Guest: Steven Levitsky, co-author, How Democracies Die.
“American democracy depends on us, the citizens of the U.S. No single political leader can end a democracy; no single leader can rescue one either.” Thus write Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt in their internationally best-selling book, How Democracies Die (Penguin, 2018). The book’s publication could hardly be more timely: in a nationally representative survey in August 2019, the nonpartisan research organization Public Agenda found that 81 percent of respondents felt that American democracy is either actively “in crisis” or “facing serious challenges.”
What is the state of our democracy now, and what are the most effective steps ordinary citizens can take to protect it?
Join us as Professor Steven Levitsky addresses these questions and others you submit, either in advance or during the meeting. When action is so desperately needed, astute direction is critical. We expect to leave this event with a stronger sense of how to restore the strength of the world’s oldest democracy.
Bio:
Steven Levitsky is Professor of Government at Harvard University. His research interests include political parties, authoritarianism and democratization, and weak and informal institutions, with a focus on Latin America. He is author of several scholarly books on the struggle for democracy in Latin America and the evolution of authoritarianism across the globe. He is currently engaged in research on the durability of revolutionary regimes, the relationship between populism and competitive authoritarianism, problems of party-building in contemporary Latin America, and party collapse and its consequences for democracy in Peru.
The League of Women Voters of the United States is a nonpartisan voter education organization encouraging informed, active participation in government. It is the League’s position that voting is a fundamental citizen right that must be guaranteed. Tonight’s presentation will not necessarily represent the League, but is supportive of community members informing us about their work and various topics important to democracy.
