Speaker Paul Ryan joined the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership to discuss current policy priorities, including evidence-based public policies with the American Idea Foundation and opportunity zones designed to provide incentives to invest in Census tracts where poverty is persistent. Speaker Ryan provided insight on the rise of polarization, opportunities to revitalize civil society, and lessons for younger Americans. The conversation concluded with discussion on the first 100 Days of the Biden Administration and hopes for progress in divided government. Paul Ryan is a native of Janesville who served as Representative for Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District for two decades, the 54th Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the 2012 Republican nominee for Vice President of the United States.