One of America’s best-loved political couples, Mary Matalin and “Ragin’ Cajun” James Carville open the 2025 Summer Assembly at Chautauqua Institution, taking the Amphitheater stage for a conversation exploring themes of transformation in our current political and media moments. Key players on the national political stage — they each have over 40 years of experience in politics and have individually worked for Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush — Matalin and Carville will consider “Forces Shaping Our Tomorrow” as they also reflect on previous transformative eras they’ve experienced and helped shape.

James Carville is America’s best-known political consultant. His long list of electoral successes evidences a knack for steering overlooked campaigns to unexpected landslide victories and for remaking political underdogs into upset winners.

His winning streak began in 1986, when he managed the gubernatorial victory of Robert Casey in Pennsylvania. In 1987, Carville helped guide Wallace Wilkinson to the governor’s seat in Kentucky. Carville continued his streak with a win in New Jersey with Frank Lautenberg elected to the U.S. Senate. He managed the successful 1990 gubernatorial campaign of Georgia’s Lieutenant Governor Zell Miller, and in 1991 drew national attention when he led Sen. Harris Wofford from 40 points behind in the polls to an upset landslide victory. His most prominent victory was in 1992, when he helped William Jefferson Clinton win the presidency.

In recent years, Carville has focused on campaigns in more than 23 countries around the globe. A best-selling author, Carville is also a founder, along with pollster Stanley Greenberg, of the independent, non-profit polling organization Democracy Corps. A fellow at Louisiana State University’s Manship School of Mass Communication, Carville co-hosts the weekly Politicon podcast “Politics War Room” with journalist Al Hunt.

Mary Matalin’s commonsense, data-based civil discourse is informed by decades of senior positions in public policy, politics, publishing and media, drawing on unique experiences from her front row seat to unprecedented historical events and seismic cultural shifts as a trusted adviser to America’s most powerful leaders. Her intellectual integrity, practical insights and engaging commentary have earned her a widely acclaimed reputation as one of the country’s foremost and seasoned voices across a diverse spectrum of policy making, political, and multimedia platforms.

Matalin’s career spans 40-plus years in senior positions as adviser, counselor, chief of staff and campaign manager serving multiple history-making presidents and vice presidents, as well as federal, state and local leaders of both parties, where she was engaged in transformational policy and reform initiatives in energy, economics and security issues.

Her political and policy making activities were interspersed with multiple media experiences, including hosting her own award-winning television and radio shows, penning several national best sellers, and publishing dozens of renowned authors as editor-in-chief of Threshold Editions, the line she founded at Simon & Schuster.

This program is made possible with generous support from Thomas B. Hagen and The Susan Hirt Hagen Lectures Fund.

This program is made possible with generous support from Thomas B. Hagen and The Susan Hirt Hagen Lectures Fund.