Democracy in crisis, part 1: Ross Douthat isn't too worried

The Gray Area with Sean Illing

Vox Media Podcast Network

Society & Culture, News, Politics, News Commentary, Philosophy

4.6 • 10.8K Ratings

🗓️ 3 February 2022

⏱️ 67 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Just how worried should we be about the future of American democracy? This is the question at the center of a two-part series from Vox Conversations and host Zack Beauchamp. For part one, Zack talks with New York Times columnist Ross Douthat about whether or not we'll soon see an increase in violent political conflict in the United States. They discuss the role of bellicose fringe groups in politics today, whether or not a recent spate of restrictive voting laws constitute creeping authoritarianism, and the prospects that we'll see future attempts to subvert elections modeled on Trump's efforts in 2020 — or even going further. Be sure to catch part two in this series, on breaking the two-party system in America and other possible democracy reforms, coming Thursday, Feb. 10th. Host: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), Senior Correspondent, Vox Guest: Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT), Opinion Columnist, New York Times References: "How does this end?" by Zack Beauchamp (Vox; Jan. 3) "Let's Not Invent a Civil War" by Ross Douthat (New York Times; Jan. 12) How Civil Wars Start by Barbara F. Walter (Crown; 2022) "A Threat to Our Democracy: Election Subversion in the 2021 Legislative Session," Voting Rights Lab report (Sept. 29, 2021) "Republican Party moves to replace GOP board member who voted to certify Michigan election" by Paul Egan (Detroit Free Press; Jan. 18, 2021) Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Conversations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Conversations by subscribing in your favorite podcast app. Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts This episode was made by: Producer: Erikk Geannikis Editor: Amy Drozdowska Engineer: Paul Robert Mounsey Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	This podcast is brought to you by Dash Hudson.
0:03.6	Last year, the average Americans spent over 1300 hours on social media.
0:08.7	That's a lot of content for our eyeballs, and a lot of competition for brands,
0:12.9	which is why top companies are partnering with Dash Hudson.
0:16.6	Dash Hudson is a social marketing software that helps brands deliver the best content
0:21.3	for maximum impact on social.
0:23.5	Their new competitive insight function helps you deeply understand your consumers
0:27.9	and your competitors.
0:29.8	Learn how at dash Hudson.com slash podcast.
0:34.3	In a world where change is accelerating, how do we find meaning, comfort, and connection?
0:39.8	Whatever your spiritual beliefs, if any, the PRX podcast, How God Works,
0:44.3	offers a rare combination of cutting-edge science and ancient wisdom,
0:47.8	meant to help us all grapple with some of life's biggest questions.
0:51.2	Join me, Dave Dosteno, for season three.
0:53.8	From meditation to psychedelics and burning man to techshabot,
0:57.2	we're going to take a look at what role spirituality might play in what comes next,
1:01.4	available on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.
1:05.0	Just how worried should we be about the future of American democracy?
1:10.0	I'm Zach Beechem, and I write for Vox about democracy liberalism in the political right.
1:17.6	And this week, I'm your host for Vox Conversations.
1:20.8	The Sun's certainty about what's in store for the future of US democracy is the question
1:33.6	at the heart of our Vox Conversations 2 part special.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Vox Media Podcast Network, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Vox Media Podcast Network and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.