The Dole Institute of Politics

Address
2350 Petefish Drive
Lawrence, KS 66045 United States Get Directions

The mission of the Dole Institute of Politics is to promote political and civic participation as well as civil discourse in a bi-partisan, balanced manner.

By providing a forum for discussion of political and economic issues, fostering public service leadership and encouraging participation in the political process, we emphasize that politics is an honorable profession and that only through political and civic participation can citizens redirect the course of our nation. While the objective is to accomplish this mission on a broad scale, our location at the University of Kansas provides a unique opportunity for outreach to young people and students.

We utilize the three distinct components of the Dole Institute to accomplish this mission: unique displays that tell the compelling story of Bob Dole’s life in the context of Kansas and The Greatest Generation; one of the largest congressional archives in existence which houses all of the Senator’s congressional papers; and finally, the vigorous public programming conducted by the Dole Institute.

Events at this venue

Today

  • Sandra Day O’Connor

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    The Dole Institute of Politics 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, United States
    Hybrid Event

    The Dole Institute of Politics will award the 2024 Dole Leadership Prize to Sandra Day O'Connor, former Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court and founder of the nonprofit educational organization iCivics, at a public program on October 24 at 7 p.m. It is the first time the Institute has honored a recipient posthumously. […]

  • The Battle for Congress

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    The Dole Institute of Politics 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, United States
    Hybrid Event

    As Democrats and Republicans compete for control of the House and Senate, a look at the themes driving races across the country and what to look for in November.     Jonathan Shorman is The Kansas City Star's lead political reporter, covering Kansas and Missouri government. Shorman has spent more than a decade covering politics in […]

  • The Growing Divide: Political Realignment in the Modern Era

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    The Dole Institute of Politics 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, United States
    Hybrid Event

    As this year’s momentous election campaign nears its climax, it is illustrating anew how the Democratic and Republican parties are undergoing profound ideological and demographic changes. Dole Institute Visiting Fellow Jerry Seib will be joined by Karen Tumulty, an associate editor and columnist at The Washington Post, for an overview of the campaign and how […]

  • China in the Heartland: Building a Balanced Approach

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    The Dole Institute of Politics 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, United States
    Hybrid Event

    As China’s influence grows around the world, skepticism in the United States grows in tandem with it. Evidence of this is seen throughout the Heartland of America, where anti-China legislation and rhetoric have grown over the years. Professor Jack Zhang of the KU Department of Political Science will be joined by Susan Thornton, Vice Chair […]

  • The Ticket-Splitting Voter

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    The Dole Institute of Politics 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, United States
    Hybrid Event

    The United States remains politically polarized, but are some voters returning to ticket splitting? A look at whether voters are becoming more likely to support candidates from different parties and what that means for races across the country this November.     Jonathan Shorman is The Kansas City Star's lead political reporter, covering Kansas and Missouri […]

  • The Candidates and America’s Role in the World

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    The Dole Institute of Politics 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, United States
    Hybrid Event

    With rising tensions in the Middle East, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and continuous challenges on the international stage by China and Russia, all eyes are focused on the candidates in this year’s elections, and how they view America’s role in the world. Dole Institute Visiting Fellow Jerry Seib will be joined by former Senator […]

  • World Leaders in Wartime: Vladimir Putin

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    The Dole Institute of Politics 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, United States
    Hybrid Event

    On February 24, 2022 Russian military forces invaded Ukraine under orders from Russian President Valdimir Putin.  This was the largest military operation in Europe since the end of the Second World War. This lecture will focus on Putin, his wartime leadership, and the status of the war in Ukraine. Dr. Sean N. Kalic is a […]

  • An Overview of the Kansas Election Landscape

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    The Dole Institute of Politics 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, United States
    Hybrid Event

    A deep dive into the factors driving this year’s elections in Kansas, at both the congressional and state legislative levels, and what the outcomes in November could mean for Kansas politics moving forward.     Jonathan Shorman is The Kansas City Star's lead political reporter, covering Kansas and Missouri government. Shorman has spent more than a […]

  • FALL 2024 | Beyond the Ballot: Understanding the 2024 Elections

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    The Dole Institute of Politics 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, United States

    Join Dole Fellow Jonathan Shorman Wednesdays this fall as he highlights elections, campaigns, and more here in Kansas and throughout the nation. His series will culminate this November with the Kansas Panel of the 2024 Post Election Conference. Learn more about Jonathan Shorman's Discussion Groups series by visiting our website.

  • Congress in the 21st Century

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    The Dole Institute of Politics 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, United States
    Hybrid Event

    In partnership with the Association of the Former Members of Congress, the Dole Institute will welcome Democratic and Republican former members of Congress for “Congress in the 21st Century,” a three-part Discussion Groups series. This series’ fellows will highlight their careers in public service and bipartisanship, and work with members of the Student Advisory Board […]

  • FALL 2024 | Congress in the 21st Century

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    Featured
    The Dole Institute of Politics 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, United States

    In partnership with the Association of the Former Members of Congress, the Dole Institute welcomed former members of Congress Luke Messer (R-IN) and Cheri Bustos (D-IL) for “Congress in the 21st Century,” a three-part Discussion Groups series highlighting their careers in public service and bipartisanship, and work with members of the Student Advisory Board to […]

  • The Lie Detectives: An Evening with Sasha Issenberg

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    Featured
    The Dole Institute of Politics 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, United States
    Hybrid Event

    As political campaigns around the world are ready for the busiest election year in human history, and few issues are as urgent for candidates and parties as how to handle the barrage of online disinformation. Veteran political reporter Sasha Issenberg visits the Dole Institute for a conversation on his new book, The Lie Detectives: In […]