Jeanne Sheehan, a Political Science Professor at Iona University and a Bloomberg contributor, dives into the structural crises plaguing American democracy. She explores how the January 6 insurrection reflects deeper issues within the federal government, demanding reevaluation of governance. The conversation delves into the inadequacies of the Constitution in addressing modern challenges and critiques the two-party system. With urgent calls for institutional reforms, Sheehan warns that without change, public frustration may lead to disengagement or worse.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Book Release Timing Anecdote
Jeanne Sheehan wrote her book just as the January 6 insurrection happened, which shocked many given its title, "American Democracy in Crisis."
She emphasizes the crisis is less about that event and more about structural issues in government responsiveness and accountability.
insights INSIGHT
Government's Chronic Policy Failure
The crisis is the federal government's chronic inability to solve major public issues like immigration and gun violence.
This failure persists despite widespread public demand across party lines for solutions over decades.
insights INSIGHT
Founders' Design Limits Governance
The US Constitution's design purposely divides power to protect liberty, making majority responsiveness and accountability difficult.
Founders expected amendments but valued protection over efficient governance, which no longer aligns with public needs today.
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American Democracy in Crisis: The Case for Rethinking Madisonian Government Post January 6
American Democracy in Crisis: The Case for Rethinking Madisonian Government Post January 6
The Case for Rethinking Madisonian Government Post January 6
Jeanne Sheehan Zaino
Jeanne Sheehan Zaino's "American Democracy in Crisis" examines the structural flaws within the American governmental system, arguing that its design, prioritizing liberty above responsiveness and accountability, has led to widespread dysfunction. The book traces the historical roots of this issue, highlighting the Framers' intentions and the unintended consequences of their choices. Zaino proposes specific reforms to address the crisis, emphasizing the need for a rebalancing of liberty with responsiveness and accountability. She warns against the dangers of continued inaction, suggesting that public frustration could lead to disengagement or the rise of autocratic alternatives. The book serves as a call to action for meaningful structural reform.
American Democracy in Crisis: The Case for Rethinking Madisonian Government Post January 6 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024) analyzes the roots of widespread disenchantment with American government. While blame often falls on the individuals in office, they are not operating in isolation. Rather they are working within a system designed by the Framers with one goal in mind, protectionism. Although the Framers got much right, their commitment to protection of liberty led them to design a system replete with divisions of power. Whatever its merits at the founding, the government today is frequently described as dysfunctional and far too often unresponsive to the majority, unaccountable, and unable to deliver for its people.
For those disillusioned with the current state of government and committed to effectuating meaningful change, this book advocates in favor of a fundamental reassessment of the system's primary objectives, followed by deliberation as to how it should be restructured accordingly. It not only presents specific reform proposals, but it ends with a stark warning: until and unless we embrace reasoned structural reform, we cannot be surprised if at some point the people become so frustrated that they either disengage, fight back, or seek solace in autocratic alternatives.
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