Repairing a Fraying Democracy with Richard Haass

Author and diplomat Richard Haass began his education at Oberlin College during a pivotal year for American democracy. It was 1970 and four college students were shot and killed at the neighboring Kent State University by the Ohio National Guard. This event propelled Richard into action as he and his peers filmed a documentary about Oberlin’s response to the shooting.After graduating from Oberlin in 1973, Richard continued to study American democracy and spent two decades heading the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonpartisan resource for American citizens across the political spectrum. Richard joins host Carmen Twillie Ambar, president of Oberlin College and Conservatory, to discuss his new book, The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens, an invaluable roadmap to how we can begin to repair our fraying democracy. They also tackle tough questions of why our democracy has never before been so imperiled and how we can all work to strengthen it. Episode Quotes:On why this moment feels more critical for America than past times of conflict03:41 - “What's different now is what's at stake is the system itself, it's democracy itself. And the threat in that sense is much more fundamental. It's not simply about whether we should be doing what we're doing with Ukraine or abortion or this or that policy issue. It's much more fundamental. And people are beginning to do things that actually challenge the tissue, the fabric of American democracy, the system itself.”Richard’s views on the art and importance of compromise21:31 - “I'm not saying to compromise. I'm saying to stay open to it. It ought to be a choice. It ought to be something you consider. There might be certain situations where you say, well, if I compromise. Here are the consequences. So compromise may or may not be right for you under certain circumstances.”On the role higher education institutions should play in shaping citizens“I would think that one of the purposes of a college education, obviously we think about it to prepare people for life, and I would say here in the United States, one of our purposes ought to be to prepare people to be citizens in this democracy.”00:43 - “I have spent my career studying, practicing, writing about, and speaking on American foreign policy. And a question I frequently hear is, "Richard, what keeps you up at night?" Often, even before I get to answer, the person posing the question suggests potential answers. Is it China? Russia? North Korea? Iran, terrorism, climate change, cyber attacks, another pandemic? In recent years, I started responding in a way that surprised me and many in the room. The most urgent and significant threat to American security and stability stems not from abroad but from within. From political divisions that, for only the second time in U.S. history, have raised questions about the future of American democracy. And even the United States itself.”Show Links:Richard’s bio for the Council on Foreign RelationsRichard’s 1970 documentary on Oberlin’s response to the Kent State shootingsThe Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens