North America's grasslands, once teeming with wildlife, awed and inspired Lewis and Clark, artists George Caitlin and Karl Bodmer, and other early American travelers. Today an extraordinary Montana-based project is described by National Geographic as “one of the most ambitious conservation efforts in American history.” With a goal of reestablishing a wildlife phenomenon of almost unimaginable size, American Prairie Reserve is assembling a wildlife complex the size of Connecticut that is open...

Is the spirit of citizenship still alive in America? Past generations had the draft and epic fights for civil rights. Before that, Tocqueville described how barn raisings and self-government were part of the same civic impulse. But what is citizenship in America today? What should it mean beyond a bundle of rights and benefits? What are the responsibilities, individual and collective, of a modern citizen? Whether we are newly naturalized or longstanding Americans, what do we owe our country?...

The institution of family is changing dramatically across the United States regardless of race, religion, and origin. What new arrangements are replacing the traditional, nuclear family? What implications do these transformations in society’s behavior around family have on society in general? Can the decline in traditional families be reversed? Is it redefining our sense of the American dream? Speakers: Paul Tough, Hanna Rosin, Anand Giridharadas, Evan Wolfson

The digital revolution and changing economic models have altered journalistic institutions to their core. What does the future hold for enterprise journalism and the way Americans get information necessary to function in their daily lives? Speakers: Kurt Andersen, Ezra Klein, Alexis Madrigal, Alexis Ohanian

How do we engage America’s religious pluralism as a force for the common good? David Gergen will report the findings of a new report, “Principled Pluralism: Report of the Inclusive America Project,” prepared by a distinguished panel convened by the Institute’s Justice and Society Program. Gergen will describe how America’s religious diversity is a source of civic engagement and how we can bridge religious differences to build a stronger social fabric. The sad legacy of religious diversity...

Two and a half years ago, Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly had their lives changed forever by a madman with an arsenal of deadly weapons. Today, the former congresswoman and the former astronaut discuss what it’s like to take on one of the most complicated issues in America—and one of the most difficult political challenges of our time. Giffords and Kelly will discuss how the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School drove them to commit themselves, personally and professionally, to reducing...

Tony Fadell is perhaps best known for his work at Apple, where he created iPod and iPhone hardware. Today, he is building NEST, a remarkable thermostat. Controlled from anywhere (including an iPhone), it allows you to manage daily energy consumption, save real money, and importantly, diminish greenhouse gas emissions. Fadell discusses how a simple idea can change the world...again. Featuring Tony Fadell and Jerry Murdock Speakers: Tony Fadell, Jerry Murdock

Learn how current cultural messages about time—“30 is the new 20!” and “YOLO! You only live once!”—are interpreted by the twentysomething brain and how these messages trivialize what is actually the most transformative period of our adult lives. Find out how work, relationships, personality, identity, and the brain change more during this decade than at any other time in adulthood. Hear what 21st Century twentysomethings are doing to turn what is portrayed as a developmental downtime into a...

A discussion with David M. Rubenstein

Abraham Lincoln’s vision of an upwardly mobile society that rewards and supports individual striving was wondrously realized. Now, it is under threat. To meet these challenges, conservative columnist Rich Lowry draws us back to the lessons of Lincoln. It is imperative, he argues, to preserve a fluid economy that makes it possible for individuals to thrive and live the American dream. Speakers: Rich Lowry Ramesh Ponnuru

In today's uncertain world, presidential decision making is more critical than ever. By examining foreign policy decisions of the presidents who presided over the most critical phases of America's rise to world primacy in the 20th century, author, academic, and intelligence expert Joseph Nye draws important lessons for today’s world. Speakers: Joseph S. Nye, Jr.

We all know the horrors. But what on earth do we do about it? Asa Hutchinson, director of the NRA-funded National School Shield Taskforce, and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten discuss. Underwritten by Booz Allen Hamilton Randi Weingarten Asa Hutchinson Jeffrey Goldberg

In the midst of contentious national debates on gun control, immigration, budget deficits, and more, this book moves the conversations beyond current media and political warfare to bring together a divided country. Author Jim Wallis, a public theologian and frequent commentator on the nexus between faith and public life, explores his views regarding how Christianity can serve the common good, what it takes to sustain a lifelong commitment to social justice, and how studying the Bible together...

A discussion on how race and racism affect the posture and policies of America's first black president and how the president, in turn, affects those same forces. Ta-Nehisi Coates James Bennet

While our models of civic engagement may be thousands of years old, the tools available for citizen engagement and citizen action are new. Join for a conversation about the collaboration and connection of new models as we imagine the ways we could design the future of citizenship in the 21st century. Mitch Landrieu Heather Smith David Gergen Fred Dust Sandy Speicher

Delivered by Martin Luther King on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial 50 years ago this summer, his call for an end to racism in the United States marks a defining moment in the nation's move towards civil rights. The speech, offered to 250,000 people then, has reached countless millions since, and is hailed as a masterpiece of rhetoric. David Rubenstein illuminates the talk's historic significance. Speakers: David M. Rubenstein

Recent elections in the states of Washington and Colorado have legalized marijuana, catalyzing the national debate regarding drug policy and reform. Will other states follow? How will the federal government respond? And what are the risks and benefits of moving in this direction? Underwritten by Booz Allen Hamilton Speakers: Asa Hutchinson, James Bennet, Ethan Nadelmann

As co-lead counsel for the plaintiffs in Perry v. Brown, David Boies won judgments establishing the constitutional right to marry for gay and lesbian citizens in California in the federal district and appellate courts. Boies returns to Belly Up to discuss life after the SCOTUS ruling with NPR’s Steve Inskeep. Speakers: David Boies, Steve Inskeep

This panel will bring together politically diverse individuals with a unique and extensive understanding of national and political party politics. Through a bipartisan examination of the changing demographics of our nation and our voting populace, panelists will explore the impacts of the ongoing immigration reform debate on their own political parties and the future of national politics. Speakers: Jason Grumet, Al Cardenas, Henry Cisneros, Thad Allen

A discussion on privacy vs. safety. Speakers: Jeffrey Rosen, Tim Wu, Jim Halpert

What does it mean to be a journalist now that whistleblowers can post directly on the Web? Should journalists make an independent evaluation of national security threats? What are the ethical responsibilities for journalists, sources, and government? What should be published and withheld? Speakers: Howard Fineman, Noah Feldman, Gary Rosen, Jeffrey Rosen, Ruth Marcus, Heidi Moore

David Boies and Jeffrey Rosen discuss the Gay Marriage Supreme Court decision. Underwritten by Ernst & Young Speakers: David Boies, Jeffrey Rosen

This survey is designed to leverage and expand on the learning gathered in the American Values Survey released at last year's Aspen Ideas Festival. In addition to tracking some of the key outputs of the 2012 American Values Survey's questions, this year's survey will explore the question of whether Americans are so divided along issue and value lines that they have come to question whether the United States can or should continue as one country. In other words, we will discover if, in 2013,...

Two of the country's most agile prognosticators discuss the science behind their art, with insights to the changing nature of American society. Underwritten by Shell. Speakers: Nate Silver, Mark Penn, Ronald Brownstein