How to Fix Democracy
News & Politics
About
Since its origins, democracy has been a work in progress. Today, many question its resilience. How to Fix Democracy, a collaboration of the Bertelsmann Foundation and Humanity in Action, explores practical solutions for how to address the increasing threats democracy faces. Host Andrew Keen interviews prominent international thinkers and practitioners of democracy.
Episodes
- Jeffrey Rosen | Hamilton, Jefferson, and the Future of American Democracy
Host Andrew Keen speaks with constitutional historian Jeffrey Rosen about how America's constitutional system has evolved since the Founding Fathers, exploring the tension between liberty and executive power and the need to potentially reb…
- Soli Özel | Democratic Resilience or Illusion? Lessons from Turkey
Political scientist Soli Oezel joins "How to Fix Democracy" to examine Turkey's historical pattern of "bouts of freedom" and military interventions. The discussion covers the oscillation between openness and control, the enduring role of e…
- Konstanty Gebert | From Solidarity to Uncertainty: Poland's Ongoing Fight for Democracy
Konstanty Gebert reflects on Poland's ongoing struggle for democracy, covering his experiences with activism, the Solidarity movement, and the challenges of transitioning to democratic governance amidst emerging threats.
- Hélène Landemore | Who Owns Democracy? Citizens vs. Elites
In this episode, Hélène Landemore argues that elite decision-making has diminished democratic responsiveness and resilience. She discusses how citizen assemblies and increased participation could reshape the future of democracy with host A…
- Maury Giles: Courageous Citizenship — Practicing Resilience in an Age of Outrage
Host Andrew Keen speaks with Maury Giles, CEO of Braver Angels, about practicing resilience in an era of political outrage. They discuss the impact of polarization, social media, and the need for courageous citizenship and collaborative lo…
- Richard Edelman | From Polarization to Insularity: Can Trust be Rebuild
For 26 years, Richard Edelman has measured the world's trust levels through the Edelman Trust Barometer. In this final episode of our trust series, he joins Andrew Keen to diagnose a new and troubling phase: insularity. After years of pola…
- Rebuilding Trust: Can We Fix America's Social and Political Fractures? | Featuring Dr. Michael Neblo and Frederick J. Riley
In this episode of How to Fix Democracy, host Andrew Keen explores America's deepening crisis of trust, both social and political. Joined by Frederick Riley of Weave at the Aspen Institute and Dr, Michael Neblo of the Ohio State University…
- Cynthia Miller - Idriss | How Distrust Fuels Extremism
In this episode of How to Fix Democracy, host Andrew Keen sits down with Cynthia Miller-Idriss - scholar of extremism, founder of the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL), and author of Man Up: The New Misogyny an…
- From FDR to AI: Derek Leebaert on Trust and Democracy
In this episode of How to Fix Democracy, host Andrew Keen speaks with Derek Leebaert - historian, technologist and author of Unlikely Heroes - about the shifting foundations of trust in democracy. From Franklin D. Roosevelt's efforts to re…
- Burt Neuborne | Law, Trust, and the American Constitution
Can democracy survive without trust in the law? In this episode of How to Fix Democracy, host Andrew Keen speaks with Burt Neuborne, founding legal director of the Brennan Center for Justice and professor of law at NYU, about the complex r…
- Richard Kreitner | Trust, Mistrust, and the Myth of American Unity
Is mistrust a defining feature and flaw in American democracy? Or is it a manifestation of basic opposition against long-term democratic and aspirational concepts such as "all men are created equally"? In this thought provoking conversatio…
- Joan Williams | Outclassed: Rebuilding Trust Between Political Elites and the Working Class
Legal scholar and author Joan Williams joins How to Fix Democracy to unpack the breakdown of trust between political elites and the American working class. Drawing from her new book Outclassed , Williams explores how class-blindness, cultu…
- Jonathan Rauch | High Tech and Low Trust - An American Quandary
In this episode Brookings's scholar Jonathan Rauch explores America's historically unprecedented position as a "high-tech, low trust society" - a dangerous combination where technological advancement coexists with collapsing social trust.…
- Sally Lehrman & The Trust Project
In this episode of How to Fix Democracy , host Andrew Keen, speaks with journalist Sally Lehrman, founder of the Trust Project - a global initiative aimed at restoring trust in journalism. They discuss the origins of the project, inspired…
- Francis Fukuyama on How to Fix Trust
In this episode, host Andrew Keen sits down with Francis Fukuyama to explore the concept of trust. Fukuyama defines it as a byproduct of virtuous behaviors like reliability, truthfulness, transparency, and keeping commitments. He describes…
- American Democracy|A conversation with Dr. Carol Anderson
Days before the U.S. election, Professor Carol Anderson of Emory University spoke with the three producers of the How to Fix Series about the current state of American democracy. With references to previous interviews, the discussion focus…
- Democracy as an Unfinished Project: A Conversation with Congressman Jamie Raskin
