'How Democracies Die' Authors Say Trump Is A Symptom Of 'Deeper Problems'

[Xipe Totec]

Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt are experts in what makes democracies healthy — and what leads to their collapse. They warn that American democracy is in trouble.

This is FRESH AIR. I'm Dave Davies in for Terry Gross, who's off today. If watching President Trump and listening to American political discourse these days makes you feel something's gone wrong, our guests today will tell you it's not your imagination. Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt have spent years studying what makes democracies healthy and what leads to their collapse. And they see signs that American democracy is in trouble.

In a new book, they argue that Trump has shown authoritarian tendencies and that many players in American politics are discarding long-held norms that have kept our political rivalries in balance and prevented the kind of bitter conflict that can lead to a repressive state. Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt are both professors of government at Harvard University. Levitsky's research focuses on Latin America and the developing world. Ziblatt studies Europe from the 19th century to the present. Their new book is called "How Democracies Die."

https://www.npr.org/2018/01/22/579670528/how-democracies-die-authors-say-trump-is-a-symptom-of-deeper-problems

[Fred Sanders]

1. The deeper problem is the American constitution needs a badly needed revamp, but too many

literally believe the parchment was delivered by God, even as they have no idea they trample on it, for that to happen soon.

If the USSR can so can America.

[Xipe Totec]

3. If I understood you, it is your belief we can fix the constitution and avoid the problem

But that people who revere the parchment in which it was written prevent us from fixing the inherent problems in it.

Did I read you correctly?

I think the author's proposition is more Gödelian, in that they believe that any formal set of rules (a constitution, for example) can eventually be undermined and used against itself.

So that the safeguards of the system actually lie outside of it.

[Fred Sanders]

4. Only way to undermine a functional democracy is ultimately and lastly to undermine the

Judiciary. The judiciary is still well protected. Under massive attack but still insular.

There is a reason why the law moves slowly and judges are insulated, not unlike professors, in a functional democracy and I believe one reason is so at least one leg of the triade can not be rapidly undermined.

[Xipe Totec]

5. Therefore, your prescription is...

???

[Fred Sanders]

6. Sorry, forgot my pad.

[Xipe Totec]

7. So color commentary only. Got it. nt

[bearsfootball516]

2. There's a lot of truth to this.

Trump is basically one of the millions of 70-80 year old american males that was probably a pretty decent person when they were young, but were corrupted in the 80s, 90s and 2000s by Rush Limbaugh, talk radio and Fox News.

He's a huge problem, no doubt. But he's also exhibit A of what happened to a large portion of the country.

[smirkymonkey]

8. I don't think Trump was EVER a decent person. Some others in his cohort might have

been, but he was born evil.

[pressbox69]

9. Richie Rich in need of an exorcism.