A presentation from 2022–2023 Catherine A. and Mary C. Gellert Fellow Omer Aziz Aziz is the author of Brown Boy: A Memoir (Scribner, forthcoming) and a former foreign policy advisor for Justin Trudeau’s administration in Canada. Inspired by the work of Alexis de Tocqueville, he will work on an essay collection that examines fascism in […]
Brennan Center presents: Misinformation abounds on social media and cable news. A new book points out that this applies not only to current events but to our nation’s history as well. Join us for a live virtual conversation with the editors of the book, Myth America: Historians Take On the Biggest Legends and Lies About […]
Women and the American Idea Tuesday, April 25 | 12 p.m. ET Join Tomiko Brown-Nagin, author of Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality, and Elizabeth Cobbs, author of Fearless Women: Feminist Patriots from Abigail Adams to Beyoncé for a conversation exploring key influential women throughout history and how these women inspired […]
Congressional committees are essential to a functioning legislative process, but experts agree they aren’t being used to their full potential. The media paints a picture of a legislative body paralyzed by partisanship, and data shows that our representatives are passing fewer bills. After the chaos that embroiled the current House over the race for speaker, […]
On Wednesday, April 26th at 7:00pm ET, join BigTentUSA as we welcome Charlie Sykes and Rick Wilson to discuss the current dangers of fascism in our country and how we can fight back. ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS: Charlie Sykes Charlie Sykes is a founder and editor-at-large of The Bulwark, host of The Bulwark Podcast, and an NBC/ MSNBC contributor. He […]
On Tuesday, May 2nd, at 12:00pm ET, Sylvester Johnson III, National Volunteer Manager and Voter ID Coalition Coordinator at VoteRiders is coming back for another Tent Talk. He will provide results from the 2022 elections, discuss which voter ID states they will be focusing on in 2023, the disenfranchisement of youth voters that is happening across […]
Stream here: wapo.st/hoffmanmay2023 Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn co-founder and a partner at the venture firm Greylock, has been an early investor in the rapidly advancing space of artificial intelligence. On Tuesday, May 9 at 4:00 p.m. ET, the longtime tech investor joins The Post’s Christina Passariello for a conversation about the promise, risks and future of […]
In this interview, Secretary Condoleeza Rice will be asked about her role in shaping American foreign and public policy over the last generation; as well as about the prospects for democracy, at home and abroad, amid all the uncertainties of our current moment. We are excited that distinguished Princeton Seminary alum, Dr. Lerone Martin, will […]
Trust is a keystone of institutions, but that keystone is increasingly weak. Across nearly all institutions—government, business, media, religion—trust is at an all-time low, with no shortage of polls showing the continuing decline. According to Pew Research Center, only 21% of Americans recently said they trust the government in Washington to do what is right […]
As part of our “Women on Wednesdays” series, please join American University's Women & Politics Institute and AARP for a virtual conversation with Erica Dhar, Director of Global Alliances with AARP’s Office of International Affairs, Julie Miller, Director of Thought Leadership, Financial Resilience at AARP, and The Hill’s National Political Reporter Julia Manchester, as they […]
Pulitzer Prize winning editor of NY Times Flagship Newsletter, The Morning, shares his analysis of current events, politics & the economy. David Leonhardt is a Pulitzer Prize winning NY TImes journalist who writes The Morning newsletter every weekday and also contributes to the Sunday Review section. He has worked at The Times since 1999, in […]
How does a man like Donald Trump—simultaneously hailed as an all-American hero and condemned as a harbinger of the end of American democracy—become not only a cultural phenomenon, but the president of the United States? Join Maggie Haberman, the New York Times reporter who won a Pulitzer Prize for her coverage of the 45th president, […]
Join Renew Democracy Initiative (RDI) Chairman, chess grandmaster, and political dissident Garry Kasparov and CNN Senior Political Analyst John Avlon on the future of democracy in America and abroad. American democracy has traditionally been perceived as a shining city on a hill. Today, however, not only is this perception faltering internationally, but Americans themselves are […]
