Can We Make American Democracy Work?

Our political institutions are dysfunctional, overwhelmed by excessive polarization and an onslaught of private interests. Despite decades of political reforms intended to improve democratic participation, we’ve made little progress, often trading off one set of problems for another. Have political reformers been working with the wrong sets of assumptions? If so, what lessons should we learn from past political reforms, and what realistic assumptions can inform future political reforms? 

Join New America for a conversation with Bruce E. Cain, author of Democracy More or Less: America’s Political Reform Quandary and professor of political science at Stanford University; Perry Bacon Jr., senior political reporter for NBC; John Lawrence, former chief of staff for Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Frances E. Lee, professor of political science at the University of Maryland; and Mark Schmitt, Director, Political Reform Program, New America, on how we should think about political reforms to make American democracy work.

Follow the discussion online using #MakeDemocracyWork and following @NewAmerica.

Copies of the book will be available for sale at the event.

Participants:

Bruce Cain
Author, Democracy More of Less: America’s Political Reform Quandary
Professor of Political Science, Stanford University

Perry Bacon
Senior Political Reporter, NBC
@PerryBaconJr

John Lawrence
Former Chief of Staff, Speaker Nancy Pelosi
@JohnALawrenceDC

Frances E. Lee
Professor of Political Science, University of Maryland

Mark Schmitt
Director, Political Reform Program, New America
@MSchmitt9