
American Democracy's “Achilles Heel”
Clip: Season 1 Episode 1 | 5m 20sVideo has Closed Captions
Experts discuss one of American democracy’s biggest vulnerabilities: race relations.
Experts discuss one of American democracy’s biggest vulnerabilities: race relations. This isn’t solely a contemporary tension within our democracy; it’s been present since the founding of the country, then a young nation deeply invested in the slave trade. Racial divisions were written into American laws; racial violence was tolerated.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback

American Democracy's “Achilles Heel”
Clip: Season 1 Episode 1 | 5m 20sVideo has Closed Captions
Experts discuss one of American democracy’s biggest vulnerabilities: race relations. This isn’t solely a contemporary tension within our democracy; it’s been present since the founding of the country, then a young nation deeply invested in the slave trade. Racial divisions were written into American laws; racial violence was tolerated.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Where to Watch Preserving Democracy: Pursuing a More Perfect Union
Preserving Democracy: Pursuing a More Perfect Union is available to stream on pbs.org and the PBS app.

Visit the Preserving Democracy website.
Explore the Preserving Democracy site for news and democracy updates — from all 50 U.S. states to elections around the world.America’s long, bitter fight for equal voting rights
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S1 Ep1 | 4m 26s | “The fiercest fights of our history have been to keep other people from voting.” (4m 26s)
Democracy is a lot more fragile than many thought
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S1 Ep1 | 51s | The January 6 Capitol Riots revealed that democracy is more fragile than many realized. (51s)
Democracy’s strange compromise
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S1 Ep1 | 6m 12s | Experts discuss times in history when the nation and democracy were at the brink. (6m 12s)
The “hall of mirrors” of social media and misinformation
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S1 Ep1 | 6m 3s | Experts examine how new media and social media are changing politics and journalism norms (6m 3s)
How the two major U.S. political parties formed
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S1 Ep1 | 6m 30s | Experts discuss the long history of the two political parties in the U.S. (6m 30s)
“Most democracies die at the ballot box”
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S1 Ep1 | 4m 1s | Experts discuss the worldwide erosion of democracy in recent years. (4m 1s)
Political violence throughout American history
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S1 Ep1 | 6m 21s | Experts recall instances of violence throughout history aimed at crippling the Republic. (6m 21s)
Video has Closed Captions
Preview: S1 Ep1 | 30s | Explore issues from the American Revolution to civil rights and the 2021 Capitol riot (30s)
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) Discusses Jan. 6, 2021
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S1 Ep1 | 1m 36s | Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) Discusses January 6, 2021 with Margaret Hoover. (1m 36s)
“We don't want just the veneer of a democracy”
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S1 Ep1 | 8m 45s | The U.S. wasn’t the first democracy, nor is it the first nation to have issues with it. (8m 45s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship
New Episode- News and Public Affairs

Top journalists deliver compelling original analysis of the hour's headlines.

- News and Public Affairs

Today's top journalists discuss Washington's current political events and public affairs.




New Episode



New Episode
New Episode
Support for PBS provided by:









