For several years, democracy has faced challenges in the United States. The 2020 election and the transition process following the election, which led to one of the major political parties rejecting the outcomes of the election and attempting an overthrow of it, has highlighted these challenges that American democracy faces. Is American democracy at risk? If so, what must be done to address and redress some of these threats? Doug Becker speaks with Jakob S. Hacker, Sigal Ben-Porath, Martin Gilens, and Larry M. Bartels.

Jakob S. Hacker is a Professor of Political Science at Yale University. He is an expert in American politics and is the author of Let Them Eat Tweets: How the Right Rules in an Age of Extreme Inequality.

Sigal Ben-Porath is a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. She is an expert in democratic theory and is the author of Citizenship under Fire: Democratic Education in Times of Conflict.

Martin Gilens is a Professor of Public Policy at UCLA Luskin. He is an expert in public policy and mass media and is the author of Democracy in America? What Has Gone Wrong and What We Can Do About It.

Larry M. Bartels is a Professor at Vanderbilt University. He is an expert in public opinion and electoral politics and is the author of Unequal Democracy: The Political Economy of the New Gilded Age.

Podcast:

 

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Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in this discussion reflect the views of the guests and not necessarily the views of The Big Q. 

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