About the Symposium

For three decades, L. Keith Bulen personified political leadership in Indiana and far beyond. He served twice in elective office, and served three presidents in major appointive posts, but he will be best remembered for his innovative management of major political campaigns, his leadership in revitalizing the Indiana Republican Party, and his unwavering commitment to the American two-party framework.

His professional passion was matched by his devotion to his alma mater, Indiana University, and to all things traditionally Hoosier. In 1998, his many admirers from both parties joined to honor the life and contributions of this great Indiana citizen by creating the Annual Bulen Symposium on American Politics.

One day each year on the campus of IUPUI, political scholars, political practitioners, and journalists come together to examine the state of the American political system and its two historic parties. A keynote address by a nationally recognized authority will highlight a day of discussion and debate organized around a central topical question.

A committee comprising representatives of the Democratic and Republican parties, the Indiana press corps, and the University community selects topics and speakers. The organizers intend for this program to set a national standard and generate national attention as the foremost convocation of its kind.