Democracy Conference Schedule

Karl-Dieter Crisman (Gordon College, Mathematics)
“Ranking Controversy: Summarizing Current Research on “Ranked Choice”/Instant Runoff Voting in America”

Instant Runoff (IRV, "Ranked Choice") voting is increasingly used in the USA - from many cities, to Maine and Alaska. Conversely, Ohio just became the 19th state to ban it.  Confusingly, IRV has been characterized both as an attack on, and a savior of, democracy!

This talk introduces IRV, reviewing effects via the Begich-Palin-Peltola Alaska election.  We will summarize recent US IRV election results, with a view toward the mathematics behind both appeal and paradoxes.
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Kelly Foster (Gordon College, Art)
“The ‘Trump-Kennedy Center’ and the Contested Spatial Images of Democracy”

This paper will use the recent controversial actions related to the Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts to explore how we conceptualize our political lives through spatial imagery. Working from secular and theological aesthetics, an analysis of the architectural forms will lead to an analysis of how spatial images inform both our self-understanding and our interactions, thereby demonstrating how attending to these dynamics can help us lead more faithful lives within a liberal democracy. 
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Ya Lin Huang (Gordon College, Music)
“Beauty in the Symphony of Democracy: Music and the Global Resonance of American Independence”

In the context of the 250th anniversary of American independence, music provides a lens for understanding democracy. In his works, Tyzen Hsiao weaves together musical language and political meaning to articulate a vision of democracy grounded in Taiwanese identity. Close analysis of musical motifs, theological themes, and cultural references demonstrates how Hsiao transforms music into a vehicle for democratic expression that resonates across cultural boundaries.
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DISCUSSANT
Ian DeWeese-Boyd (Gordon College, Philosophy)