Stein Ringen, author of the recently published Nation of Devils: Democratic Leadership and the Problem of Obedience, writes here on the current state of American democracy in light of the recent shutdown, financial concerns driving policy, and the possible erosion of the government into “soft despotism.” His book addresses one of the primary
A few weeks ago, we celebrated Columbus Day and the discovery of America. Or at least he made the physical discovery, and even that is contested. What other Americas were there to discover? One might say: the political discovery of the American Republic’s early successes. Alexis de Tocqueville and his
Episode 4 of the Yale Press Podcast is now available. In the latest episode, host Chris Gondek speaks with (1) Hugh Brogan about the life of Alexis de Tocqueville, (2) Heather Cox Richardson about the reconstruction of America after the Civil War, (3) Allen Dwight Callahan about the relationship of