During the first two weeks of April 2007, the UC Berkeley, Boalt Hall chapter of the American Constitution Society sponsored a two-part speaker series, “Reshaping the National Debate.” The program promoted a dialogue between the speakers and students about how progressives can frame the way they talk about issues and how they can build an infrastructure to disseminate progressive values.
On Thursday, April 5, UC Berkeley Professor George Lakoff spoke on “Reframing the Political Discourse, Returning to American Ideals,” describing how conservatives and progressives frame their values and urging students to engage conservatives in constructive debates to find common values. The following Thursday, Boalt alumus and civil rights attorney Guy Saperstein spoke on “Beyond Elections: Building a Progressive Political Infrastructure.” He engaged with students on the work of the Democracy Alliance, a new organization of major progressive donors that seeks to build that progressive political infrastructure and encouraged students to become involved in both established and fledgling progressive organizations.