• World
    • Africa
    • Asia Pacific
    • Central & South Asia
    • Europe
    • Latin America & Caribbean
    • Middle East & North Africa
    • North America
  • Coronavirus
  • Politics
    • US Politics
    • Joe Biden
    • Extremism
    • Europe
    • European Union
    • India
    • Arab World
  • Economics
    • Finance
    • Eurozone
    • International Trade
  • Business
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Startups
    • Technology
  • Culture
    • Entertainment
    • Music
    • Film
    • Books
    • Travel
  • Environment
    • Climate Change
    • Smart Cities
    • Green Economy
  • Global Change
    • Education
    • Refugee Crisis
    • International Aid
  • International Security
    • ISIS
    • War on Terror
    • North Korea
    • Nuclear Weapons
  • Science
    • Health
  • 360 °
  • The Interview
  • In-Depth
  • Insight
  • Quick Read
  • Video
  • Podcasts
  • Interactive
Fair Observer Logo Fair Observer Logo
  • Sign Up
  • Support FO°
  • Login
  • LOGIN

    • Lost your password?
    Forget Password?

    New to Fair Observer? Register Now

    Contributor Member
Fair Observer Logo

American Reckoning: A New Kind of Nation

Wade Roush

  -  November 2, 2020

Welcome to a special two-part series (click here for part one) about the looming clash over the future of America. In part one, we looked at the tattered state of our democracy and searched for peaceful ways through an election season in which one candidate — Donald Trump — has threatened violence and disruption if he doesn’t win. Here in part two, we look at the work waiting for us after the election: fixing the way we govern ourselves so that we’ll never have another president like Trump or another year like 2020.


360° Context: The 2020 US Election Explained

READ MORE


The real breakdowns in our system go much deeper than Trump, hence the cliché that he’s the symptom, not the disease. Boxed in by demographic change, the Republican Party has devolved over the past half-century into a force that taps racial and economic anxieties to win elections, erodes faith in government by deliberately and cynically undermining government, and exploits constitutional loopholes and congressional procedure to exercise endless minoritarian rule. Democrats, of course, are beset by their own internal divisions — and by a growing thirst for revenge.

To reverse this toxic dynamic, we’ll need reforms that give both parties a fair shot at legislating and lower the risk of tyranny by the minority or the majority. It’s a tall order, given that we’re more sharply divided along ideological, geographical and economic lines than at any point in American history. Which is why the necessary reforms could end up going so deep that we come out the other side looking like a different nation—or nations.

This episode draws on a range of ideas from thinkers such as journalist David A. French, political scientists Adam Przeworski and William Howell, and sociologist and science fiction author Malka Older, along with an assortment of other commentators on the topics of polarization, federalism and the possibility of secession or breakup. And in the best “Soonish” tradition, there’s also a little dose of “Apollo 13.”

Mentioned in This Episode

      • Check out the essay version of American Reckoning, which includes extensive annotations and links to source materials
      • Graham Gordon Ramsay
      • Titlecard Music and Sound
      • Tamar Avishai, Claes Oldenburg’s Giant Toothpaste Tube (1964), “The Lonely Palette”
      • Hub & Spoke

Chapter Guide

      • 00:22 Welcome to Part 2
      • 01:15 The Apollo 13 Election
      • 03:38 Reviewing the Givens
      • 05:34 Tara Westover and the Breaking of Charity
      • 06:14 David A. French on the Central Fear of Conservatives
      • 07:55 New Rules for the Game of Democracy
      • 11:05 Scenario 1: Trumpocracy
      • 12:46 Scenario 2: Biden Our Time
      • 13:44 Scenario 3: The New New Deal
      • 18:37 Scenario 4: The Bonds of Our Disaffection
      • 25:25 Scenario 5: Micro-democracy
      • 35:15 A House Divided
      • 36:57 The Other Side
      • 38:21 End Credits and Acknowledgements
      • 39:27 Shout-out: The Lonely Palette

*[This podcast was produced by Wade Roush. Click here for a full list of episodes.]   

The views expressed in this post are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.

