For at least the last few years, some on the right — especially the MAGA megadonors and political elites — have been trying to make the case that we do not live in a democracy. Some say that we live in a republic, not a democracy. Others have tried to make the case that even if we do live in a democracy, this one is broken down and needs to be replaced with something else.
And the rhetoric has amped up as Trump gains power. Whatever system we live under, it sucks and we should have an authoritarian strongman who can make quick decisions and protect us all (although “all” doesn’t actually mean “all,” as you know).
We on the pro-democracy side have been sounding the alarm that these people intend to do exactly what they say they intend to do: Make self-governance a thing of the past.
Political journalist Osita Nwanevu’s upcoming book, The Right of the People: Democracy and the Case for a New American Founding (Random House, coming out on August 12), makes the case that MAGA and the right have had an easier time getting rid of Democracy because our Democracy has been less than perfect. In fact, in some ways, it’s not even a democracy.
He sat down with Sam Osterhout to talk about the new book, the state of our Democracy, how we got here, and what a new founding of America might look like (and how we get there from here).
Usually, when we talk about the flaws of our current and past system, it can make you feel a little bit helpless. If this is how it’s always been, then how are we meant to be able to change it?
But in the ability to change, there is hope. What world do you want to live in? If we are not trying to envision that world and make it so, then we’re just screaming into the void.
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I’d love to hear your thoughts. What would a Constitutional Convention look like in the post-Trump era (if we get that far)? How do we design a system that values people over property (even if it still values property)?
Watch the conversation, and let us know what you think. And don’t forget to pre-order the book!
