Feb 13
Michael Orthofer reviews Four Crises of American Democracy for The Complete Review: “Roberts’ overview of American democracy and how it has adapted and changed over the years is both very enjoyable and thought-provoking. . . . Roberts’ book is a reminder both of the enduring (though not unassailable) stability of democracy, and the more basic issues always surrounding it.” Read the review.
I enjoyed talking about Four Crises of American Democracy at the Truman Library in Independence MO yesterday. Slides from the talk here. Thanks to the Library staff for their hospitality!
I will talk about my book, Four Crises of American Democracy, at the Truman Library Institute in Independence, MO on February 9 at 6:30pm. More details here.
I gave two talks at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs on December 6 and 7. My first talk was about Four Crises of American Democracy, at the Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership at 4:30pm on December 6. Details here | Watch this talk on YouTube. On December 7, I talked about “A new approach to Public Administration.” The December 7 talk drew on this paper.
My book Four Crises of American Democracy is noted in a story in today’s Toronto Globe and Mail. PDF of the story here. Story online here (behind paywall).
I contributed comments to Chuck Raasch’s November 7 sum-up of the 2016 presidential campaign. Read the article. And also to his November 9 assessment of the election aftermath. Read the article.
My conversation with Jeff Santos about Four Crises of American Democracy can be heard here.
Early reviews for Four Crises of American Democracy, from the Oxford University Press website:
“Already among our foremost observers of global capitalism, economic policymaking, and the information age, Alasdair Roberts in his latest book expertly details four periods of crisis of American democracy across the past hundred-plus years. The reassuring news: the parlous state of our current national politics has ample historical precedent-and the republic survives. The better news: each crisis period contained the seeds of democratic renewal, providing genuine hope for our own future. Roberts’s clarion voice is one that deserves a full hearing from U.S. officialdom and citizenry alike.”- Rogan Kersh, Provost and Professor of Politics & International Affairs, Wake Forest University
“In this sharp and insightful analysis, Roberts takes dead aim at a central puzzle of our time: is American democracy so sick that it risks sliding deeply into chaos, even oblivion? The book takes measured stock of the challenges democracy faces. But even more important, Roberts finds that democracy has faced big crises before and has found within itself what it takes to conquer them. The result is an exceptionally clear-eyed look at the issues we face and how we can solve them. It’s must reading-especially for those trapped in despair about our system of government.”-Donald F. Kettl, Professor of Public Policy, University of Maryland
I spoke with Ken Newton of the St. Joseph Free-Press about my forthcoming book Four Crises of American Democracy. Read the article.
I spoke with David Lile on KFRU Radio about Four Crises of American Democracy this morning. Listen to the conversation here.
Alasdair S. Roberts 
