Harley was proud and honored to have Dr. Mark Zupan as our featured speaker at the first Commons Series event of the school year. Mark Zupan is a Harley parent (’10 and ’14), past Board of Trustees president, and current President of Alfred University. His latest book, Inside Job: How Government Insiders Subvert the Public Interest, explores how entrenched government interests across the world abuse their power to subvert the public interest. As an economist, his views on politics stem from the basic questions of who gets what, when, where, why, and how. His engaging and ranging presentation took the audience back in time to examine various historical government models and regimes, examining the interplay of democracy, corruption, longevity, and effectiveness. “Just because we have government by the people doesn’t mean that we have government for the people,” was a point Zupan made throughout the evening. His presentation was followed by a question and answer session with the audience, which only further highlighted Zupan’s quick mind, extensive experience, and adroit communication skills. Everyone left with a greater appreciation for the inner workings of effective government and how we control those in power.
Commons Series #1 — Dr. Mark Zupan
