Askew Lecture Series
The Reubin O'D. Askew Department of Government presents the Askew Lecture Series.
Askew Lecture Series
The Askew Lecture Series is a downtown community talk on current political issues and public policy topics. The lecture honors the legacy of the late Governor of Florida, Reubin O’D. Askew, the department’s namesake. Governor Askew was known for tackling vital public policy issues of the day and as a champion of civic engagement in politics. Each lecture brings in a renowned scholar to discuss a contemporary topic with a member of the UWF faculty from the department.
Upcoming Askew Lecture
March 27, 2025 | Debating American Grand Strategy in the Trump Era
The University of West Florida’s Askew Lecture Series presents an in-depth conversation on "Debating American Grand Strategy in the Trump Era," featuring Dr. Ionut Popescu and Dr. Jacob Shively. This critical discussion on U.S. foreign policy in 2025 will take place on Thursday, March 27, 2025, at the Museum of Commerce in downtown Pensacola.
As global tensions rise and American leadership faces new challenges, U.S. foreign policy remains a subject of intense debate. With the transition back to a Trump presidency, policymakers, scholars, and citizens alike are grappling with questions about internationalism, strategic competition, and restraint.
In this engaging discussion, Professors Dr. Ionut Popescu and Dr. Jacob Shively will explore key questions shaping America’s grand strategy:
- Should the U.S. pursue a more aggressive stance in great power competition?
- How should the nation balance international commitments with domestic priorities?
- What lessons can be learned from recent shifts in strategy across the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations?
Dr. Jacob Shively, an associate professor at UWF, specializes in U.S. foreign policy and international relations. His research examines the strategic shifts between presidential administrations, and his books provide crucial insights into the evolving nature of American grand strategy.
Dr. Ionut Popescu, an associate professor at Texas State University, brings a dual perspective as both an academic and a U.S. Navy Intelligence officer. His expertise in great power competition, combined with his experience in military intelligence, makes him uniquely positioned to analyze U.S. strategy in a rapidly changing global environment.
Following the lecture and Q&A session, attendees will have the opportunity to meet both scholars during a book signing featuring their most recent works. Dr. Ionut Popescu will sign copies of No Peer Rivals: American Grand Strategy in the Era of Great Power Competition (University of Michigan Press), while Dr. Jacob Shively will be available to sign Make America First Again: Grand Strategy Analysis and the Trump Administration (Cambria Press).
Event Schedule:
- 5:30 p.m. Public Reception
- 6:00 p.m. Lecture
- 7:00 p.m. Q&A Session
- 7:30 p.m. Book Signing
Join the Conversation
This event is free and open to the public. Whether you are a student, faculty member, or community member interested in foreign policy and international relations, this discussion offers a rare opportunity to engage with leading experts on America’s evolving role in the world.
About the Askew Lecture Series
The Askew Lecture Series is a downtown community talk on current political and public policy issues. The lecture honors the legacy of Governor Reubin O’D. Askew, a leader known for tackling major policy challenges and encouraging civic engagement. Each year, the series brings a distinguished scholar to engage in a public discussion with a UWF faculty member on a contemporary political issue.
*This installment of the Askew Lecture Series is sponsored by the Reubin O’D. Askew Department of Government, the John C. Pace Symposium Series and the Askew Lecture Series.
For more information, please contact casshcommunications@uwf.edu.
Past Askew Lectures
April 1, 2024 | After Liberalism - Patrick J. Deneen
The UWF College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities and the Reubin O'D. Askew Department of Government hosted an installment of the Askew Lecture Series in conjunction with the Experience UWF Downtown Lecture Series with Professor Patrick J. Deneen speaking at the Museum of Commerce in downtown Pensacola on April 1, 2024.
The event was a huge success, with attendees from all walks of life engaging in a thought-provoking and timely discussion about the future of political theory. Professor Deneen, a renowned political commentator and author of Why Liberalism Failed and Regime Change, delivered a fascinating lecture on "After Liberalism." He criticized the current political theory that has been the backbone of the international order for the last 500 years and sparked a conversation about what could emerge to take its place.
This installment of the Experience UWF Downtown Lecture Series was sponsored by the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, the Reubin O’D. Askew Department of Government, the John C. Pace Symposium Series, the Askew Lecture Series, and the Panhandle Tiger Bay Club.
*The Askew Lecture Series is a downtown community talk on current political issues and public policy topics. The lecture honors the legacy of the late Governor of Florida, Reubin O’D. Askew, the department’s namesake. Governor Askew was a champion of civic engagement known for tackling vital public policy issues of the day.
Biased Coins, Cruises and Crashes: A Study of Elections in Four Countries
June 23, 2023, the department welcomed Distinguished University Professor Alfred G. Cuzán and two guest scholars to present "Biased Coins, Cruises and Crashes: A Study of Elections in Four Countries."
Using concepts from statistics (the normal curve), physics (exponential decay), and politology (cost of ruling), professors Alfred G. Cuzán and Richard J. Heggen developed models that approximate the results of 2,000 state or provincial elections in Australia, Canada, Germany, and the United States. Professors Cuzán and Heggen have a long history of unusual collaboration across two disciplines, political science and civil engineering, respectively. It began in the 1970s when they taught at universities in New Mexico, Heggen in Albuquerque, and Cuzán in Las Cruces. In nearly half a century, they have made original contributions to the study of socially efficient government, the Nicaraguan Revolution, and U.S. presidential elections (a subject in which professor C. Mike Bundrick of UWF also collaborated). In the last two years, Heggen and Cuzán have turned their attention to “the cost of ruling,” the loss of support that the political party in control of government incurs during its time in office.
During this talk, they presented partial results of these ongoing investigations. Professor Joseph Colomer of Georgetown University critiqued the presentation in light of his own work.