***Due to seating restrictions, we will be unable to accommodate additional registrants. We apologize for the inconvenience.***

"Swing Vote" follows the story of Bud Johnson (Kevin Costner), an apathetic, beer-slinging, lovable loser who is coasting through a life that has passed him by. The one bright spot is his precocious, overachieving 12 year-old daughter, Molly. She takes care of both of them until one mischievous moment on Election Day, when she accidentally sets off a chain of events which culminates in the election coming down to one vote—her dad's.

"Swing Vote" is a comical look at the journey of one father and daughter who discover that everyone has the power to change the world.

The United States is seeing an increase in its aging population as the Baby Boomers reach retirement age. Whether or not families retire in dignity instead of working in their golden years will largely depend on the leadership the next president will show on private retirement savings.

Please join the Center for American Progress for a discussion on retirement income challenges and specific policy solutions. Tom Mackell Jr., author of When the Good Pensions Go Away, will present the results of his research. After his description of the challenges that policymakers will face in the coming years, a panel of experts will discuss a range of policy options from building savings outside of retirement wealth to vastly improving retirement savings plans and strengthening traditional defined benefit plans.

"REBORN" chronicles the first official year of public school in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The centerpiece is the charter school movement's effort to radically transform education for the city's mostly African-American public school children, many of whom would still be attending some of the worst-performing schools in the nation. In post-Katrina New Orleans, principals and teachers are now readjusting to a wholly new educational model; likewise, families and communities are responding to the new responsibilities that come with finding their voices in the ways their children are educated.

During this crucial period, one question remains: How will stakeholders use their newfound power? Shot between July 2006 and June 2007, "REBORN" tracks the hopes and challenges of four public charter schools in New Orleans.

Percy Shelley said that poetry, also known as critical reflections upon popular culture, was a touchstone and an influencing agent for understanding and advocating for current issues. E. Ethelbert Miller, David Gewanter, and Naomi Ayala have each written poems in this spirit. It is a gender- and culturally diverse voice that will sound out to the audience messages of progressive change at the level both of policy but more importantly of worldview.

Please join the Center for American Progress for a discussion on the influence of poetry on the progressive movement.

Copies of Wild Animals on the Moon, Sleep of Reason, and How We Sleep on the Nights We Don't Make Love will be available for purchase.

When is religious engagement in public policy a healthy aspect of democracy and when does it threaten the separation of church and state? Is there too much "God talk" in the public square? How should we incorporate diverse religious identities into our common civic life?

Contrasting views about the role of religion in American democracy have been heating up in recent years. Shedding light on the debate is a new collection of essays, Debating the Divine: Religion in 21st Century American Democracy. Its authors—leading thinkers and scholars—offer provocative, thoughtful views on the role of faith in public life within a diverse society. They tackle honest disagreements and find common ground.

Please join several of the book's authors for a lively discussion of religion in our democracy, moderated by E.J. Dionne.

The media has begun focusing of late on the appeal of various candiates to white, working-class voters. But how deep does this newfound interest in these workers go? A unique new quantitative study by the Center for American Progress finds that the media ignores ordinary workers and instead covers economic issues from the perspective of business. "Journalists Give Workers the Business" raises serious questions about whether the media is fairly covering economic issues, living up to its own standards, and properly serving democracy.

A panel of experienced economic journalists, a labor leader, and the study's author will discuss how the media cover the economy and whether anything could change during this election cycle. It will examine why coverage has been skewed and the impact of this portrayal of our economy as a world without workers.

Copies of State of the Unions will be available for purchase at the event.

Science and technology underpin the success of American progressivism and American progress. Innovation and information technology are the strongest drivers of economic growth. Advances in medical research help us live longer and healthier lives. Expanding existing technologies and forging ahead with renewable energy solutions will lead us to a low-carbon economy. Breakthroughs in nearly every field of science and engineering contribute to our national security. Science creates a safer and more equitable future for everyone.

In October, the Center for American Progress launched Science Progress, a web magazine about science and technology policy that supports the common good. Join us as we expand our reach with the release of our first print edition. Experts from the academic and policy worlds will discuss the future of U.S. leadership in renewable energy, genetic medicine, and basic research. This won’t be your ordinary event—we’ll begin with a “science fair” where guests and panelists can talk candidly about the state of these timely issues.