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Preserving Democracy: Pursuing a More Perfect Union

The “hall of mirrors” of social media and misinformation

Experts examine how new media and social media are changing politics and journalism norms

Aired 01/06/2022

Preserving Democracy: Pursuing a More Perfect Union

The “hall of mirrors” of social media and misinformation

Clip: Season 1 Episode 1 | 6m 3sVideo has Closed Captions

Experts examine how new media and social media are changing politics and journalism norms

As new levels of connectivity impact and distort political conversations and participation, experts examine how new media and social media are changing politics and journalism as we know it. “Conflict and upheaval and even violence, I think, go hand in hand with a kind of lawless informational space where people don't really know the same truth,” says Johns Hopkins Historian Lilliana Mason.

Aired 01/06/2022

American Democracy's “Achilles Heel”

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Experts discuss one of American democracy’s biggest vulnerabilities: race relations. (5m 20s)

America’s long, bitter fight for equal voting rights

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“The fiercest fights of our history have been to keep other people from voting.” (4m 26s)

Democracy is a lot more fragile than many thought

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The January 6 Capitol Riots revealed that democracy is more fragile than many realized. (51s)

Democracy’s strange compromise

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Experts discuss times in history when the nation and democracy were at the brink. (6m 12s)

How the two major U.S. political parties formed

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Experts discuss the long history of the two political parties in the U.S. (6m 30s)

“Most democracies die at the ballot box”

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Experts discuss the worldwide erosion of democracy in recent years. (4m 1s)

Political violence throughout American history

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Experts recall instances of violence throughout history aimed at crippling the Republic. (6m 21s)

Preserving Democracy Preview

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Explore issues from the American Revolution to civil rights and the 2021 Capitol riot (30s)

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) Discusses Jan. 6, 2021

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Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) Discusses January 6, 2021 with Margaret Hoover. (1m 36s)

“We don't want just the veneer of a democracy”

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The U.S. wasn’t the first democracy, nor is it the first nation to have issues with it. (8m 45s)

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