global public was similarly awestruck when young activists in Tahrir Square toppled a 30-year autocracy in Egypt. All of a sudden, grassroots uprisings caught fire across the entire Middle East. Eight months later, in response to the global economic crisis, the Occupy Wall Street protests spread rapidly across the US and around the globe. None of these remarkable events were supposed to happen. In the past year, we've witnessed the greatest outpouring of global activism since 1968. What's causing these revolts against the established order? Why are they happening now? What can organizations learn from the successes and failures of these new movements? In this innovative presentation, The Nation correspondent Ari Berman answers these pressing questions. He explains how political parties, nonprofits, and civic leaders can best understand the changing nature of global politics, and how they can succeed by embracing the possibility and peril of this new era of global activism.

Politics is changing rapidly in the new millennium. In 2004, Howard Dean became the first major candidate to raise large sums of money over the Internet and recruit a huge political following in a matter of months—fusing new-school digital strategy with old-school boots-on-the-ground organizing. Four years later, the Obama campaign perfected what Dean pioneered, building a grassroots political movement on a scale never seen in modern politics. Then, in 2010, the Tea Party built upon the Dean/Obama model to create a formidable grassroots movement of their own among conservatives. Today, it's impossible for political campaigns, NGOs, or social movements to succeed without recognizing and adapting to these significant new dynamics. Based on his extensive reporting in this field, Berman will explain how your organization can successfully adopt the Dean/Obama model, mobilizing and growing your base of supporters using the latest cutting-edge tools of political strategy, grassroots organizing, and social media.