The theme of reality-driven change--of adapting priorities and approaches to new political and economic conditions--has been a common thread in the dialogue between students and visiting public leaders this spring. Visitors representing both major political parties as well as a variety of nonpartisan interests have brought their ideas to the LBJ School's discussion forums throughout the semester, providing a focus on the future during the LBJ School's 25th anniversary celebration.

In a series of talks given by prominent public leaders, LBJ School students heard first-hand accounts of how those involved in public service are having to adapt their thinking and their approach as values and social prerogatives change.

Among those invited to share their thoughts with students this spring were House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former U.S. Congressman J. J. "Jake" Pickle, former Texas Governor Ann Richards, Texas State Representatives Dawnna Dukes and Sherri Greenberg, former Austin Councilmember Sally Shipman, and Liz Carpenter, former Press Secretary to Lady Bird Johnson.

In their discussions with students, the visitors discussed many topics, but two related themes--the need for reevaluation in the face of change and the need for American culture to adapt to modern economic challenges--kept surfacing.

In a February teleconference involving students from Syracuse University and the LBJ School, Gingrich said that people must move away from their reliance on government as the caretaker for the needy and that the country should nurture volunteerism, making individuals feel morally responsible for the welfare of others. (See related story.)

Pickle, who met with students during an informal question-and-answer session in January, offered important insights into past and current dialogue in the U.S. Congress. Calling the Republican "revolt" an "honest attempt to change the direction of government," he said that it is time to have a "real dialogue about what we're going to do in this country."

Defending Lyndon Johnson's Great Society programs, Pickle said that LBJ did not favor giving money just for the sake of giving. "They were good programs," Pickle remarked, but despite their merit, Johnson would not necessarily have expected the programs to be left untouched. "You can't pass a law and not have people touch it (later)," Pickle said. "It is not as if it were the Constitution."

In many instances, the speakers conveyed the need to reexamine personal priorities, existing structures, and community strategies.

Dukes was among those advocating changes in personal behavior as a way of making an impact on the country's political system. She observed that women are entering the political scene at a time that is very difficult for those in policymaking positions.

To counteract some of the forces that might discourage talented individuals from entering politics, Dukes called on women to change their spending priorities so that they could be insured of good representation. "It is easier to walk into the mall and drop $200 than it is to put our money where we will be represented well," she said, adding that "we have got to change our mind-set."

Greenberg and Shipman, on the other hand, advocated changes in laws and in approach. Greenberg said she supports complete campaign finance reform that would limit all political contributions so that all candidates have a level playing field. Shipman, now Executive Director of the Houston-based Coalition for the Homeless, believes that the nation's homelessness problem can only be solved locally and that the public and private sectors must work together so that one takes over where the other one "sags."

While some of the speakers argued that changing priorities will change the role of government and that--as Gingrich said--a leaner government is not necessarily a weaker one, others remained adamant in their belief that government must bear responsibility for its citizens.

Carpenter, who has been a political observer for over 50 years, remarked that we must not create "a government (that is) frozen in the ice of its own indifference" and encouraged students not to be "run out of public life" because of the "(political bipartisan) spectacle we've been watching (in Washington)."

Richards, speaking from the perspective of a former state governor and current political activist, agreed that government must continue to have humanitarian goals, but she pointed out that these goals must jibe with economic realities.

"Many of our problems in government today stem from our inability to see that conditions have changed," Richards said. "We keep returning to truisms that are no longer true." For example, she said, there are outdated assumptions that a strong work ethic translates into the ability to find a decent-paying job and that workers will remain with one employer throughout their working lives.

Richards captured the spirit of all the speakers' messages when she told students that the bottom line in government is a truism that remains true: "There is never enough money to do what we creative human beings can find to do with it. . . . We face some tough times ahead, so go for it with your eyes open."