Before closing, let me just list those seven tools once more. Number one, study policy history. Know who won last time, and know who lost, and why, then apply those lessons learned. Two, polish your communication skills. I've told you before, when I hired in Washington I looked for English majors. There's nothing like someone who can read and write and speak well. Frame your causes consonant with the public interest and if you cannot, if you cannot do so with intellectual honesty, then you'd better reconsider your cause and your proposed solution. Number three, study your opponents. Listen carefully. Remember Dee Dee Myers' praise of, of Newt Gingrich. Newt Gingrich said the thing I like best about Bill Clinton is he was always, always, always listening for some common ground, something that would be the basis for achieving a compromise in moving forward. Scour diverse news sources. Don't just read stuff that reinforces your existing prejudices. You red state Fox News junkies, try the other side. You MSNBC Maddow fans, read the Wall Street Journal op ed page. Fourth, embrace Non Governmental Organizations. All around the planet, the era of government policy being shaped only by government bureaucrats, of MBP degrees being for people who are going to be Deputy Assistant Secretaries of something or other. That era is over. NGOs will profoundly shape the world you leave to your children, as well private sector leaders, local activists and civic groups. Fifth, develop some creative alternatives. Propose innovative policy solutions. Reject either-or options. Given a binary choice between apples and oranges, my wise mom always says, choose guava. Sixth, do not be hamstrung by precedent. It's wonderful to call up the founding fathers, but remember that the founding fathers were experimenters. They were bold, and if something didn't work, they tried something else. Finally, personally, know your own heart. Trust your faith. Reconnect with your first principles, your bedrock values. Only then will you know when to compromise. Only then will you know, when it's wise to take half a loaf, or when you need to go down in flames defending enduring principles. So as I approach the conclusion of the semester length journey, why am I so darn optimistic? I spent the better part of three decades of my life at the heart of dysfunction, much of it is a leadership aide on the Senate floor between the Republican and Democratic leaders. Yet I'm quite certain you'll master the challenges ahead. Why? Why am I so optimistic? First of all, because our system was designed to create this type of conflict. Our founding fathers reunited mostly by their deep suspicion of concentrated power. Virtually every major reform movement in American history, every major reform movement has had at its heart, an effort to assail the concentrated power that the founders hated in the British King George III. And if you look at policy history, which I find enormous source of comfort, excess begets reform. The pendulism, the pendulum of isolationism or interventionism, laissez-faire or extremism, never swings too far before we return to our solid national center. There's one constant, one constant in such movements in America, and you know what it is? It's the strong voice of everyday citizens. As one of our speakers said, there's nothing wrong here that could not be cured by a strong dose of civic engagement. And that's the passion that's united our country for 200 plus years, it united the suffragists and the civil rights marchers, the Tea Party and the living wage campaign, the belief that together we can and will do better. So please, listen to those with whom you disagree. We need you to search for common ground. Most importantly, we need you, the soon-to-be graduates of the finest public college on the planet, we need you to lead. Our founders famously exalted, life, liberty and, most radically think how radical this was, the pursuit of happiness. The pursuit of happiness is a very noble goal, but happiness ultimately requires us to promote the well-being of a broader community. Happiness flows when you know you've done your part as a citizen to create a better future for us all sharing this fragile planet. And that I would submit, is a worthy goal for a meaningful life. We'll close with my favorite Republican President Teddy Roosevelt. He famously urged citizens to revere the man or woman in the arena, the activists who risked ridicule and scorn to engage, to fight for principles, to be knocked down but to climb back into the arena once again to advance the public interest. So please, please climb into that public arena. Pursue ambitious goals and never, never, never give up. I'm unfailingly optimistic you'll lead us forward to a brighter tomorrow. Thank you very much for a wonderful semester. Class dismissed. [APPLAUSE]