In conversation with Congressman Jamie Raskin, host Andrew Keen explores key elements of American democracy. Raskin highlights his deep commitment to public service, grounded in his believe that the rule of law is fundamental to America's…
- From Stability to Upheaval: Yuval Levin on the 1950s Prelude to America's 1960s Revolution | Featuring Yuval Levin
In a conversation with Andrew Keen, Yuval Levin, Director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, explores the critical transition from the 1950s- a decade often seen as a conservative period o…
- The Turning Point in American Conservatism | Featuring Matthew Continetti
In this episode, host Andrew Keen and historian Matthew Continetti explore the pivotal moments in the history of American conservatism, starting in 1964. Continetti elaborates on the ideological foundations of American conservatism, emphas…
- The Dualities of the American Immigrant Experience: A Reflection on Dreams, Acceptance, and Cultural Tensions from the 1950s to Today | Featuring Ray Suarez
Author and broadcast journalist, Ray Suarez, born into a Puerto Rican family newly settled in New York City in the 1950s, speaks with Andrew Keen about American immigrant experiences in the late 20th and 21st centuries. Extolled as a welco…
- Democracy and Foreign Policy: Elites, Power, and Accountability in the Cold War Era |Featuring Elizabeth Saunders
Elizabeth Saunders, Professor of Political Science at Columbia University and author of The Insiders' Game: How Elites Make War and Peace, speaks with Andrew Keen about democracy and foreign policy. The conversation focuses on the tension…
- Faith, Politics, and the Rise of Authoritarianism: A Journey Through American Conservatism | Featuring Peter Wehner
In this episode host Andrew Keen sits down with Peter Wehner to discuss the intersection of faith and politics and the rise of the Evangelical movement in the Republican Party. Pete reflects on his early caution of the dangerous intertwini…
- The Republican Thread: Conservatism in the Twentieth Century | Featuring Jacob Heilbrunn
In conversation with Andrew Keen, the American historian Jacob Heilbrunn, outlines the continuous history of the close association of conservative views and the Republican Party in the early to Mid-Twentieth Century. He describes the party…
- Pursuing Gay Rights in America's Democracy | Featuring James Kirchick
For this episode, host Andrew Keen sits down with James Kirchick, journalist and author of the New York Times bestseller Secret City: the Hidden History of Gay Washington. They discuss the historical exclusion of gay individuals within Ame…
- How the Constitution and the Law Can Save American Democracy | Featuring Jeffrey Rosen
In this episode we delve into Jeffrey Rosen's latest work The Pursuit of Happiness . As the President of the National Constitution Center and a Professor of Law at George Washington University, Rosen brings a unique perspective on America'…
- Testing American Liberalism in the Cold War Years | Featuring James Traub
Testing American Liberalism in the Cold War Years In this episode journalist and historian James Traub delves into the paradoxical nature of liberalism in the post war years. The continuation of New Deal social and economic reforms charact…
- Challenges to Democracy in the Cold War | Featuring Sarah Snyder
In conversation with Prof. Sarah Snyder, an historian of Cold War international relations, Andrew Keen examines the relationship of democratic goals with the realities of American foreign policy. As the world's great post-war democratic an…
- The Democratic Divide in a Post World War II America | Featuring Dr. Carol Anderson
The democratic divide in post WWII: advance abroad, retreat at home. In this episode, Andrew Keen speaks with Dr. Carol Anderson, professor of African American Studies at Emory University. They discuss America in the post World War II year…
- American Democracy Transformed | Featuring Kevin Baker
American Democracy Transformed: A Conversation with Kevin Baker on the Interwar Era's Cultural and Political Evolution In this episode, host Andrew Keen discusses with writer and editor, Kevin Baker, the multifaceted changes and growth of…
- Fighting for Equity: African-American struggles in the '20s and '30s | Featuring Jill Watts
Fighting for Equity: African-American struggles in the '20s and '30s. In this episode, host Andrew Keen talks to Jill Watts author of The Black Cabinet, about the untold story of African Americans and politics during the age of Franklin De…
- Women's Political Rights | Featuring Dr. Allida Black
Women's Political Rights | Dr. Allida Black Allida Black speaks with host Andrew Keen about the history of women in politics and the impact of their noteworthy political and social activism, which dates back a time well before the Women's…
- The Hoover Presidency | Featuring Richard Norton Smith
In this episode of How to Fix Democracy, host Andrew Keen engages in a conversation with the author and historian Richard Norton Smith, delving into a discussion about the Hoover presidency and its profound relevance for the United States…
- The Legacy of FDR | Featuring Paul Sparrow
The Legacy of FDR | Paul Sparrow, former Director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, speaks with Andrew Keen about the immense challenges and legacies of FDR and his administration. Sparrow maintains that Rooseve…
