1998: Governing Our Democracy into the 21st Century – Soundbites or Solutions
|
The theme for the 1997-1998 Panetta Lecture Series was “Governing Our Democracy into the 21st Century – Soundbites or Solutions.”
The series focused on the future of the three federal branches of government with experts from each branch, including the cabinet, for a revealing set of discussions on our nation’s unique system of government, its strengths, and the challenges it faces. In this inaugural year, noted journalists served as moderators for the the first three events with Institute co-founder, Leon Panetta, acting as moderator for the final lecture of the season.
| Topic | Speakers |
| The Presidency | James Baker, III Leon E. Panetta (Tim Russert, moderator) |
| The Congress | Richard Gephardt John Kasich (Bob Schieffer, Moderator) |
| The Cabinet | Henry Cisneros Jack Kemp (Cokie Roberts, Moderator) |
| The Court | Antonin Scalia Abner Mikva (Leon Panetta, Moderator) |