Campaigning to Governing

13 May 2009

Dr Thomas E. Mann

Thomas Mann examined President Obama's transition to governing and his first months in office. Particular attention was paid to the organization and staffing of his administration and the setting of policy and its passage through the Congress. Thomas Mann also discussed the various challenges domestic, economic and foreign policy related facing the new President.

This Lecture was part of the ANU Public Lecture Series 2009, presented by The Australian National University and Embassy of the United States of America, Canberra.

Broad Topics:

Sub-topics: Policy & Political Science

Areas: University

Thomas E. Mann is the W. Averell Harriman Chair and Senior Fellow in Governance Studies at The Brookings Institution.  Between 1987 and 1999, he was Director of Governmental Studies at Brookings.  Before that, Mann was executive director of the American Political Science Association. 

Mann has taught at Princeton University, Johns Hopkins University, Georgetown University, the University of Virginia and American University; conducted polls for congressional candidates; worked as a consultant to IBM and the Public Broadcasting Service; chaired the Board of Overseers of the National Election Studies; and served as an expert witness in the constitutional defense of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law.  He lectures frequently in the United States and abroad on American politics and public policy and is also a regular contributor to newspaper stories and television and radio programs on politics and governance.

Dr. Mann's visit to Australia was made possible by the Grattan Institute, Australia's newest think tank, it is independent, non-aligned and evidence based.