Americans: An Ungovernable People | Interview: Kevin D. Williamson
Summary
Jonah Goldberg hosts Dispatch correspondent Kevin Williamson to discuss his upcoming book on the quasi-religious deification of the American presidency. They explore Napoleon III as an exemplar of illiberal democracy and debate the distinction between democracy as a procedure versus an ethos. The conversation highlights the need for competing centers of power, such as churches and families, to counteract state overreach and preserve liberty.
Topics discussed
Introduction and Kevin Williamson's background
Napoleon III and the quasi-religious presidency
Symbolic power vs. constitutional monarchies
Redefining democracy and counter-majoritarian measures
Local decision-making and zoning permissions
Authoritarian liberalism and illiberal democracy
Competing centers of power and historical institutions
Aura Frames ad and conservative vs. libertarian views
Individualism as procedure versus social ethos
Social fictions, family, and the nature of liberty
Mediating institutions and the decline of local politics
The symbolic nature of the modern presidency
Concentrated power and the rise of populism
Left-wing radicalism and American political traditions
Competing rights claims and public opinion on capitalism
Political catastrophization and Henry VIII's legacy
Podcast banter, Bismarck, and Woke One
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