ReImagining Liberty 094: A New American Reconstruction (w/ Andy Craig and Shikha Dalmia)
Nov 24, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Shikha Dalmia, founder of The UnPopulist, and Andy Craig, leader of the Reconstruction Agenda project, explore the vital need for institutional rebuilding in a post-Trump America. They delve into the unique challenges posed by executive power consolidation and institutional corruption. The guests emphasize the importance of accountability for elite impunity and outline practical reforms to strengthen democracy. They argue that the current political backlash against authoritarianism presents a unique opportunity for meaningful reform.
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Patrimonial Presidency Drove Institutional Decay
- Shikha Dalmia identifies Trump's governance as patrimonial: concentrated power, cronyism, and corruption.
- She warns this patrimonial consolidation and authoritarian remaking of the presidency demands institutional rebuilding.
Reconstruction As Second Founding
- The term "Reconstruction" evokes radical institutional overhaul like the post-Civil War Second Founding.
- Andy Craig argues we must redesign institutions after a constitutional rupture, not simply return to the status quo ante.
Accountability Without Cyclical Retribution
- Reconstruction must pair accountability with principled rules to avoid retaliatory weaponization of power.
- Both Andy Craig and Shikha Dalmia stress designing mechanisms that punish lawbreaking while preventing endless politicized retribution.