Jeremi Suri on America's Unfinished Fight for...

The irony of democratic backsliding is a lot of these things are pitched to people and understood by people as actually pro-democratic.Noam LupuSupport for democracy is rising across the Americas after more than a decade of decline, but what kind of democracy do citizens actually ...  Show more

There was an assumption that influence could only run one direction... but influence could run the other direction as well.Alexander CooleyAuthoritarian governments are exercising growing influence not only within their own borders but across the institutions, markets, and organi ...  Show more

We talk a lot on this show about the problems with American political institutions. But what if all those problems are actually just one problem: the two-party system. Lee Drutman is a political scientist, senior fellow in the Political Reform program at New America, co-host of ...  Show more

The US Constitution is a brilliant political document, but it’s far from perfect. This week’s guest, Erwin Chemerinsky, argues that many of today’s threats to democracy are a direct result of compromises made by the Founding Fathers centuries ago. Those mistakes have come back to ...  Show more

Back in 2018, when this episode first aired, there was a feeling that democracy was on the ropes.  In the United States and abroad, citizens of democracies are feeling increasingly alienated, disaffected, and powerless.  Some are even asking themselves a question that feels al ...

Why is democracy worth saving? Sean Illing is joined by Astra Taylor, the author of the new book The Age of Insecurity: Coming Together as Things Fall Apart. They discuss the history and reality of insecurity and how we can fight for more sustainable and meaningful democratic pol ...  Show more