More Episodes

The Hot Mic: US Debt Ceiling, Ukraine and Trouble in Arctic

Atul Singh & Christopher Roper Schell, May 31, 2023

Paint it Black: Lebanon's Failures and How to Save it

Jean AbiNader & Atul Singh, May 17, 2023

A Canadian Perspective on Ukraine, Iraq and Afghanistan

Michel-Henri St-Louis & Atul Singh, May 10, 2023

Trump's Fraud Charges, Taiwan's Defiance and OPEC's New Moves

Atul Singh & Christopher Roper Schell, April 22, 2023

Must Listen

Fair Observer

An Outstanding Deep Dive Into the American Economy

Nasir Khilji & Atul Singh, April 15, 2023
Fair Observer

An Excellent Deep Dive Into the Global Economy

Nasir Khilji & Atul Singh, April 13, 2023
Fair Observer

Enter the Dragon: China Is Creating New World Order

Atul Singh & Glenn Carle, April 10, 2023
Fair Observer

The Hot Mic: Analyzing Biden's 2nd Term, Chinese Spy Balloons, and Unstable Energy Markets

Atul Singh & Christopher Roper Schell, March 17, 2023
Fair Observer

Antoine van Agtmael: The Future of Emerging Markets, India and Inequality

Antoine van Agtmael & Atul Singh, March 11, 2023
Fair Observer

Antoine van Agtmael: New Perspective on Europe, China and Demography

Antoine van Agtmael & Atul Singh, February 15, 2023
Fair Observer

The Hot Mic: Divided US Congress, German Tanks and China’s COVID Catastrophe

Atul Singh & Christopher Roper Schell, February 10, 2023
Fair Observer

Antoine van Agtmael: Stagflation and Race for Clean High Tech

Antoine van Agtmael & Atul Singh, January 31, 2023
Fair Observer, 461 Harbor Blvd, Belmont, CA 94002, USA
Subscribe

Subscribe

Register for $9.99 per month and become a member today.

Click here to subscribe
Subscribe

Publish

Join our community of more than 2,500 contributors to publish your perspective, share your narrative and shape the global discourse.

Click here to publish
Subscribe

Donate

We bring you perspectives from around the world. Help us to inform and educate. Your donation is tax-deductible.

Click here to Donate

Explore

  • About
  • Republish
  • Authors
  • Privacy Policy
  • Publications
  • Terms of Use
  • FAQs
  • Contact

Regions

  • Africa
  • Latin America & Caribbean
  • Asia Pacific
  • Middle East & North Africa
  • Central & South Asia
  • North America
  • Europe

Topics

  • Politics
  • Environment
  • Economics
  • Global Change
  • Business
  • International Security
  • Culture
  • Science

Sections

  • 360°
  • Video
  • The Interview
  • Podcasts
  • In-Depth
  • Interactive
  • Insight
  • My Voice
  • Quick Read

Daily Dispatch

Designed, Developed and Maintained by Netleon Technologies
© Fair Observer All rights reserved
Fair Observer Education Logo Fair Observer Leadership Academy Logo

    Fill below form to share your concern with us

    *Indicates required field

    BOOKMARK

    Want to save this post?

    Register as a member to support independent journalism and enjoy subscriber benefits.

    BECOME A MEMBER

    NEWSLETTER

    Make Sense of the World

    Unique Insights from 2,500+ Contributors in 90+ Countries

    Fair observer

    Make Sense of the World

    Unique Insights from 2,500+ Contributors in 90+ Countries

    We Need Your Consent
    We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. Learn more about how we use cookies or edit your cookie preferences. Privacy Policy. My Options I Accept
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Edit Cookie Preferences

    The Fair Observer website uses digital cookies so it can collect statistics on how many visitors come to the site, what content is viewed and for how long, and the general location of the computer network of the visitor. These statistics are collected and processed using the Google Analytics service. Fair Observer uses these aggregate statistics from website visits to help improve the content of the website and to provide regular reports to our current and future donors and funding organizations. The type of digital cookie information collected during your visit and any derived data cannot be used or combined with other information to personally identify you. Fair Observer does not use personal data collected from its website for advertising purposes or to market to you.

    As a convenience to you, Fair Observer provides buttons that link to popular social media sites, called social sharing buttons, to help you share Fair Observer content and your comments and opinions about it on these social media sites. These social sharing buttons are provided by and are part of these social media sites. They may collect and use personal data as described in their respective policies. Fair Observer does not receive personal data from your use of these social sharing buttons. It is not necessary that you use these buttons to read Fair Observer content or to share on social media.

     
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    These cookies essential for the website to function.
    Social Media
    These cookies are used to enable sharing or following of content that you find interesting on our website. These settings apply to third-party social networking and other websites.
    Performance & Functionality
    These cookies are used to enhance the performance and functionality of our website. They provide statistics on how our website is used and help us improve by measuring errors. Certain functionalities on our website may become unavailable without these cookies.
    Analytics
    SAVE & ACCEPT