Reinventing Democracy for the 21st Century: A Humanities Day Discussion

The American Academy was proud to partner with the University of Chicago’s 40th Annual Humanities Day for this event. This panel was one of multiple Humanities Day programs throughout the day. 

What can we do to address the prevailing sense of crisis in 21st century American civic and political life? From declining trust in government to increasing economic inequality to the rise of social media, the threats to our democracy seem to multiply, requiring nothing less than a fundamental reassessment of U.S. political institutions, civil society ecosystems, and civic norms. With the recently released Academy report “Our Common Purpose” as a backdrop, this session examines the root causes of these crises and discusses the bold steps necessary to build a more resilient democracy for the 21st century.