- FDR and the Great Depression | Featuring Derek Leebaert
FDR and the Great Depression | In this episode of How to Fix Democracy, author and historian Derek Leebaert provides a revisionist account of President Franklin Roosevelt and four members of his Cabinet. According to Leebaert, the 1920s we…
- American Isolationism and the Shifting World Order | Featuring Robert Kagan
American Isolationism and the Shifting World Order in the 1920s and 30s | In this 3rd episode of the season, host Andrew Keen talks to Robert Kagan, the distinguished Brookings Institute scholar of foreign policy, about America's dramatica…
- The Scopes Trial and the Fight for the Freedom to Teach | Featuring Edward Larson
The Scopes Trial and the Fight for the Freedom to Teach | In 1924, John Scopes, an instructor in a public school in Dayton, Tennessee, was indicted for violating the Tennessee Butler Act for teaching evolution in a publicly funded school.…
- American Democracy in the Aftermath of World War I | Featuring Adam Hochschild
American Democracy in the Aftermath of World War I | In the first episode of Season 5, How to Fix Democracy host Andrew Keen sits down with Adam Hochschild, historian, journalist, and award-winning author of "American Midnight: The Great W…
- How Authoritarian Leaders Wield & Maintain Power | Featuring Moisés Naím
How Authoritarian Leaders Wield & Maintain Power | On October 20, 2022, Moisés Naím joined host Andrew Keen for a live episode of How to Fix Democracy in the Bertelsmann Foundation office in Washington, DC to discuss how authoritarian lead…
- The State of American Democracy in the Shadow of January 6th | Featuring Larry Diamond
The State of American Democracy in the Shadow of January 6th Nearly two years on, the January 6th insurrection is still lingering over Washington, DC like a dark cloud. The events leading up to the Capitol insurrection, as well as the atta…
- Is Bipartisanship Possible in the United States | Featuring Michael Thorning
Is Bipartisanship Possible in the United States? | The 2020 Presidential Election clarified the need for a unified, authoritative understanding of elections and election systems in the United States. In recent weeks, Democratic legislators…
- The Transformation of the Republican Party | Featuring Dana Milbank
The Transformation of the Republican Party Throughout the last thirty years, the Republican Party in the United States has undergone a great change. How did the party come to adopt such a polarized platform in which white supremacy, conspi…
- Midterm Elections Special | Featuring Rebekah Caruthers
Midterm Elections Special Many Americans are preparing to head to the polls on November 8, 2022 for the US Midterm Elections. Following the elections of 2020, many are worried about the rise of election denial and the growing distrust of e…
- American Ideologies and Trumpism | Featuring Darrell M. West
American Ideologies and Trumpism "Trumpism'' has emerged as a powerful force in American political ideology since the 2016 election. It is characterized by a philosophy that leans heavily on populism, ultra-nationalism, and religious funda…
- The Legitimacy of the U.S. Supreme Court | Featuring Dahlia Lithwick
The legitimacy of the U.S. Supreme Court The popularity of the U.S. Supreme Court has been in sharp decline throughout the last two years. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June of 2022, many Americans, feeling unheard and unseen by…
- Religion and American Conservatism | Featuring Katherine Stewart
Religion and American Conservatism The American far-right has, in many ways, become inseparable from religious conservatism and fervor. Religious movements and organizations provide the foundation, funding, and voting base of the extreme r…
- The Health of American Democracy | Featuring Cynthia Miller-Idriss
The Health of American Democracy The erosion of democratic values in the United States has led many to refer to American democracy as "sick" and in need of healing. Extremism, disinformation, and civic illiteracy have fueled radical belief…
- Racial Injustice & Voting Rights in the United States | Featuring Andrea Young
Racial Injustice & Voting Rights in the United States Andrea Young, the executive director of the ACLU in Georgia, is a lifelong advocate of voting and civil rights in the United States. Having participated in the Selma to Montgomery march…
- Bridging the Partisan Divide | Featuring Mónica Guzmán
Bridging the Partisan Divide What does it mean to engage with someone on the other side of the political aisle? Mónica Guzmán has made it her mission to answer this question and facilitate thoughtful, constructive dialogue between the poli…
- The Crisis of the American Right | Featuring Peter Wehner and Jonathan Rauch
The Crisis of the American Right Authors Peter Wehner and Jon Rauch recently published a New York Times Opinion piece entitled "What's Happening on the Left is No Excuse for What's Happening on the Right." As conservative researchers, they…
- Tocqueville's Take on Democracy | Featuring Cheryl Welch and Arthur Goldhammer
Tocqueville's Take on Democracy Harvard University professors Cheryl Welch and Arthur Goldhammer are world-renowned experts and translators of the work of Alexis de Tocqueville. They kick off Season 4 of How To Fix Democracy by joining hos…