• Home
  • Independent Voter News
  • Quizzes
  • Election Dissection
  • Sections
  • Events
  • Directory
  • About Us
  • Glossary
  • Opinion
  • Campaign Finance
  • Redistricting
  • Civic Ed
  • Voting
  • Fact Check
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Subscriptions
  • Log in
Leveraging Our Differences
  • news & opinion
    • Big Picture
      • Civic Ed
      • Ethics
      • Leadership
      • Leveraging big ideas
      • Media
    • Business & Democracy
      • Corporate Responsibility
      • Impact Investment
      • Innovation & Incubation
      • Small Businesses
      • Stakeholder Capitalism
    • Elections
      • Campaign Finance
      • Independent Voter News
      • Redistricting
      • Voting
    • Government
      • Balance of Power
      • Budgeting
      • Congress
      • Judicial
      • Local
      • State
      • White House
    • Justice
      • Accountability
      • Anti-corruption
      • Budget equity
    • Columns
      • Beyond Right and Left
      • Civic Soul
      • Congress at a Crossroads
      • Cross-Partisan Visions
      • Democracy Pie
      • Our Freedom
  • Pop Culture
      • American Heroes
      • Ask Joe
      • Celebrity News
      • Comedy
      • Dance, Theatre & Film
      • Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
      • Faithful & Mindful Living
      • Music, Poetry & Arts
      • Sports
      • Technology
      • Your Take
      • American Heroes
      • Ask Joe
      • Celebrity News
      • Comedy
      • Dance, Theatre & Film
      • Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
      • Faithful & Mindful Living
      • Music, Poetry & Arts
      • Sports
      • Technology
      • Your Take
  • events
  • About
      • Mission
      • Advisory Board
      • Staff
      • Contact Us
Sign Up

Jeanne Sheehan

    FollowUnfollowFollowing
    Leveraging big ideas

    To rethink government, we must understand its purpose

    Jeanne Sheehan
    March 11, 2022
    To rethink government, we must understand its purpose
    American Democracy in Crisis The Case for Rethinking Madisonian Government
    www.youtube.com

    Sheehan is professor of political science and international studies at Iona College and the author of "American Democracy in Crisis: The Case for Rethinking Madisonian Government" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021).

    For all the focus on the health of American democracy today, little attention is being paid to the fundamental challenge we have long faced — the fact that the government is often unable to address the key problems its people are facing. It is unable to deliver for its people.

    The battle of the 21st century is the fight between democracy and autocracy. This is a point President Biden has made over and over again. If we are going to win this battle, we have to prove that democracy can deliver.

    In his first address to a joint session of Congress in March 2021, Biden said: “The autocrats of the world are betting that our democracy cannot and will not deliver on the most pressing needs of our people.”

    He was right.

    Keep ReadingShow less
    dysfunction

    Join an Upcoming Event

    View All Events
    Balance of Power

    Making Madisonian government 'work' is a Sisyphean task

    Jeanne Sheehan
    September 17, 2021
    Sisyphus trying to move a rock

    Like Sisyphus, President Biden faces an impossible task, unless the system changes.

    commons.wikimedia.org

    Sheehan is professor of political science and international studies at Iona College and the author of "American Democracy in Crisis: The Case for Rethinking Madisonian Government" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021).

    Keep ReadingShow less
    constitution
    Get some Leverage Sign up for The Fulcrum Newsletter
    Follow
    Get some Leverage Sign up for The Fulcrum Newsletter
    Follow
    Contributors

    How a college freshman led the effort to honor titans of democracy reform

    Jeremy Garson

    Our poisonous age of absolutism

    Jay Paterno

    Re-imagining Title IX: An opportunity to flex our civic muscles

    Lisa Kay Solomon

    'Independent state legislature theory' is unconstitutional

    Daniel O. Jamison

    How afraid are we?

    Debilyn Molineaux

    Politicians certifying election results is risky and unnecessary

    Kevin Johnson
    latest News

    How the anti-abortion movement shaped campaign finance law and paved the way for Trump

    Amanda Becker, The 19th
    20h

    Podcast: Journalist and political junkie Ken Rudin

    Our Staff
    21h

    A study in contrasts: Low-turnout runoffs vs. Alaska’s top-four, all-mail primary

    David Meyers
    23 June

    Video: Team Democracy Urges Citizens to Sign SAFE Pledge

    Our Staff
    23 June

    Podcast: Past, present, future

    Our Staff
    23 June

    Video: America's vulnerable elections

    Our Staff
    22 June
    Videos

    Video: Memorial Day 2022

    Our Staff

    Video: Helping loved ones divided by politics

    Our Staff

    Video: What happened in Virginia?

    Our Staff

    Video: Infrastructure past, present, and future

    Our Staff

    Video: Beyond the headlines SCOTUS 2021 - 2022

    Our Staff

    Video: Should we even have a debt limit

    Our Staff
    Podcasts

    Podcast: Did economists move the Democrats to the right?

    Our Staff
    02 May

    Podcast: The future of depolarization

    Our Staff
    11 February

    Podcast: Sore losers are bad for democracy

    Our Staff
    20 January

    Deconstructed Podcast from IVN

    Our Staff
    08 November 2021
    Recommended
    Bridge Alliance intern Sachi Bajaj speaks at the June 12 Civvy Awards.

    How a college freshman led the effort to honor titans of democracy reform

    Leadership
    abortion law historian Mary Ziegler

    How the anti-abortion movement shaped campaign finance law and paved the way for Trump

    Campaign Finance
    Podcast: Journalist and political junkie Ken Rudin

    Podcast: Journalist and political junkie Ken Rudin

    Media
    Abortion rights and anti-abortion protestors at the Supreme Court

    Our poisonous age of absolutism

    Big Picture
    Virginia primary voter

    A study in contrasts: Low-turnout runoffs vs. Alaska’s top-four, all-mail primary

    Video: Team Democracy Urges Citizens to Sign SAFE Pledge

    Video: Team Democracy Urges Citizens to Sign SAFE Pledge

    Voting