The Ink Book Club just talked live with bestselling author and Harvard professor Jill Lepore, about her new history of the U.S. Constitution, We The People, and how the compromises made at the founding of a government by and for the people—a radical proposition for its time—created a document so difficult to amend that it’s left us unable to solve today’s most pressing political problems.
The tyranny we face, Lepore told us, isn’t so much the product of a “constitutional crisis” as it is a structural problem. For example, the framers didn’t envision the emergence of a two-party political system and the division it would sow, or the huge changes in how news and information are disseminated and how Americans consume it. Fixing the problem means recapturing the idea of the Constitution as a living document — and doing the hard work of changing our politics.
If you are concerned about where the country is headed — and who isn’t? — tune in to learn more about how we got here, and to be reminded that the American experiment has always been something people have had to fight for.
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How to participate in the Book Club
We’ll post questions — our discussion guide — every Sunday, and every other Wednesday we’ll meet for a discussion with the Club or a visit from an author or other special guest. Look out for posts with further details. We’ll also host chat threads to get your insight on key questions in advance of our meetings. We’ll meet again with Jill Lepore on Wednesday, October 22, also at 12:30 p.m. Eastern
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Tomorrow, Saturday, October 18, is a national day of action, meant to make it clear that Americans want No Kings. Find an event near you at nokings.org, make a plan, invite some friends, and make your voices heard!
