Episode Guest: Richard A. Gephardt, Founder of the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement
About The Guest: Richard A. Gephardt is President and CEO of Gephardt Government Affairs. Mr. Gephardt served for 28 years in the United States House of Representatives (from 1977 to 2005), representing Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District, home to his birthplace of St. Louis. He was elected to serve as House Democratic Leader for more than 14 years, as House Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995, and Minority Leader from 1995 to 2003. In his role as Leader, Mr. Gephardt emerged as one of the leading strategists of the Democratic Party’s platform and chief architect to landmark reforms in healthcare, pensions, education, energy independence, and trade policy.
Mr. Gephardt established an endowment for the Gephardt Institute for Public Service (now the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement) in 2005. He provides ongoing support and vision for its future.
About This Civic Moment
In a time of hyper-partisanship and the reconsideration of the narrative of the United States, what is the state of American democracy and the relationship between social solidarity and civic engagement? How can we reflect on the values that undergird our democracy and civic existence to envision a healthy and vibrant civic future?
This podcast, hosted by the Engage Democracy Fellows at the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement at Washington University, seeks answers to these questions while providing listeners with multiple angles to inquire, reflect, and discern our civic identity and calling as a community.