Name: Plenary Address (Open to Public) | "Freedom in a Changing Global Landscape"
Start: 2026-06-12T19:00:00-0400
End: 2026-06-12T20:15:00-0400

Welcome, Democracy Scholars! We are delighted to invite you to American Independence and Identity at 250: Examining Democracy in the United States and Globally. This conference will be hosted at Gordon College on Thursday, June 11-Saturday, June 13, with events in Ken Olsen Science Center, Chase Hall, and Lane Student Center. Join for an optional tour of revolutionary sites in Boston, MA on Sunday, June 14.

Check out the schedule below and get excited for a phenomenal lineup of panel discussions, keynote addresses, and more!

Plenary Address (Open to Public) | "Freedom in a Changing Global Landscape"

Friday June 12, 2026 7:00pm - 8:15pm EDT

Chairs' Room (Ken Olsen Science Center)

Tal Howard (Lilly Foundation)
Conference Sponsor Welcome

Nicole Bibbins Sedaca (Bush Institute)
“Freedom in a Changing Global Landscape”

Global freedom has been in recession for two decades. Scholars and policymakers are asking whether this recession matters, and if so, what reverses this trend. Concurrently, the liberal world order, which was built on democratic norms, is changing rapidly, leaving open the question what will follow. This presentation will focus on the drivers of this recession, implications for the global community, and how to think about democratic norms within the context of the changing global order.
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Respondent: Ruth Melkonian-Hoover (Gordon College)

Speakers

Nicole Bibbins Sedaca

Kelly and David Pfeil Fellow, George W. Bush Presidential Center

Kelly and David Pfeil Fellow, George W. Bush Presidential Center. Formerly Interim President, Freedom House; Professor of Int’l Affairs, Georgetown U; and Senior Director, Democracy Bureau, US State Dept

Ruth Melkonian-Hoover

Professor and Director, Political Science and International Affairs, Gordon College

Co-author, Evangelicals and Immigration: Fault Lines Among the Faithful. Published in Political Research Quarterly, Social Science Quarterly, Latin American Perspectives. Board member, the Center for Public Justice and Neighborly Faith.... Read More →

Tal Howard

Duesenberg Chair in Ethics; Professor of Humanities and History, Valparaiso University

Thomas Albert (Tal) Howard is the Duesenberg chair in ethics and professor of humanities and history at Valparaiso University.

Friday June 12, 2026 7:00pm - 8:15pm EDT
Chairs' Room (Ken Olsen Science Center)

Plenary Events

Democracy Conference Schedule

Nicole Bibbins Sedaca

Ruth Melkonian-Hoover

Tal Howard

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Democracy Conference Schedule

Nicole Bibbins Sedaca

Ruth Melkonian-Hoover

Tal Howard

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