Our democratic institutions face intense strain. Structural features of the Constitution—such as the Electoral College, the Senate’s equal representation of the states, and the powers of the Supreme Court—have produced a system that can feel distant from majority rule.
At the same time, the country confronts extreme political polarization, persistent racial inequality, and declining civic engagement. Free speech, both on campus and in public discourse, is also under pressure, shaping the debates we have about politics and society.
All of this raises a fundamental question: Is the Constitution equipped to sustain American democracy in the twenty-first century?
Our guest has thought deeply about these questions. Erwin Chemerinsky, cited by National Jurist magazine as the most influential person in legal education in the United States, is the Dean of Berkeley Law School in California. He’s also the author of No Democracy Lasts Forever: How the Constitution Threatens the United States and Campus Speech and Academic Freedom: A Guide for Difficult Times.
