Hoover InstitutionStanford University
The Civic Bargain: How Democracy Survives

Published July 2, 2024

America’s constitutional republic finds itself in an inevitable decline, or so some would say. Political polarization, institutional distrust, and economic uncertainty threaten to fray America’s societal fabric. Decline is only inevitable, however, if we choose it. A recommitment to civic education, dedication to a common good over unilateral perfection, and civic bargaining, Americans can ensure the United States endures and flourishes.

Check out more from Josiah Ober, and learn more about The Civic Bargain:

  • Listen to the Hoover Book Club podcast with Josiah Ober and Brooke Manville as they trace the long progression toward self-government from Classical Athens, Republican Rome, Great Britain’s constitutional monarchy, to America’s founding. What worked? What failed in each case? Together they draw out lessons for how modern democracies can survive and thrive. To listen, click here.
     
  • Read "What the Ancient Greeks can Teach Us About Democracy" featuring Josiah Ober here.

The opinions expressed in this video are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hoover Institution or Stanford University. ©2024 by the Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University.

Cast

Josiah Ober

Josiah Ober

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