*Lecture Six: The Purposes of Office and Rule*

Turning back to Republic I in dialogue with the Statesman, this lecture explores rule as a phenomenon that includes but is broader than political office alone (which is one role through which rule can be exercised). It shows Plato to have wrestled with both the promise and the danger of a perfect identification between a person and the role of ruler.

_The Carlyle Lectures are a lecture series co-sponsored by the Department of Politics and International Relations and the Faculty of History._

The archetype of ‘my enemy’s enemy is my friend’, India’s political and economic presence in Afghanistan is often viewed as a Machiavellian ploy aimed against Pakistan. The first of its kind, this book interrogates that simplistic yet powerful geopolitical narrative and asks what truly drives India’s Afghanistan policy.

Informal institutions govern property rights and disputes when formal systems are weak. Well-functioning institutions help people reach and maintain bargains, minimizing violence. Can outside organizations engineer improvements and reduce violent conflicts? Will this improve property rights and investment? We experimentally evaluate a UN and civil society mass education campaign to promote alternative dispute resolution (ADR) practices and norms in rural communities, where violent land disputes are commonplace. Prior work showed a fall in violence and unresolved disputes within a year.

Join OxWiP in conversation with Alyssa Mastromonaco, the Deputy Chief of Staff under President Barack Obama and the youngest woman to ever hold that title. Her recent book, "Who Thought This Was a Good Idea" about her time working for President Obama and being a short woman with gastrointestinal issues and an advocate for free tampons, was a New York Times Best Seller and she is very proud of that.

The year since the election of President Trump has seen the most conflictual relationship between the White House and the Press in recent history. In this lecture Marty Baron reflects on what this means – both for journalism and politics.

The lecture will be followed by a panel discussion, chaired by Alan Rusbridger, Principal of Lady Margaret Hall and former Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian and Q&A with the audience.