The American Presidency: A 250 Year Perspective

The Hoover Institution invites you to a special conversation with historians Niall Ferguson and David M. Kennedy examining today’s presidency through the long lens of American history, on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, from 3:00-5:30 p.m. PT.

Many of the questions confronting the country today, including presidential power, political realignment, economic nationalism, and America’s role in the world, may feel unprecedented. But how new are they? Ferguson will journey through pivotal moments in American history to explore how earlier generations confronted similar tensions and turning points. Kennedy will then join him to examine those parallels, where they break down, and what history can and cannot tell us about the present.

As America begins its next 250 years, join us to consider what the first 250 can teach us about this moment and what may come next.