In his latest book, American Covenant, Yuval Levin says he tried to provide a re-introduction to the United States Constitution. In this episode, he tells EconTalk host Russ Roberts he wanted to take a step back in a moment of division to better understand how we can hold together and how we might understand national unity in a tremendously diverse society. Roberts fears our political process has become a zero-sum game and that American can no longer boast a shared narrative; we tend to think in terms of “sides,” in which the other side is always treasonous. Perhaps, he suggests, Levin’s book might provide an antidote.

Levin argues that “we the people” may misunderstand the notion of unity. Of course it’s not possible for everyone in a free society to agree…on anything. But as James Madison taught us, we might better understand unity as a means of acting together rather than thinking alike– even when we think differently. So let’s hear what you think. Share your thoughts with us today, and let’s continue this important conversation.

1- What does Levin mean when he says most Americans are guilty of misunderstanding of how democracies work as well as how democracies fail, in terms of how we balance majority power with minority rights?

2- To what extent do you believe the Constitution has been degraded such that its inability to constrain power has been compromised? What evidence would you offer to support your conclusion? What role [if any] do you think social media has played in such degradation? What role has the growth of the administrative state played?

[Note: On the rise of the administrative state, you may wish to see the inaugural episode of Liberty Fund’s Future of Liberty podcast, in which legal scholar Philip Hamburger discusses the dangers of the administrative state with Governor Mitch Daniels. Levin is an upcoming Future of Liberty guest as well.]

3- Robert and Levin agree that we live in a polarized time. Roberts asks Levin whether we have fewer moderates in both [major] parties today. Levin responds by asking, what do we really mean by moderate, and he suggests that what we’re really lacking temperamentally moderate politicians. What does he mean by that, and to what extent do you agree?

4- Is the Electoral College better thought of as an anachronism or a Chesterton Fence? How does Levin explain the origins of the Electoral College, and why does he believe it’s an institution still suitable today? Does the Electoral College foster or suppress competition in the electoral system? Explain.

5- How does the Constitution shape our character, according to Levin? To what extent does the Constitution render the United States dictator-proof? Levin says he is worried, but not panicked, today. Where are you on this question, and why?