As Pennsylvanians and citizens across the nation prepare to vote this November, best-selling author Daniel Ziblatt is coming to Harrisburg to discuss his timely books: “How Democracies Die” and “Tyranny of the Minority.”
Ziblatt will be in conversation with former U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania’s 17th District, at Midtown Scholar Bookstore Thursday to discuss the many serious challenges facing democracy today.
Ziblatt, with co-author and fellow Harvard political scientist Steven Levitsky, target the Constitution as the culprit behind the erosion of democracy that, as Ziblatt told NPR, “is no longer on sure footing.”
Expect a lively conversation seeking to answer the questions: How did we end up here and where do we go from here?
At its heart, what is democracy? As Ziblatt and Levitsky define it: “a political system with regular, free, and fair elections, in which adult citizens of all ethnic groups possess the right to vote” and “enjoy equal protection of democratic and civil rights.”
The conversation will explore the crisis as well as solutions to repair the guardrails that protect the essential elements of democracy and in turn, restore confidence in the democratic system.
The event, which runs from 7 to 8 p.m. is co-sponsored by democracyFIRST. It will also feature a Q&A session and a book signing afterward.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information visit Midtown Scholar website. The discussion also will be live-streamed.