Five Threats to American Democracy

America’s democratic idea is under siege, from within by ideological movements that oppose free speech and institutions, and from without by authoritarian competitors. In this course, we will focus on five trends that might threaten the core of American democracy: demographic decline, identity politics, secularization, immigration debate, and the digital revolution. In order to assess whether these trends pose threats or opportunities for American democracy, we will revisit foundational questions about this country. What is the American idea of democracy? What can preserve it, and what can damage it?

David Goldman

David P. Goldman is Asia Times' deputy editor, and a frequent contributor to Claremont Review of Books, Law & Liberty, Tablet Magazine, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, and Hakirah (The Flatbush Journal of Jewish Thought), where he published a series of studies of the thought of R. Joseph Soloveitchik. His books include How Civilizations Die (2011) and You Will Be Assimilated: China's Plan to Sino-Form the World (2020). Trained as an economist and classical musician, he writes on Jewish philosophy, international relations, demographics and culture. Previously he was global head of fixed income research at Bank of America and Cantor Fitzgerald, among other financial industry positions. During 2009-2011 he was a senior editor at First Things magazine. He was educated at Columbia University, the London School of Economics, and the graduate center of City University.

Five Threats to American Democracy

David Goldman

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