Politics in Question Book Talk with Didi Kuo

The foundations of our democratic system are eroding. Political parties, once vital intermediaries connecting citizens to the political process, have grown increasingly detached from the needs and interests of everyday citizens. 

Why do we need strong political parties? What is the foundation for a “good” political party? And how do we get them? These are the questions that Didi Kuo explores in The Great Retreat: How Political Parties Should Behave and Why They Don't. 

In her new book, Kuo examines the development of political parties as democracy expanded across the West in the nineteenth century and makes a compelling case for revitalizing mass parties—socially-embedded, community-rooted institutions central to healthy democracy.

Join New America’s Political Reform Program and Fellows Program for a virtual book talk and live podcast recording of Politics in Question with Didi Kuo on March 11th at 12pm ET. The conversation will be moderated by Politics in Question hosts, Lee Drutman, Senior Fellow at the Political Reform Program, and Julia Azari, Professor in the Department of Political Science at Marquette University.

SPEAKERS:

Didi Kuo is a Center Fellow at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.

Lee Drutman is a Senior Fellow at New America's Political Reform Program. 

Julia Azari is a Professor in the Department of Political Science at Marquette University.