Mr. Smith Goes to Washington—2025
Thursday, April 10, 2025
In 1939, legendary filmmaker Frank Capra released his classic, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, starring the great Jimmy Stewart as Jefferson Smith, an idealistic senator from the American Heartland sent to Washington to make it a better place. Unfortunately, Senator Smith is shocked by the corruption and cynicism he encounters. The nation’s capital is not what he imagined it to be. It was not exactly a Shining City on a Hill. Jefferson Smith, however, resolved to reform it. He sought to bring decency and civility back to Washington, returning the nation to its core convictions and the vision of its founding fathers.
Fast forwarding to 2025, a new generation of reformers—if not rebels—descends upon Washington. The new Trump administration, with a team of bold new voices and faces like Elon Musk, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and even a Department of Government Efficiency, seeks to shake up things inside the Beltway. All of which begs key questions: What should be reformed in Washington? What is the proper role of government? What are its core functions? What are its limits? What did the American founders believe? What is the ideal balance between local, state, and federal governments? How do we return civility and decency to public discourse? Above all, what is the calling of the Christian in the public square in 2025 and beyond?
Join us this April as we consider “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington—2025.”
Thursday, April 10, 2025
For questions, please email Olivia McGalla ’23, Communications and Event Coordinator at WhitemanOC@gcc.edu.
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