Political scientists have long known that "consolidated democracies" require (a) engaged publics, (b) parties devoted to democratic processes, and (c) public policies that reflect the views of a national majority. All these requirements of a consolidated democracy are as uncertain in the United States today as they have ever been. And these uncertainties, taken together, make the 2024 election as consequential as any other election in memory.

Presenter: Timothy A. Byrnes is the Third Century Chair in Philosophy, Politics and Economics and professor of political science at Colgate University. Most of his published work is in the field of religion and politics, and his most recent books include Reverse Mission: Transnational Religious Communities and the Making of US Foreign Policy and Transnational Religion in an Expanded Europe.