On Tuesday, May 16th at 12pm ET Ballotpedia will be joining us to discuss citizen-led legislation (ballot measures), why it's important, and ballot measure trends they are seeing around the country. Ballotpedia is the digital encyclopedia of American politics, and the nation’s premier resource for unbiased information on elections, politics, and policy As a non-partisan […]
Jonathan Alter and David Greenberg will join us to provide a historical framework for our current political and cultural reality. They will define the events in modern history that led us to this moment. Evangeline Morphos will moderate conversation. ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS: Jonathan Alter is an award-winning author, political analyst, documentary filmmaker, columnist, television producer […]
Maxim Thorne, CEO of Civic Influencers, and Rohan Preston, Theater Critic at the Star Tribune will join on on Tuesday, June 6th at 12pm ET. Civic Influencers gives young voters on-the-ground data and winning strategies on campuses and in communities to boost civic power and impact elections. Read Thorne's latest Washington Post Op-Ed article here […]
Academy Award-Nominated Screenwriter, Billy Ray and Public Opinion Researcher, Gretchen Barton and Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA) & moderated by Author Sanjyot P. Dunung will discuss how voters feel about the state of the nation and how to message across the political divide. ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS: Billy Ray wrote the Oscar-nominated screenplay for Captain Phillips, for which he […]
On Wednesday, June 21st at 7pm ET, Professor Larry Diamond, Professor of Political Science and Sociology at Stanford University, specializing in democracy studies, Author, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, will join us. Anne Wedner, Commissioner, US Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy will moderate the conversation. They will discuss the 12 steps to autocracy. ABOUT […]
Stephen Vladeck, Author of The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic will join us on on Wednesday, June 28th at 7pm ET to discuss the dangers around the U.S. Supreme Court's growing use of the shadow docket. The discussion will be moderated by Dahlia Lithwick. ABOUT […]
A warm welcome to David Pepper, who is returning under the Tent. Join us as we speak to him about his new best-selling book, Saving Democracy: The User’s Manual For Every American. The book provides a framework for all pro-democracy activists (us!) to better understand the steps to save our democracy. As Pepper notes, “we are […]
We welcome Hannah Ledford Deputy Executive Director and Campaign Director for the Fairness Project. In Latest Power Grab, Ohio Senate Advances Anti-Democratic Supermajority Requirement for Ballot Measures. In the latest attack on direct democracy, Ohio legislators on Wednesday voted to advance a supermajority threshold for future ballot measures, co-opting a tactic being pushed by extremist officials […]
BigTent welcomed veteran prosecutor and legal analyst Andrew Weissmann, to answer questions we had (and some we didn’t know we had) about THE INDICTMENTS. Weissmann served as the lead prosecutor for the Mueller investigation, was Chief Counsel of the FBI, and, while chief of the criminal division of the Eastern District of NY, prosecuted members of infamous […]
Join us for cocktails and conversation, in Greenwich, CT on Wednesday, September 13th at 6:00PM with Michael Waldman, President of The Brennan Center for Justice, and Attorney General William Tong (D-CT). They will discuss Michael’s new book, Supermajority: How the Supreme Court Divided America, what role the state courts play, and, possible court reforms that can protect […]
Join us as we discussed the changing the narrative for public schools. We The People For Education (WTPFE) wants to return local school districts’ focus to its students and tamp down on the extreme rhetoric pushed by some activists and elected officials. They’re tired of efforts like book bans that both target specific groups of […]
As the U.S. Supreme Court retreats from protecting many civil rights, it has opened a vacuum for state courts to fill. State constitutions, which often include rights not mentioned in the U.S. Constitution, have taken on new importance. There has been a flurry of state court activity since the Supreme Court’s June 2022 ruling in […]
We care about preserving the major tenets of our democracy. Join us as we learn about these issues and tangible ways to make a difference. Together we are building a stronger and more inclusive democracy for all.
