Professor: Peter DeFazio
1 credit
This year the “American Experiment” in Representative Democracy turned 250 years old. Is it relevant and up to the challenges of the 21st Century? Can it survive?
As Benjamin Franklin walked out of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 a woman called out to him “Well Dr what have we got, A Republic or a Monarchy?” Franklin replied, “A Republic if you can keep it!” The challenge of perpetuating our Representative Democracy looms large in these fraught political times. This class will discuss flaws in the Constitution as written 250 years ago. We will also consider recent Supreme Court decisions; the dysfunction of Congress and its failure to defend its Constitutional prerogatives under Article 1; the rise of the Unitary Executive theory of an all-powerful President under Article II; Project 2025; and the threats posed by Christian Nationalism.
About Peter DeFazio: Peter served 36 years in the US House of Representatives – the longest service ever in Oregon history. He was a founder of the House Progressive Caucus along with Bernie Sanders and 5 others. He has an MA from the University of Oregon and BA from Tufts University.