On Thursday, September 14th the Policy Lab hosted a conversation between two prominent policymakers: Chuck Hagel and Russ Feingold. Chuck Hagel was the 24th Secretary of Defense from 2013 to 2015. He also served in the United States Senate, where he represented the state of Nebraska. Hagel was joined in conversation by former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, who is a Visiting Professor at Yale Law School.
Hagel and Feingold conversed on a wide range of contemporary policy issues before a packed house of students in the Policy Lab. Hagel shared his views on the origins of polarization in American politics, and discussed the problems being faced by the current Trump administration. He also provided students with advice on how to achieve meaningful careers in public service. Yale students asked Hagel insightful questions about issues ranging from the value of compromise in modern American politics to the current crisis between the United States and North Korea.