Town Hall Seattle: Civics Series
Town Hall’s Civics series highlights everything from local policies to world politics. These events offer perspectives on a range of topics as diverse as Seattle itself—a bustling forum for activism, discovery, and thought-provoking discussion.
Don't miss our other series podcasts:
Oct 21, 2024
Professor of Political Science Paul
Pierson, discusses his new book Partisan Nation.
Co-authored with Eric Schickler, this book explores the roots of
America’s democratic crisis, highlighting how the mismatch between
the Constitution and today’s nationalized, partisan politics has
destabilized American democracy. Pierson offers a fresh perspective
on contemporary polarization, explaining how it has evolved from
past eras and become self-perpetuating. Pierson and
Schickler’s work dives into the changing dynamics of state parties,
interest groups, and media since the 1960s, showing how these
shifts have intensified political conflict. They also caution about
the vulnerability of the American political system to authoritarian
movements, particularly within the contemporary Republican Party.
This talk is for anyone seeking to understand the current
challenges facing American governance and democracy.
Paul Pierson is the John Gross Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley, and director of the Berkeley Economy and Society Initiative. He is the author or coauthor of six books, including Winner-Take-All Politics, Let Them Eat Tweets and Politics in Time.
Megan Ming Francis is the G. Alan and Barbara Delsman Associate Professor of Political Science and an Associate Professor of Law, Societies, and Justice at the University of Washington. Francis specializes in the study of American politics, with broad interests in criminal punishment, Black political activism, philanthropy, and the post-Civil War South.
