#898 Eli Merritt: How to Save Democracy
RECORDED ON OCTOBER 3rd 2023.
Dr. Eli Merritt is a political historian at Vanderbilt University where he researches the ethics of democracy, the interface of demagogues and democracy, and the founding principles of the United States. He is the editor of How to Save Democracy: Inspiration and Advice From 95 World Leaders.
In this episode, we focus on How to Save Democracy. We start by discussing what democracy is, and its main strengths and weaknesses. We talk about current threats to democracy, and recent backlash against progressive values. We discuss how democracy is maintained, and the steps we need to take to save it. Finally, we talk about the role of citizens, and discuss whether democracy should be saved at a country level or on a global scale.
Time Links:
Intro
What is democracy?
The strengths of democracy
Its main flaws and weaknesses
Current threats to democracy
Backlash against progressive values
How is democracy maintained?
Steps to save democracy
The role of citizens
Is democracy something that we should try to save at the country level, or do we need to do it on a global scale?
Follow Dr. Merritt’s work!
Follow Dr. Merritt’s work:
Faculty page: https://bit.ly/3NhYmHH
Website: https://bit.ly/3qYUfZq
Substack (American Commonwealth): https://bit.ly/3tbyXJg
How to Save Democracy: https://bit.ly/3O5JTiA