The university's department of political science will hold the 2013 Cecil H. and Ida Green Honors Chair with Jacob Hacker lecture on American politics Tuesday.

“I am honored that the political science department nominated me as a Green Honors Chair lecturer, and I am delighted to be coming to a national university with such a strong commitment to value-centered education and the creation of responsible citizens,” Hacker said.

Hacker is the director of the Institution for Social and Policy Studies and a Stanley B. Resor professor of political science at Yale University. He has written works on social policy, health care reform and economic inequality in the United States.

He is considered a leading expert on the growing gap between the rich and poor and is recognized as one of the chief influences on the crafting of the Affordable Care Act.

Hacker will be meeting with university students and staff leading up to his lecture called “Is American Politics Undermining the American Dream?”

The lecture will discuss how rising economic inequality is linked to changes in American politics and policy with a special emphasis on current economic, health care and budget debates, Hacker said.

“One of the major findings of my work is that rising inequality spills over into our politics, making it more difficult to forge strong solutions that bridge social and political divides,” Hacker said.

Stuart Maples, Class of 2015 SGA representative, said he plans on attending the lecture.

“I think it’ll be interesting to hear an expert’s opinion on how we might be able to solve some of the economic and political issues facing America today,” Maples said.

Hacker said he hopes students at the university will "gain a better appreciation from one of the most discussed issues of our time" at his lecture.

"I believe strongly that all of us should be involved in this debate, armed with facts as well as values, and I hope to provide some of those facts," Hacker said.

The lecture will take place Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Brown-Lupton University Union Ballroom, and the event is free and open to the public.