Impact

Events highlight people working to strengthen democracy

UNIVERSITY PARK Pa. — American democracy faces myriad threats heading into the midterm elections — candidates who have pledged not to accept election outcomes, threats to voting rights and misinformation, just to name a few.

Two upcoming events organized by the McCourtney Institute for Democracy will feature those who are working to protect democracy right now and ensure that America can become the “more perfect union” our founders envisioned.

Norman Eisen, Joanna Lydgate and Christine Todd Whitman, co-founders of the States United Democracy Center, will present the lecture “States United: A Survival Guide for Our Democracy” Oct. 20 at 4 p.m. in the HUB Auditorium. They are the winners of the 2022 Brown Democracy Medal for their work to ensure fair, safe and secure elections this fall and beyond. 

Eisen is a senior fellow in governance studies at Brookings; Lydgate is former chief deputy attorney general of Massachusetts; Whitman is a former New Jersey governor and Environmental Protection Agency administrator. All three will take part in the lecture and award presentation. 

“We are seeing Democrat and Republican statewide officials who defended the will of the people in 2020 being challenged or primaried by election deniers in red and blue states alike,” Whitman said. “Elections are national events run by the states, so these positions are critical to a government of, by and for the people.”

One week after the States United event, New York Times columnist and CBS News political analyst Jamelle Bouie will present the lecture “What’s the Matter with American Democracy?” on Oct. 27 at 4 p.m. at the State Theatre. His visit is co-sponsored by the Richards Civil War Era Center

“Political equality is essential if Americans ever hope to realize the potential of our democracy,” Bouie said. “The absence of political equality from our institutions is part of what has warped our political system into something that struggles to express our democratic values.”

Both events will be available via livestream. Visit the McCourtney Institute for Democracy website to register for in-person or online attendance. 

Last Updated September 27, 2022