Politics

Is National Unity Possible?

April 1, 2021  • Socrates Goes Digital

Is National Unity Possible? A Conversation with Gov. Bill Haslam, Jon Meacham and Samar Ali of the Vanderbilt Project on Unity & American Democracy

21st century American democracy is struggling amid deep polarization, and the divisions we see today have undermined trust in the foundational institutions of the United States. While disagreement is the oxygen of democracy, not since the Civil War have so many Americans held such radically different views not just of politics but of reality itself. Months ago, Vanderbilt scholars began to explore how we could play a productive, active and meaningful role in helping heal our national fissures and seek a path towards a more united states. How do we get there? The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy will examine these moments in history as evidence and elevate the role of research and evidence-based reasoning into the national conversation. Join the Socrates Program for this webinar as we discuss the polarization and inequity in the 21st century in the United States.

Cordell Carter, Socrates Program Executive Director was in conversation with Bill Haslam, 49th Governor of the State of Tennessee, Samar Ali, Research Professor of Political Science and Law at Vanderbilt University, and Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize winning historian.