Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities and former Republican member of Congress (Iowa) James Leach recently concluded a “Civility Tour” of the U.S. During this tour Leach touted the central role of civility in American political life. During this talk, he also addressed questions regarding behavior during times of recession.
Prior to being nominated Chairman of the NEH by President Obama, Mr. Leach was a Professor at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University and Interim Director of the Institute of Politics and Lecturer at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Leach’s brief stint in academia was preceded by 30 years of service as a Republican representative in Congress where he chaired the Banking and Financial Services Committee, the Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Affairs, and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.
This talk was recorded September 15, 2011 at Bowdoin College in Brunswick.