250 Years On, Can Democracy Hold? (with Joanne Freeman)

Joanne Freeman is a historian, author, and renowned professor at Yale, where she specializes in early American politics and political culture. She joins Preet ahead of the 250th anniversary of America’s founding to discuss the continued relevance of the Declaration of Independence, the fragility of democracy, and why the Founders were so worried about demagogues, civic virtue, and the peaceful transfer of power. Then, Preet answers listener questions about whether states can require ICE agents to identify themselves, and the recent court decision requiring that Trump’s name be removed from the Kennedy Center. In the bonus for Insiders, Preet and Freeman discuss President George Washington’s remarkable and prescient decision to relinquish power.  Join the Insider community for access to bonus content from Stay Tuned and weekly episodes of the Insider podcast hosted by Preet and Joyce Vance. For a limited time, we’re offering 25% off the Insider membership, in honor of America’s 250th anniversary. To claim the discount and become a member, visit staytuned.substack.com/250. Thank you for supporting our work. Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available on our website.  You can now watch this episode! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe. Shop Stay Tuned merch and featured books by our guests in our Amazon storefront. Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on BlueSky, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at [email protected], or call 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices