For most Americans, the upcoming election looms like a slow-moving train wreck. There is no way to stop it from happening and no way to get out of the way. There is no rewind button. The election of 2024 will come, and whatever the results, they will have profound and perhaps permanent implications for our society. How do we understand the choice before us, and what should we do? McCourtney Institute for Democracy managing director Chris Beem says that such a serious moment in our history requires us to respond accordingly: A serious election requires a serious electorate.

This event is presented by the Network for Responsible Public Policy.

Beem is a research professor of political science and affiliate faculty in the Rock Ethics Institute.  He is the author or co-editor of six books. His latest, The Seven Democratic Virtues, was published in 2022 by Penn State Press. He is a cohost of the podcast, Democracy Works.