About

Jennifer Nicoll Victor, Associate Professor of Political Science at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government, will offer insights into the state of democracy in contemporary American politics, seen through the lens of political science. Drawing on history, political philosophy, social psychology, and economic decision calculus, the presentation aims to achieve three goals: First, Professor Victor will identify the root causes of partisan polarization in the United States today, and dispel a number of myths about where it comes from. Second, she will apply what science has learned from other successful and failed democracies around the globe and through history to assess the health of U.S. democratic institutions. Third, she will use the scientific literature to talk about political reforms—those that might be helpful and that might not be—and what citizens can do to best protect American freedoms and rights. This presentation is non-partisan.