Our Democracy Series

Lectures curated around the principle of democracy and the political, religious, and economic forces affecting democracy today.

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Frances Moore Lappe: Getting a Grip on Democracy
Frances Moore Lappe
March 19, 2008
00:09:26
Francis Moore Lappe makes suggestions that would allow ordinary citizens to rise above cynicism and restore democracy in America. In 1971 Francis Moore Lappe wrote the legendary best seller, Diet for a Small Planet, which profoundly shaped the ethics of eating for generations.
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Inventing a Nation: Washington, Adams, Jefferson
Gore Vidal
November 20, 2003
00:58:14
In his latest book, Inventing a Nation: Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Gore Vidal takes readers behind the scenes as America's founding fathers fought and worked to create a new country.
Samuel Adams, Paul Revere and "The Body of the People"
Ray Raphael
September 6, 2006
00:57:29
Ray Raphael theorizes on whether or not Samuel Adams really gave a "signal" for the Boston Tea Party, the real story of Paul Revere's ride, and the role of the average person in the events leading up to the American Revolution.
Stealing God's Thunder: Benjamin Franklin's Lightning Rod
Philip Dray
January 17, 2006
00:59:15
Philip Dray uses the story of Franklin's wild experiments and his battles with his vehement detractors as a metaphor for America's struggle for democracy and the establishment of our fundamental democratic values.
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George Washington's God
Michael Novak
March 9, 2006
00:19:06
Michael Novak, one of the country's leading conservative thinkers, offers the first in-depth look at the religious life of George Washington.
Freedom for the Thoughts We Hate
Anthony Lewis
February 25, 2008
01:25:46
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anthony Lewis discusses his new book, Freedom for the Thoughts We Hate, with Harvard Law Professor Martha Minow.
Open or Closed Government in 2007?
Hollie Manheimer
February 1, 2007
00:51:48
Hollie Manheimer, director of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation, outlines the current state of open government laws in Georgia.
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What You Need to Know to Save Our Democracy
Charles Derber
October 26, 2005
01:03:50
Boston College sociology professor Charles Derber discusses his new book, Hidden Power: What You Need to Know to Save Our Democracy. This event is a part of Writers Among Us: Boston College Readings, a series spotlighting recent book publications by Boston College faculty.
Politics, Poetry, and the Inner Life of Democracy
Howard Zinn
October 25, 2006
01:19:05
Howard Zinn and Mark Nepo discuss the American Dream at the beginning of the 21st century. They question how our experiment in democracy has stood the test of time and what Americans can do to ensure a healthy democratic future for their children.
An Owner's Manual for Democracy
Steven Hill
October 11, 2006
01:28:15
Voting rights expert and activist Steven Hill argues that antiquated election methods and practices, from voting equipment to the electoral college, have failed to protect the Constitution's guarantee of the right to vote.
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Reclaiming Democracy
Eli Pariser
October 2, 2005
01:20:11
Eli Pariser, the campaigns director of MoveOn, a grassroots Internet advocacy group, talks about his work, the state of democracy today, and what lies ahead. Moderated by Susan Shaer, executive director of Women's Action for New Directions (WAND), and president of the Ford Hall Forum.
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Democracy in the Age of Dubya
Al Franken
September 29, 2003
01:31:02
Author and political satirist Al Franken kicks off Cambridge Forum's 37th year of public programs with a talk on "Democracy in the Age of Dubya." Drawing from his book, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right (Dutton, October 2003), Franken employs his tr
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Fixing Elections: America's Winner-Take-All Politics
Steven Hill
February 5, 2003
01:13:50
Political analyst Steven Hill discusses his new book, Fixing Elections: The Failure of America's Winner-Take-All Politics (Routledge, 2002).
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Fighting Words: Framing the Constitution
Robin Morgan
October 5, 2006
01:16:36
Robin Morgan discusses her book, Fighting Words: A Toolkit for Combating the Religious Right, which overturns notions of the Founders as a bunch of dusty, pompous old men in powdered wigs, and resurrects them as the revolutionaries they were: a hodgepodge of freethinkers, deists, agnostics, C
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Democracy: Winning the War of Ideas
George Packer
October 1, 2003
00:28:58
Award-winning authors and editors George Packer and Laura Secor discuss their contributions to a new collection of essays, The Fight is for Democracy: Winning the War of Ideas in America and the World (Perennial, September 2003). What is the ultimate cost of our war on terrorism?
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Living Black History: Resurrecting Intellectual Tradition
Manning Marable
April 20, 2004
01:49:36
Manning Marable describes his theoretical approach to the writing of African history and the construction of black studies, which is directly connected with living history.
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Bait and Switch: End of the White Collar American Dream?
Barbara Ehrenreich
October 7, 2005
01:05:53
Barbara Ehrenreich discusses her new book Bait and Switch: End of the White Collar American Dream?.
Democracy and the Press: The Role of Journals of Opinion
Jack Beatty
April 26, 2006
01:17:21
A panel of editors and publishers discuss the role of "journals of opinion" as alternative news sources in the era of Internet news and individual blogs.
Big Media's Threat to Democracy: What We Can Do About It
Earl Dax
March 21, 2005
01:51:30
Students Concerned About Mass Media (S.C.A.M.M.) host a panel discussion with media educators and activists who are working to create a more just and equitable media system at the local, national, and global levels.
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Memory of the Slave Trade in New England
Beverly Morgan-Welch
April 23, 2004
02:12:53
A panel discusses the way New England's pride in its abolitionist heritage has obscured the presence of slavery in the region for over 200 years, from its first founding to the institution's ultimate demise through schemes of gradual emancipation.
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Planning Democracy: Technology in Local Communities
Mitchel Resnick
November 21, 2003
01:22:02
The Planning Democracy conference explores how advanced telecommunications technologies and policies can help strengthen local communities.
Journalism and Democracy
Samuel Freedman
March 13, 2007
01:28:08
Samuel G. Freedman, columnist for The New York Times and a professor at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, discusses his latest book, Letters to a Young Journalist, which explores a journalist's role in a democratic society.
Chris Hedges: Who Are the American Fascists?
Christopher Hedges
February 14, 2007
01:13:32
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges explores the rise of the Christian right in America, drawing parallels with the rise of fascism in Europe prior to the Second World War. How does the vision of the United States as a Christian nation relate to our Bill of Rights?
Democracy and Catholicism in the 21st Century
W. Carey McWilliams
March 14, 2003
01:23:25
Rutgers University political science professor W. Carey McWilliams discusses the future of Catholicism in America.
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Exception to the Rulers: Media in Democracy
Noam Chomsky
April 29, 2004
01:49:40
Amy and David Goodman are joined by Noam Chomsky to explore the risks that corporate media pose to a democratic society.Tackling subjects like corporate influence over government and the deceptions of political leaders, the Goodmans explore the risks that corporate media pose to a democratic society