Public Affairs, Current Events, and Politics   

Each week participants will consider a different critical or current issue. The group will analyze at least three perspectives or viewpoints for addressing this issue. We will use the Deliberative Democracy framework to thoughtfully review each of these ideas. Topics will be selected by the group in a survey in the first session. Class members are encouraged to bring open minds and analytical thinking to our discussion-oriented class.

All civilizations eventually collapse. Historically, the average lifetime of civilizations is about 250 years, the age of the United States. The life cycle of civilizations follow a similar pattern of 7 stages, with common factors contributing to eventual collapse. From climate change to economic turmoil to the rise of authoritarianism, current circumstances indicate that the US and much of the world are now in the crisis and decline stage, with collapse on the horizon.

In this course we will address the seven stages of civilizations, current trends that point to civilization collapse, the grief cycle as a model of the personal experience of collapse, practical steps you can take to survive and adapt to collapse, indigenous cultures as a model for sustainable communities, and how to be content and resilient in the face of collapse.

If there was ever a moment to sharpen your understanding of global affairs, today is that time. Around the world, geopolitical pressures are reshaping economies, alliances, and the daily realities of nations and people. In this course, Scott McLagan, emeritus professor of management and Amanda Cahal, Director of Global EMBA Programs at DU’s Daniels College of Business, offer a clear, engaging, and practical look at the forces driving global change in 2026.

The class features three, two-hour sessions where we explore the big-picture macro trends of globalization—from shifting power dynamics and demographic pressures to energy transitions, technological competition, and new patterns of trade. Participants will learn a geopolitical analysis framework that provides a structured lens for interpreting global events, assessing risk, and understanding the interdependence between politics, markets, and national interests.

We will then apply that framework to today’s most consequential hotspots. Topics include the evolving trajectory of the Russia–Ukraine war, the humanitarian and regional implications of the Gaza conflict, the strategic competition surrounding China and the Indo-Pacific, political and economic instability in Venezuela, and the worldwide ripple effects of tariffs and protectionism.

Whether you follow world events regularly or want to deepen your global fluency, this course delivers the insights needed to navigate an increasingly complex world.

This is a discussion of the current week's events in the first hour. Dick will do the first week overview. Then the facilitators would like two people in class to volunteer each week to do an overview of the week before. The second hour will be a discussion of a specific topic.

"This Current Events course will be a discussion-based course addressing a mix of international, national and local issues with general broad outlines and selections determined by a survey of class participants in the first class. Likely issues will include: International- the Gaza and Ukraine peace plans, climate change, immigration, threats to democracy; National- Congressional dysfunction, the role of the United States Supreme Court, healthcare costs and access, tariffs, "culture war" issues and free-speech, artificial intelligence, financial deregulation; Local-Colorado state budget issues, K-12 education, City of Denver sports stadium decisions. Issues to be discussed in the upcoming class will be identified at the conclusion of the prior week's class; readings from national and local publications (2 to 3 readings) will be selected by the facilitator and electronically distributed so that each participant will have a common basis for discussion."

This is a discussion of the current week's events in the first hour. Dick will do the first week overview. Then the facilitators would like two people in class to volunteer each week to do an overview of the week before. The second hour will be a discussion of a specific topic.

The Documentary Film class will cover a wide variety of films. Each will be shown in class and be followed by a discussion of the film. Class members are expected to stay for the discussion. The Facilitator likes to remain flexible as to what movies to show due to availability, the arrival of new films, or events that would make a film topical. If a film is repeated from an earlier class, it will not have been shown in class for 6 or more years.

Since films are of varying length, class may end at 2:45 or extend past 3 pm. The class will be informed in advance when a longer film will require class to go past 3 pm.

Great Decisions is a course on United States foreign policy. Each week, we will focus on a specific topic related to that policy from a U.S. perspective. Other perspectives on that policy topic are valued and encouraged. In addition, each week the class will watch a video, prepared by the Foreign Policy Association, to further define the week’s topic. Students are encouraged to provide their thoughts and opinions on the presented materials and be ready to discuss with and learn from their classmates. Topics included are:

• •America and the World: Trump 2.0 Foreign Policy
• •Trump Tariffs and the Future of the World Economy
• •U.S.-China Relations
• Ruptured Alliances and the Risk of Nuclear Proliferation
• Ukraine and the Future of European Security
• Multilateral Institutions in a Changing World Order
• U.S. Engagement of Africa
• The Future of Human Rights and International Law

Required Text: Great Decisions Briefing Book 2026, available from the Foreign Policy Association

The League of Women Voters of Jefferson County is partnering with Jefferson County Public Library to offer a series of workshops on media misinformation/disinformation and how media is polarizing the country. We're using the book "True or False: A CIA Analyst's Guide to Spotting Fake News" by Cindy L. Otis as the basis for the workshops and modeling them on the Great Decisions format.

