"This is a perilous time for democracy"
He is the co-author of How Democracies
Die, which spent weeks on the New York Times bestseller list in 2018 and
was named among Newsweek’s 50 Best Books of the Year, a New York Times’
editor’s choice and a Washington Post Book of the Year; the book has been
translated into 30 languages.
Ziblatt is also the co-author of Tyranny of the
Minority (with Steven Levitsky), published last year, and also a New
York Times bestseller and Newsweek Best Book of the Year.
Hosted by the University’s Honors Program, the 61st edition
of URI’s premier lecture series is examining the challenges democracy faces,
while many students at the University, and elsewhere, are voting for the first
time this fall.
“We are excited to welcome this slate of speakers,” says Marc Hutchison, chair of URI’s political science department.
“This year’s
colloquium will examine the threats to democracy at home and abroad. This is a
perilous time for democracy in the world right now. Our hope is that this
year’s colloquium can raise awareness on the challenges facing the global
community and how we, as a society, can engage in actions to strengthen our
democracy while preserving our liberties and values.”
Ziblatt will speak at 7 p.m. at Edwards Hall on the Kingston
Campus, the second lecture in the fall colloquium series, “Democracy in Peril,”
which will also be streamed (livestream links will be
available the night of each event on the colloquium website).
Ziblatt’s lecture will be followed Oct. 1 by Andrew Ifedapo
Thompson from the University of Pennsylvania, speaking on “Race and Democratic
Backsliding in the U.S.”
This year’s colloquium topic has drawn wide interest across
campus at URI, with several complementary events, from a democracy-themed student innovation challenge to
hosting visits from Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore to speak with
students, and a program for faculty on Democracy in the Classroom.
Hosted by the University’s Honors Program, the URI Honors
Colloquium is free and open to the public. Lectures are held most Tuesday
evenings this fall, through Nov. 12. To see recordings of last year’s speakers,
visit the Honors
Colloquium Archives.
Visit the Honors Colloquium site for details and
click here to view a booklist of suggested
reading to accompany this year’s colloquium. Register to get updates and
reminders for this fall’s speakers here or by emailing
urihonors@etal.uri.edu.
