No Democracy Lasts Forever

How the Constitution Threatens the United States

De: Erwin Chemerinsky

Narrado por: Daniel Thomas May

No Democracy Lasts Forever argues that the Constitution has become a threat to American democracy and must be dramatically changed or replaced if secession is to be avoided.

Deeply troubled by the Constitution's inherent flaws, Erwin Chemerinsky, the renowned dean of Berkeley law school, came to the sobering conclusion that our nearly 250-year-old founding document is responsible for the crisis now facing American democracy. Pointing out that just fifteen of the 11,848 amendments proposed since 1789 have passed, Chemerinsky contends that the very nature of our polarization results from the Constitution's "bad bones," which have created a government that no longer works or has the confidence of the public. Yet political armageddon can still be avoided, Chemerinsky writes, if a new constitutional convention is empowered to replace the Constitution of 1787, much as the Founding Fathers replaced the outdated Articles of Confederation. If this isn't possible, Americans must give serious thought to forms of secession—including a United States structured like the European Union—based on a recognition that what divides us as a country is, in fact, greater than what unites us.

©2024 Erwin Chemerinsky (P)2024 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Very interesting - a little chilling

This thought-provoking book on democracies, in particular that of the United States, kept my interest all the way through. So complete was my enjoyment that I purchased a hard copy as a birthday gift for a family member. The book outlines many details about our system, how everyday terms we take for granted came to be, and so much more. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Great read!

This book is a great resource to refresh on the country’s founding and to learn what’s at stake if problems are not addressed.

Leftist, but he makes sense to me

Your author makes the case that the Supreme Court has leaned strongly right, i.e. originalist conservative. OT and I agree that that has led to a more polarized nation, a less liberal nation, etc..

Thoughtful

A bit repetitive but extremely illuminating perspective on how to make government work better
I liked it at 1.5x speed

Very thought provoking

The author does a masterful job of educating us about the deep and fundamental flaws in our Constitution. It really opens your eyes that the Constitution is not the perfect document that many think it is. The author also does an excellent job of suggesting possible solutions to the fundamental flaws in the Constitution. Every American should read this book (or listen to it).