Suzanne Mettler – American Politics Speaker Series

Red, Blue and Grey Abstract pattern

K262, CGIS Knafel Building, 1737 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

Suzanne Mettler, Cornell University

“Four Threats: The Recurring Crises of American Democracy”

Abstract:
Is American democracy in danger of backsliding today? Many assume that it is safe, given the nation’s long-standing Constitution, system of checks and balances, long history of stability, and progress in granting more inclusive and extensive rights over time. Yet an
evaluation of American history reveals that the nation has lurched through crises time and again, in periods wracked by uncertainty about whether war or secession was imminent, dictatorship might arise, or rights might be imperiled. The patterns that precipitated these eras and the settlements that emerged have much to tell us about our circumstances today. This talk, based on a book project with Robert Lieberman, will focus on the 1790s, 1890s, and the contemporary period.

This talk is free and open to the public.

The  American Politics Speaker Series (APSS)  invites speakers from outside Harvard to present research in American politics. Sponsored by the Center for American Political Studies, the Harvard Department of Government, and Harvard Kennedy School, the series is co-organized by Profs. Jon Rogowski, Ben Schneer, and Maya Sen.