Book republican populist spiro agnew and the analysts of america. They compare to president donald trump. The center for the study of democracy at st. Marys college of maryland hosted this event. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Thank you. I appreciate that. Im tuajuanda jordan, president of st. Marys college of maryland, the National Public honors college. It always makes me smile to say that. Im delighted to welcome you to this afternoons discussion with authors of republican populists, spiro agnew and the origins of Donald Trumps america. The centers are joint initiative of the college of st. Marys city, the site of the capital. The centers goal is to promote understanding of democratic values, traditions and institutions through the exploration of contemporary and historical issues. Dr. Antonio uges, junior, is the director of the center. He joins us this afternoon. Thank you, tony, for being here. Charlie musgrove, chair of the department of history here at the college is also here
Clearly into the microphone as we are recording it today. Cspan, booktv is here as well. Following the q and a will have a signing at the table. If you havent already purchased books we had plenty at the front of the store at the registers. Tonight im very excited to welcome yuval levin to politics and prose, celebrating his newest book, a time to build. From family and community to congress and the campus, how recommitting to our institutions can revise the american dream. As the nation faces increasing divisiveness fueled by partisan politics, culture wars and populace anger on both sides, levin argues rather than trying to tear down existing institutional frameworks we should be looking to them as sources of strength and support. Through a time to build he shows our Current Crisis isnt completely due to the presence of an impressive oppressive force but the absence of uniting forces and urges us to commit ourselves to renewing the vitality of institutions. Ranging from the family an
Dysfunctions. In one arena after another of our National Life we face the challenge of drawing alienated people back into our institutions. We can point to all kinds of complicated theories about how to build the trust thats required, but the simplest way is for the people who inhabit our institutions, for all of us, to try to be more trustworthy and what each can work at that. We can give her institutional responsibilities more of our time and effort. We can give them more of identity and selfconsciousness. We can understand ourselves as defined by those institutions that matter most in her own lies. We can judge ourselves by their standards, hold ourselves up to their ideals and take seriously the forms of integrity and we can work to reform them where theyre failing to help them work better and be more worthy of trust and confidence. We can yearn not for the foremost autonomy of the event contractor but for the rudeness and responsibility of the member and the partner and the worker
Levin. I want to thank you all for coming to politics and prose im preventing humor week hosts closer thousand events. Year. Something that is confirmed for the next three months you can go ahead and visit our website or pick up our events calendar. Before i get started today are like tosk ask everyone to silence yourur cell phones, so as not to disrupt the event. And when its time for the q a i would ask you to come up to this microphone right here, next to the pillar, and please speak clearly into the microphone as we areec recording it and cspan book tv is here as well. On the q and a we will have a signing. This table if you havent already purchased this book will have the books up at the register. So tonight i am excited to welcome yuval levin celebrating his newest book, a time to build. How we commit to institutions as nations have increased divisiveness, fueled by partisan politics, culture wars, and populist anger on both sides. Yuval levin says instead of trying to tear down
You can come and see all of our rabbis wasted. [laughter]. And speaking of things that drive us to drink, a few weeks into the new year year and decade, the reality has set in for us all. For now undeniably in 2020, approaching one of the anticipated and polarized american president ial elections of all time. The 2016 elections results were shocking to many of us. It seemed that we didnt know our country, our communities, or even her friends as well as we thought we did. The aftermath had people questioning peoples deep rooted values. Tonight we are thrilled to welcome ezra klein back in dc to make sense of it all and to share his perspective of how the polarization has been growing roots for decades. And why we are polarized. He asserts that american political system isnt broken but rather is working exactly as it was designed. Aezra klein shows us how disastrous results are Building Bonds to pull us together. The editor at large, vox cofounder ezra klein and executive producer on the