Wednesday, January 19, 6–7 p.m. ET
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Donald Trump’s Big Lie isn’t just about what the defeated president felt or did, but rather the impact of his actions on American democracy and millions of voters. In conversation with acclaimed political journalist Yamiche Alcindor of PBS and NBC News, Michael Waldman (Brennan Center for Justice president and author of The Fight to Vote) tracks the current wave of voting restrictions sweeping statehouses around the country in the context of the nation’s history of voting rights — from the Founders’ debates to the civil rights era.

Speakers: Michael Waldman, President, Brennan Center; Author, The Fight to Vote and The Second Amendment: A Biography // Moderator: Yamiche Alcindor, Anchor and Moderator, PBS’s Washington Week; Washington Correspondent, NBC News (March 2022)

Thursday, January 13, 6–7 p.m. ET
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In her new book, How Civil Wars Start and How to Stop Them, Barbara F. Walter writes that while the United States has long been known for its optimism and unshakable institutions, the last decade has seen seismic changes in cultural and economic power, creating a fertile breeding ground for political violence and the potential for civil war. Walter will be joined by Brennan Center Fellow Michael German for this conversation. German, a former FBI agent, is the author of Disrupt, Discredit, and Divide: How the New FBI Damages Democracy.

Speakers: Barbara F. Walter, Rohr Professor of International Relations, School of Global Policy and Strategy, University of California, San Diego; Author, How Civil Wars Start And How To Stop Them // Moderator: Michael German, Fellow, Brennan Center Liberty & National Security Program; Author, Disrupt, Discredit, and Divide: How the New FBI Damages Democracy

Tuesday, January 25, 7–8 p.m. ET
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In The People’s Constitution, Wilfred U. Codrington III and John F. Kowal, present an alternative history to our founding document and a vital guide to our national charter. They introduce all of the Constitution’s framers: not just the Framers but “the visionaries and gadflies whose passion and perseverance helped ensure that our national charter could change with the times through periodic infusions of popular input.” That history, they argue, “has been, for the most part, an inspiring story of progressive legal change, driven by powerful social movements and an evolving array of civil society organizations.” But in our fractured, hyper-partisan politics of today, are we still able to amend the Constitution?

Speakers: Wilfred U. Codrington III, Fellow, Brennan Center; Co-author, The People’s Constitution: 200 Years, 27 Amendments, and the Promise of a More Perfect Union; John F. Kowal, Vice President of Programs, Brennan Center; Co-author, The People’s Constitution: 200 Years, 27 Amendments, and the Promise of a More Perfect Union