Author Bill Hurst traces the evolution of political division in the U.S. into what he calls "affective polarization," where strong dislike of the other party, closely contested elections and winner-take-all politics have prioritized damaging the other party over governing effectively. In this strictly non-partisan look at today's political scene, Hurst shows how polarization threatens democracy, how populism works and how disinformation and misinformation erode democracy from within. He will look at how institutional peculiarities in the U.S. exacerbate risks to democracy, but also present potential reforms that would encourage compromise. 

Presenter: Bill Hurst is author of Our Great Political Divide: Causes, Impacts and Prospects. He is treasurer of Baroda Township and has degrees from Williams and Northwestern's Kellogg School.