MONDAY at 12:30 on "The Source" — Shifts in political majority often happen slowly over time with many intervening forces — some economic, some social. What might seem like a meteoric rise for some politicians, their success can really be attributed to years of discontent and political party restructuring.
Today’s political landscape in a post-Trump presidency is a prime example. Less than 9% of American adults believe that democracy is working “extremely” or “very” well, whereas 52% feel that it is not working at all. Across the political spectrum, critics and scholars warn that catastrophic change is on the horizon; meanwhile it appears that nothing is happening.
Timothy Shenk offers the idea to look at the history of American political majorities in his book “Realigners: Partisan Hacks, Political Visionaries, and the Struggle to Rule American Democracy”, to understand present-day Democracy. Shenk posits a reassessment of historical figures and to use that as a guide for this era of democracy.
What is the future of American Democracy? Can an understanding of political majorities give insight into the future of American Democracy? When have popular majorities transformed American life? What is realignment theory, and how does it apply to democracy?
Guest: Timothy Shenk, professor of history at George Washington University, co-editor of Dissent magazine, and author of "Realigners: Partisan Hacks, Political Visionaries, and the Struggle to Rule American Democracy"
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*This interview will be recorded on Monday, November 7.