Whither the State. Course Coordinator, Dennis Dresang

“Careful, logical, and evidence-based inquiry.” That’s how Dennis Dresang has described methods of getting good information and that approach is obvious to anyone taking Whither the State.

Dennis, a UW-Madison emeritus professor and founding director of the La Follette School of Public Affairs, has offered his popular Whither the State for PLATO every autumn for many years and it remains one of the best attended of PLATO’s offerings. Focusing on topics of current interest in the public sphere that impact the state and the nation, the course includes not only Dennis’s own astute commentary, but also regular guest presenters who can speak authoritatively on public affairs—ranging from political scientists such as David Canon to officer holders such as Congressman Mark Pocan or former state Senate president Brian Rude.

Due to the pandemic, PLATO’s Whither the State no longer happens only in the fall semester. Last fall’s sessions, which focused heavily on the 2020 elections, drew online attendance that typically topped one hundred. Because everyone meets online, guest speakers no longer have to be drawn only from the Madison area.

The course usually goes on a hiatus in the winter and spring since Dennis is a snowbird who heads out to the American southwest during Wisconsin’s cold season. This year Dennis’s travel plans are no different, but with the course now being all digital, we are getting twice as much of Whither the State. Dennis is continuing the course on a twice monthly basis from December 2020 through May 2021. Dennis leads the session from his southwestern residence (and sometimes outdoors on his front porch) with Madison assistance from Terry Shelton and Kurt Sippel.