Workshops include:

Week One: The evolution of media and recent changes brought by deregulation and technology

Week Two: How to recognize and combat bias in ourselves and the media

Week Three: How to spot and avoid "fake news" and begin to bridge the political divide

Week Four: The dangers of AI

Week Five: A panel discussion with local experts to address the dangers of media disinformation and how to combat them

The workshops will include presentations and encourage audience participation through planned activities and discussions.

Recommended Reading: True or False, A CIA Analyst’s Guide to Spotting Fake News, available at the News, available at the library or on Amazon.

Across the U.S., city streets are dominated by cars—but what if we reimagined them for people instead? This course explores the growing "War on Cars" movement, which seeks to reclaim public space, reduce car dependence and prioritize community over congestion. Join Jill Locantore, Executive Director of the Denver Streets Partnership, to examine how limiting vehicular traffic, reducing parking availability and encouraging alternatives like walking, biking and transit can help create safer, healthier and more equitable urban environments.

More than a critique of cars, this class is a hopeful look at what’s possible when we center courage, inclusiveness and joy in our public planning. Learn how cities are fostering authentic relationships between residents and urban space by emphasizing shared streets and vibrant public life. Consider the health, environmental and social impacts of current transportation norms—and what a bold, human-centered future might look like instead.

Learn ways that we (you!) can help make Denver more pedestrian-, bike-, transit-, and micromobility-friendly. We don’t have to get rid of cars, we just need to put them in their place and make the other options safer and more efficient. Whether you’re a city planner, cyclist, curious urbanist or concerned citizen, come explore how your community can move forward—together.

Why do so many Americans love their guns? How do we reconcile the proliferation of firearms and their use with the trauma and death they cause? How did a nation built on muskets and expanding frontiers become a country awash in modern firearms? Why do efforts to enact gun control laws spark such emotional and political division? How did the one-sentence Second Amendment become a defining flashpoint of American identity?

These questions lead to the central one this course will explore: Should regulation of gun possession and use be more stringent? What might such a path forward look like?

This eight-week course draws heavily from Robert J. Spitzer’s The Politics of Gun Control (9th ed.), not required. Tom Mauser, father of Columbine victim Daniel Mauser and a gun safety advocate, will be a guest speaker. We will use lecture, video, guided discussion, and interactive learning to examine legal, historical, and cultural forces shaping America’s gun debate.

Why do so many Americans love their guns? How do we reconcile the proliferation of firearms and their use with the trauma and death they cause? How did a nation built on muskets and expanding frontiers become a country awash in modern firearms? Why do efforts to enact gun control laws spark such emotional and political division? How did the one-sentence Second Amendment become a defining flashpoint of American identity?

These questions lead to the central one this course will explore: Should regulation of gun possession and use be more stringent? What might such a path forward look like?

This eight-week course draws heavily from Robert J. Spitzer’s The Politics of Gun Control (9th ed.), not required. Tom Mauser, father of Columbine victim Daniel Mauser and a gun safety advocate, will be a guest speaker. We will use lecture, video, guided discussion, and interactive learning to examine legal, historical, and cultural forces shaping America’s gun debate.

Robert Putnam's book, "The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again," uses quantitative data and trusted economists such as Thomas Piketty and Raj Chetty to track four trends shaping America from 1900 to 2020. Exploring income inequality, political partisanship, social capital and cultural narcissism, Putnam offers at times counter intuitive insights to explain the unique transition from individualistic "I" to the communitarian "We" and back again in the past 120+ years. All of this is further complicated by the perpetual factors of race and gender. The book also explores the forces which cracked the cohesion starting in the mid-1960s. These began with increasing individualism and greed and evolved into tribalism. Still optimistic, Putnam encourages us to take inspiration and instruction from a period of despair much like our own.

The book, The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again, is required. On Amazon, the paper book is $12.59, and the Kindle version is $9.99.