Drawing on insights from his latest book, “Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point,” Harvard University professor and New York Times bestselling author Steven Levitsky will serve as keynote speaker at a Notre Dame Forum event at 7 p.m. Dec. 4 (Monday). The event will take place in McKenna Hall, Room 215/216, and is free and open to the public.
A former visiting fellow at Notre Dame’s Kellogg Institute for International Studies, Levitsky, the David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies and professor of government at Harvard, will discuss challenges to U.S. democracy and strategies for reforming and strengthening political systems, and present examples — from 1930s France to present-day Thailand — to explain why and how political parties turn against democracy. He will draw on insights from his bestselling books, co-authored with Daniel Ziblatt, “How Democracies Die” and “Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point.”
“We are honored to welcome Steve back to Notre Dame,” University President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., said. “At a time when democratic systems of government are threatened by many factors including the proliferation of disinformation, rising populism and economic turmoil, we look forward to Steve’s insights about how democracies can continue to flourish, now and in the future.”
This event is the latest in a series of discussions Notre Dame is hosting on the future of democracy. Since its establishment in 2005 by Father Jenkins, the Notre Dame Forum has each year invited campus-wide dialogue about an issue of importance to the University, the nation and the world. This year’s Forum invites reflection on the rising threats to global democracy and how democracy can be reinvigorated in the U.S. and across the world.
Following Levitsky’s remarks, Christina Wolbrecht, professor of political science and the C. Robert and Margaret Hanley Family Director of the Notre Dame Washington Program, will moderate a discussion.
This event is co-sponsored by the Kellogg Institute for International Studies.