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

  • Election Administrators / Election Designers

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

    Elections don’t just happen. They’re designed and administered by over 10,000 local election offices throughout the United States. Ahead of the General Election, explore how election administrators design and execute an election in your community from the moment an election is scheduled to long after the final ballot has been cast. This exhibit is presented […]

  • Featured

    World Leaders in Wartime: Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong

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

    Dr. Babb will discuss the wartime leadership of Chiang Kai-shek (Jiang Jieshi) and Mao Tse-tung (Mao Zedong). Their political and military leadership in the Chinese Civil War, the War Against Japan, and during two crises in the Taiwan Strait encompassed an adversarial relationship that stretched for nearly 50 years. These two leaders not only sought […]

  • Featured

    World Leaders in Wartime: William McKinley

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

    At the turn of the 20th century, President William McKinley led the United States' continued expansion abroad through war with Spain over Cuba and the Philippines. His expansion of American power and influence abroad through two subsequent wars attempted to continue shifting the global balance of power dominated for the last few centuries by European […]

  • Featured

    The Counselors

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

    Join us on April 23, 2024, for this year’s edition of The Counselors: “Resolved: Justices to the U.S. Supreme Court should be appointed for a single, fixed 18 year-term rather than a lifetime appointment.” The Dole Institute has been proud to present The Counselors program, a cross between a mock trial and a debate, featuring […]

  • Featured

    Bill Kurtis

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

    “Before it was history, it was news,” reflects Kansas-raised journalist, network news anchor, producer, and rancher Bill Kurtis. Join acclaimed journalist Bill Kurtis in conversation with Dole Institute Director Audrey Coleman for a lively discussion of his Kansas roots and the news that shaped the nation over the course of 7 decades in journalism.   […]

  • Featured

    The 2024 KU Security Conference Keynote Address with General Philip Breedlove

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

    On April 10, General Philip M. Breedlove, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, will open the 2024 KU Security Conference with a keynote address at the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics. This address will kick off a two-day conference at the University of Kansas aimed at bringing together scholars and practitioners from academia, the […]

  • Featured

    World Leaders in Wartime: King Henry II

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

    King Henry II of England (reigned 1154-1189) was the most powerful European monarch of his day, husband to Eleanor of Aquitaine, and father to two successors: Richard the Lionheart and King John. Over the course of 35 years, he successfully warred against neighbors in the Isles and on the Continent, expanding his domains to create […]

  • Featured

    The 2024 Easter Egg Roll with Dole

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

    Come one, come all, for the Dole Institute’s Easter Egg Roll with Dole! Join us on Saturday, March 30, for a morning of family fun, including a White House-style egg roll race, egg hunt, games, crafts, and more. The event is free and open to the public, and will go on rain or shine.   […]

  • Featured

    Kansas Speaks: the Crossroads of Policy and Public Opinion

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

    Discover the intersection of policy and public opinion at the Spring Student Advisory Board Program moderated by SAB Coordinator Allie Haggar featuring a panel of Kansas Speaks Contributor Dr. Alexandra Middlewood, as well as Rep. Christina Haswood and Rep. Nick Hoheisel, two legislative members of the Kansas Future Caucus, representing both Republican and Democrat perspectives. […]

  • Featured

    World Leaders in Wartime: Winfield Scott and Joint Warfare in 1847-1848

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

    In March of 1847 General Winfield Scott led the first large-scale joint operation in U.S. history. Seeking to compel a favorable conclusion to the ongoing war with Mexico, the veteran U.S. Army commander developed an ad hoc partnership with the U.S. Navy to conduct an amphibious landing and assault on the fortress city of Veracruz […]

  • Featured

    Bolstering Elections Administration: A Conversation with State and Local Officials

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

    Join the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate for a conversation with Kansas election officials Jamie Shew, Douglas County Clerk, and Scott Schwab, Kansas Secretary of State, about the state of election administration in Kansas, including the challenges they face, and how they might […]