We look forward to seeing you all online!

John Milliken will talk to us about the book, which explores the politics of Virginia in the latter half of the 20th Century using six selected elections to explore the demographic and economic changes that drove the transformation of the state’s politics. 

The Dominion: The 20th Century Elections that Shaped Modern Virginia opens with a look at the segregationist Democratic Organization that had dominated state politics beginning at the close of the 19th Century and covers the changing political coalitions that marked the period 1949 – 2001, closing with elections in which the political parties more resembled their national counterparts. Tying these elections together, the book concludes that these changes had not come suddenly in the 21st Century, but instead had been building inexorably during the prior fifty years, driven by wildly disparate population growth in different areas of the state and an expanded electorate, which grew initially as a result of the civil rights movement in the 1960’s and, more recently, because of newly arrived immigrants.

About the author: John Milliken is currently an Adjunct Professor and Senior Fellow in Residence at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University in Arlington, having concluded more than five decades of service as a public official and private attorney.

Beginning in 1975, he served as Chief of Staff to Virginia’s Congressman Joseph L. Fisher and was elected in 1980 a Member of the Arlington County Board, stepping down in the middle of his third term to accept the position of Secretary of Transportation in the Administration of Governor Doug Wilder. During his years on the Arlington County Board, he was a Member of the WMATA Board and the Transportation Planning Board of the Council of Governments. More recently, he served as Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Virginia Port Authority under six Virginia Governors, concluding his service in 2022.

With this book, he returned to the study of Virginia politics and government, a journey begun during his years at Haverford College and the University of Virginia School of Law.

Registration: Advance registration is not required, and this free event is open to all. We enabled same-day registration for our Encore Learning Presents offerings on Zoom. This means when you join our Zoom webinars (always the same link), you will be asked for your name and email address. Please know that we don’t share your information, and we adhere to our Privacy Policy.

Connect to the presentation online via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84268052749

This program is presented in partnership with Encore Learning. Encore Learning is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2002. They offer a wide variety of college-level noncredit courses, clubs, special events and activities to help meet the continuing educational and social interests of anyone over age 50, regardless of residence location.

• Location campus
• Audience:
  • Good for Adults Age 55+
• Categories:
  • Civics & Government