To Keep The Republic: Strengthening Democratic Principles At Home And Abroad

From Meridian International’s 2021 Diplomacy Forum: Values Based Leadership, featuring project co-chair Samar Ali interviewing former Secretary General to NATO, His Excellency Anders Fogh Rasumussen. U.S. diplomats are inherently champions of American values, such as democracy, rule of law, an independent judiciary, freedom of press, and fair and transparent… Read More

The gears of democracy seemingly have seized up on both sides of the Atlantic, with members of Congress and Parliament unable to abandon entrenched partisan positions to forge legislative solutions. Deliberative democracy, a method of eliciting specific and informed policy recommendations from the general public, has proven effective in breaking legislative logjams. Rooted in the democratic traditions of ancient Athens, deliberative democracy can inject new lifeblood into the seemingly ossified political systems of Western democracies. Read More

Political philosophers from the Greeks to the framers of the U.S. Constitution to Abraham Lincoln all warned of the mortal danger that demagogues pose to democracies. Vital to their understanding of that danger was their familiarity with Greek and Roman history and political philosophy. These foundational principles of democracy should not only be taught to students in Civics 101 but deserve continued emphasis to Americans of all ages.  Read More

Several hundred Vanderbilt University students, faculty, staff and alumni gathered Feb. 24 for a virtual panel discussion that highlighted the need for empathy and action to improve the experiences of marginalized groups in the U.S. The participants in the “This Moment in America” virtual event, hosted by the … Read More