The first 100 days of a presidency sets the course for the administration’s priorities, policies, and leadership style. In this second term, President Trump has moved quickly to assert executive power, shift foreign and domestic policy, and test democratic norms. His approach raises pressing questions about governance, the role of the United States in the world, and the impact of federal decisions on local communities.
To help students and the broader Hopkins community engage with these developments, the SNF Agora Institute is hosting a series of events exploring democracy in transition, in collaboration with campus and community partners. This series will offer expert insights, historical context, and practical tools for understanding and discussing the political landscape of 2025.
Mary Bruce, SNF Agora Assistant Director of Public Programs, stated, “The SNF Agora Institute is committed to providing an agora for modern times: a space to exchange ideas, gain insights, and learn actionable frameworks for meaningful civic participation, enabling attendees to strengthen their role as informed and effective democratic actors.”
Whether you want to stay informed, develop a more nuanced perspective, or improve your ability to discuss difficult topics, this series offers valuable knowledge and tools for engagement. Please see below for a calendar of events, which we’ll be updating regularly. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
Thank you to our partners on this initiative, including:
Executive Power: How Presidential Authority Reshapes Democracy and Daily Life
Thursday, February 20, 2025
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM EST
Hopkins at Home (Virtual Event)
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST, In-person Watch Party and Discussion (JHU Students Only)
Explore how presidents test the boundaries of executive authority, its real-world impact under President Trump’s second term, and examples from history that can inform our future. With Robert Lieberman, Krieger-Eisenhower Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University and his research assistant, Ido Harlev, a junior majoring in history.
How to Have Better Conversations About Politics (and Everything Else)
Wednesday, February 26, 2025
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM EST
Great Hall
Learn practical tools for navigating difficult discussions with curiosity and openness, and have more effective and respectful political conversations. With Leila Brammer, visiting Fellow at the SNF Agora Institute and Director of Outreach and Instructional Development, Parrhesia Program for Public Discourse at the University of Chicago
What Venezuela’s Transition Means for Security and Democracy in the Hemisphere
Thursday, February 27, 2025
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM EST
Hopkins Bloomberg Center
Learn about Venezuela’s fight for democracy, the role of dissidents, and the implications for U.S. foreign policy. With David Smolansky, SNF Agora fellow and exiled Venezuelan political leader; Edmundo González, Venezuela’s president-elect; and María Corina Machado, a key opposition leader
Student Debate
Friday, February 28, 2025
7:30 – 9:00 PM EST
Gilman 132
College Democrats and College Republicans will debate early actions of the Trump Administration, brought together by the Hopkins Political Union which is dedicated to fostering civil dialogue and a healthy exchange of perspectives. With Andy Perrin, SNF Agora Professor and Chair of Sociology in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.
The Executive Abroad: Presidential Power and the U.S. Role in the World
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
6:00 PM EST
Hopkins at Home (Virtual Event)
What does the evolution—and growth—of executive power in foreign affairs and international development tell us about contemporary challenges? How do presidents shape foreign policy, what constrains their choices, and what does that mean for the role of the U.S. in the world? Join for a conversation on the evolution of executive power with Sebastian Schmidt(Associate Professor of Political Science at JHU), Kristin Wells (former attorney for U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, USAID, and the Peace Corps) and Denise Dresser (SNF Agora Visiting Faculty and a leading Mexican political analyst), moderated by Mary Bruce (JHU SNF Agora Institute). This event is part of the “First 100 Days, From Home to Abroad” series, examining the effects of U.S. presidential leadership across the U.S. and beyond, in partnership with the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins as well as the SNF Paideia Program at the University of Pennsylvania and the SNF Ithaca Initiative of the University of Delaware’s Joseph R. Biden Jr. School of Public Policy & Administration.
Special watch party for students only! Join us for an evening of political discourse and (FREE!) dinner 6-7pm; optional debate and dialogue 7-8pm. Spots are limited! You must RSVP by Sunday, March 23. Dinner and watch party are co-sponsored by the Civic Engagement Committee of the Student Government Association.
Executive Power and the Courts: Judicial Authority in Constitutional Crises
April 11, 2025
12:00 – 1:00 PM EST
Hopkins at Home (Virtual Event)
How do courts respond to executive power, and what powers does the judicial branch have to enforce their rulings? Learn the answers to these questions and more from Richard H. Pildes, Sudler Family Professor of Constitutional Law at NYU School of Law, and a frequent commentator on law’s role in democracy, including the recent essay, “This is What the Courts Can Do if Trump Defies Them.” He’ll be joined by Emily Zackin, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University and author of Looking for Rights in All the Wrong Places: Why State Constitutions Contain America’s Positive Rights. Together they will examine the constitutional tensions between the branches of government in our current political moment and the implications for contemporary challenges to judicial authority. Moderated by Mary Bruce, Assistant Director of Public Programs, of Johns Hopkins SNF Agora Institute. This event is part of our series “First 100 Days, From Home to Abroad,” examining the effects of U.S. presidential leadership across the U.S. and beyond. RSVP here
Special watch party for students only! Join us for (FREE!) lunch while we watch 12-1pm; stay for optional debate and dialogue from 1-2pm. Spots are limited! Lunch and watch party are co-sponsored by the Civic Engagement Committee of the Student Government Association. RSVP here.
Executive Branch in Our Backyard: Presidential Impact in Hopkins’ Home
April 29, 2025
6:00 – 7:00 PM EST
Hopkins at Home (Virtual Event)
Learn how presidential priorities shape local communities, from Baltimore’s neighborhoods to Washington, D.C.’s corridors of power. With William Howell, inaugural Dean of Johns Hopkins’ School of Government. RSVP here
Special watch party for students only! Join us for an evening of political discourse and (FREE!) dinner 6-7pm; optional debate and dialogue 7-8pm. Dinner and watch party are co-sponsored by the Civic Engagement Committee of the Student Government Association. RSVP here.
Beyond the First 100 Days: How Civic Engagement Can Build a More Resilient Democracy
Thursday, May 1, 2025
12:00 – 1:00 PM EST
Hopkins at Home (Virtual Event)
12:00 PM – 2:00 PM EST, In-person Watch Party and Discussion (JHU Students Only)
Learn how civic institutions strengthen democracy beyond electoral cycles and political milestones, including a discussion on current Johns Hopkins initiatives. With John Sarbanes, former Maryland congressman and SNF Agora’s inaugural Distinguished Practitioner in Residence. RSVP here.
Special watch party for students only! Join us for an evening of political discourse and (FREE!) dinner 6-7pm; optional debate and dialogue 7-8pm. Dinner and Debate are co-sponsored by the Civic Engagement Committee of the Student Government Association and the Center for Social Concern. RSVP here.