Jamelle Bouie's writing spans everything from 19th century American history to 1990s movies, but he's spent a lot of time recently thinking about America's founders, the Constitution, and the still-unfinished work of making America a multi-everything democracy. In that work, he's identified a contradiction that he believes is impeding democratic progress:
"Americans take for granted the idea that our counter-majoritarian Constitution — deliberately written to constrain majorities and keep them from acting outright — has, in fact, preserved the rights and liberties of the people against the tyranny of majority rule, and that any greater majoritarianism would threaten that freedom," Bouie wrote.
In this interview, we discuss that claim and why he's is looking to Reconstruction as a time that could provides lessons for our current political moment. Bouie is a columnist for the New York Times and political analyst for CBS News. He covers U.S. politics, public policy, elections, and race.
Jamelle Bouie at the New York Times
Bouie's lecture on "Why the Founding Fathers Still Matter" at Penn State
When the People Decide - our series on ballot initiatives and direct democracy
Will Millennials disrupt democracy?
David Frum on developing the habits of democracy
When states sue the federal government
How “if it bleeds, it leads” impacts democracy
A story about democracy, told through 20 million traffic stops
Breaking the silence in Syria
Citizenship, patriotism, and democracy in the classroom
Behind the scenes of the “Year of the Woman”
The democrats in public sector unions [Labor Day rebroadcast]
Middle America, Part 2: Grassroots organizing and rebooting democracy
Middle America, Part 1: Populism and the Trump Voter
Facebook is not a democracy
How will we remember Charlottesville?
A democracy reading list
Bonus: A dose of optimism about the future of democracy
The constitutional crisis episode
Unpacking political polarization
What should voting look like in the 21st century?
When the “business of business” bleeds into politics
Michael Mann’s journey through the climate wars
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
City Manager Unfiltered
Potencial Americano
The ASIC Podcast
The Chris Plante Show
Red Eye Radio