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<span><span><b>The Institute for Ethics in Public Life would like to
invite you to join us for "Local Politics and National Polarization" on Wednesday, January 28, at 3:30pm,
with special guests Matthew Veitch '94, former Chair of the Board of
Supervisors, City of Saratoga Springs, and David Rodriguez DeCancio '93,
Senior Advisor for New York State Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie and
member of the Bethlehem Town Board.</b><br> </span></span></div></span></font><div style="margin-left:40px"><font size="2"><span><div><span><span>It
is hardly newsworthy to point out that the United States is very
politically polarized. Partisanship has been increasing in Congress over
the last 50 years, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/03/10/the-polarization-in-todays-congress-has-roots-that-go-back-decades/&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1769629824174438&usg=AOvVaw1l4QSs4taLxbGABvDzGYwx" id="m_6834968471847726273gmail-ow116" target="_blank">according to Pew Research</a>. The electorate has similarly become more polarized, with <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2022/08/09/as-partisan-hostility-grows-signs-of-frustration-with-the-two-party-system/&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1769629824174438&usg=AOvVaw0H_NXNv3WhK5WRcgzhQ6P0" id="m_6834968471847726273gmail-ow123" target="_blank">a significant increase in antipathy towards members of the other party</a>. As citizens and residents, we see this manifest as conflict and dysfunction in Washington, and<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/09/19/americans-dismal-views-of-the-nations-politics/" id="m_6834968471847726273gmail-ow130" target="_blank"> many of us are alienated from politics</a> as a result.</span></span></div></span></font><font size="2"><span><div><span><span></span></span></div></span></font><br><font size="2"><span><div><span><span>What
few of us consider, or understand, is that the vast majority of
politics and government in the U.S. takes place at the local level. Of
all the elected officials in the U.S., <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://poliengine.com/blog/how-many-politicians-are-there-in-the-us&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1769629824174438&usg=AOvVaw0yr6_KirAFYNvDdYEzf_no" target="_blank">over 96% are at the local level </a>(only
.1% are at the national level). Similarly, while there were some 3
million federal government employees in 2024, there were roughly 5
million state government employees and 15 million local government
employees. There are far more Americans involved in local politics and
working for local governments than there are at the state and federal
levels.</span></span></div></span></font><br><font size="2"><span><div><span><span><span>How does the political polarization we see at the
national level affect local politics and government? Join Matthew Veitch
’94 and David Rodriguez DeCancio ’93 as they share their experiences
navigating today’s divided political landscape as local elected
officials and the impact it has had on local government.</span> </span></span></div></span></font><font size="2"><span></span></font><br><font size="2"><span><div><span><span></span></span>
<span>Matthew Veitch, ’94, earned a B.S. in Secondary Education with a
minor in Music. He also earned an A.S. in Applied Information
Technology degree from Pace University in 2005. He served as the
Saratoga County Supervisor representing the City of Saratoga Springs
from 2008-2025 and was elected by his peers to be Chairman of the Board
of Supervisors in 2015. Matthew serves in a variety of public roles
including as CEO of the Saratoga County Capital Resource Corporation and
Historian for the City of Saratoga Springs. It is also notable that
both of Matt’s parents are graduates of SUNY Plattsburgh, and all of
his siblings (4) and two of his in-laws are as well, as well as his
niece. The latest Veitch, Matthew's nephew, is currently a Sophomore at
Plattsburgh. </span>
</div></span></font><font size="2"><span><div><span><span><p><span>David R. DeCancio is an accomplished public
policy and communications strategist who currently serves as Senior
Advisor to New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. David has held
various senior-level positions for three NYS Assembly Speakers and in
the Office of the Governor. David was elected to the Bethlehem Town
Board in January 2021, becoming the first Latino to serve on the board.
He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Bethlehem Youth Court
and the Bethlehem YMCA Advisory Council. David earned his B.A. in
Political Science from SUNY Plattsburgh.</span></p>Please join us in
person at the E. Thomas Moran Seminar Room, Institute for Ethics in
Public Life (Hawkins 233) or on Zoom (below).</span></span></div></span></font><br><font size="2"><span><div><span><span>Daniel Lake is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.</span></span></div><div>Topic: Local Politics and National Polarization</div></span></font><font size="2"><span><div>Time: Jan 28, 2026 03:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)</div></span></font><font size="2"><span><div>Join Zoom Meeting</div></span></font><font size="2"><span><div><a href="https://plattsburgh.zoom.us/j/86548286938" id="m_6834968471847726273gmail-ow148" target="_blank">https://plattsburgh.zoom.us/j/86548286938</a><span><span> </span></span>
</div></span></font></div>
</div><br clear="all"></div><br><span class="gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><b><font size="2">Daniel Lake</font></b></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2">(pronouns: he/him/his)<br></font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2">Professor of Political Science</font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2">Director, Institute for Ethics in Public Life<br></font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2">Hawkins 149A</font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2"><a href="https://maps.google.com/?q=101+Broad+Street+Plattsburgh,+NY+12901&entry=gmail&source=g" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">101 Broad Street</a></font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2"><a href="https://maps.google.com/?q=101+Broad+Street+Plattsburgh,+NY+12901&entry=gmail&source=g" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">Plattsburgh, NY 12901</a></font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2">(o) <a href="tel:(518)%5645833" value="+15185642217" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">518-564-5833</a></font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><b><font size="2"><a href="http://plattsburgh.edu/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">plattsburgh.edu</a></font></b><br></p></div><div dir="ltr"><img src="https://web.plattsburgh.edu/files/914/images/SUNY-Plattsburgh-Email-Logo-2018.jpg"><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>