National Center for the Preservation of Democracy

  1. Events
  2. Venues
  3. National Center for the Preservation of Democracy
111 N Central Ave
Los Angeles, 90012 United States Get Directions
Events at this venue
Today

What Will California’s Coastline Look Like in 2100?

National Center for the Preservation of Democracy 111 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, United States

Moderated by Rosanna Xia, Environment Reporter, Los Angeles Times If state projections prove right, the sea level along California’s coast will rise 55 inches by the end of this century. That increase, which will be even higher during tidal floods and Pacific storms, would threaten the economies of the coastal counties that 85 percent of Californians […]

Is Propaganda Keeping Americans From Thinking for Themselves?

National Center for the Preservation of Democracy 111 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, United States

Moderated by Carla Hall, Editorial Board Member, Los Angeles Times In 1931, philosopher John Dewey warned that “democracy will be a farce unless individuals are trained to think for themselves, to judge independently, to be critical, to be able to detect subtle propaganda and the motives which inspire it.” But in the 21st century, humans are […]

Will California Pick the Next President?

National Center for the Preservation of Democracy 111 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, United States

Moderated by Joe Mathews, California & Innovation Editor, Zócalo Public Square When it comes to picking the country’s presidents, the richest and most populous state hasn’t much mattered. Because their primaries are held earlier and they are swing states in the general election, smaller and colder places—like New Hampshire, Iowa, and Ohio—have an outsized influence […]

How Does Community Conflict Turn Into Genocide?

National Center for the Preservation of Democracy 111 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, United States

The Ninth Annual Zócalo Book Prize Lecture History often blames genocide solely on murderous demagogues and military campaigns. But more often than not, the forces that unleash ethnic cleansing arise slowly and during peacetime, and stem from seemingly everyday interactions in places that are home to diverse peoples. What sorts of exchanges and social conditions […]

Are American Presidents Above the Law?

National Center for the Preservation of Democracy 111 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, United States

Moderated by Madeleine Brand, Host, KCRW's "Press Play" The Mueller report promises to clarify what happened in the 2016 election and its aftermath. But that document may only add to the confusion over a broader question: What does it take to fire an American president? In recent months, critics of Donald Trump have discussed removing […]

Is The Digital Age Making Museums Obsolete?

National Center for the Preservation of Democracy 111 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, United States

Moderated by Gregory Rodriguez, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Zócalo Public Square Before the digital age, museums were places where people went to acquire knowledge. But now most of the information and images contained in museums are available on your smartphone. So how can museums stave off obsolescence? Can populist shows and attention-getting architecture keep museums relevant […]

Is America Enabling Autocrats to Run the World?

National Center for the Preservation of Democracy 111 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, United States

Moderated by Carol Giacomo, Editorial Board Member, The New York Times A Saudi journalist living in the United States is murdered by agents of a government to which America provides arms. President Trump openly favors autocratic rulers from Russia to Hungary to the Philippines, and even expresses “love” for North Korea’s dictator. What does it mean […]

How Has America Survived Two Centuries of Capitalism?

National Center for the Preservation of Democracy 111 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, United States

Moderated by Warren Olney, Host, KCRW’s “To the Point” The United States is envied around the world for its unparalleled wealth. But its riches would not have been possible without what Alan Greenspan has called America’s “unique tolerance” for the messy effects of capitalism’s creative destruction. What is so special about our brand of capitalism […]

How Will the New Supreme Court Change America?

National Center for the Preservation of Democracy 111 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, United States

Moderated by Jess Bravin, Supreme Court Correspondent, The Wall Street Journal It’s age-old wisdom: Every single new justice creates a brand-new U.S. Supreme Court. But some legal scholars are suggesting that the court taking shape now, with a conservative majority established by President Trump’s second appointee, could make especially broad changes in the law. Long-established […]

Can Individuals Be Happy In An Unhappy Time?

National Center for the Preservation of Democracy 111 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, United States

Moderated by Warren Olney, Host, KCRW’s “To the Point”   The pursuit of happiness is foundational to the United States, and happiness has become an international obsession as nations seek to measure happiness and enact policies to increase it. But this is also an era of disruption, dislocation, and great unhappiness; in the U.S., half […]

What Does the Life of Frederick Douglass Tell Us About America?

National Center for the Preservation of Democracy 111 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, United States

Moderated by Baratunde Thurston, Cultural Critic, Comedian, and Author of How to Be Black   American icon Frederick Douglass died in 1895, but he still makes the news. Indeed, he represents an increasingly rare sort of hero—one whose story is invoked across the political spectrum. Perhaps that’s because his life was so large, grand, and complex. […]

Do Americans Misunderstand The Roots of Crime?

National Center for the Preservation of Democracy 111 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, United States

A Zócalo/KCRW “Critical Thinking with Warren Olney” Event Moderated by Warren Olney, Host, KCRW’s “To the Point” Americans treat crime as a public scourge. And we attack it via public systems—our prisons, probation departments, and school and youth programs—to intervene before people go wrong. But what if crime isn’t a public problem, but rather an […]

Can U.S. Democracy Survive Russian Information Warfare?

National Center for the Preservation of Democracy 111 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, United States

American intelligence services have unanimously concluded that the Russian government intervened in the 2016 U.S. elections, and seeks to meddle again this fall. One of Russia’s methods was to use social media to distribute disinformation. What’s the big-picture strategy behind this style of attack, and how badly is it damaging our society and politics? Does […]

How Can Americans Defend the 14th Amendment When The Government Won’t?

National Center for the Preservation of Democracy 111 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, United States

Introduction by Irene Hirano Inouye, reading from U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye’s keynote address to the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Moderated by Madeleine Brand, Host, KCRW's "Press Play". Since its adoption in 1868, the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution has inspired advances in legal rights by guaranteeing U.S. citizens and people in the country […]

What Are the Social Consequences of Racist Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric?

National Center for the Preservation of Democracy 111 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, United States

Moderated by Simon Romero, National Correspondent, The New York Times Relentless verbal attacks on Mexican immigrants and Muslims by President Trump and nativist pundits are one piece of a larger phenomenon. Media, academic, and law enforcement surveys suggest a rise in racist rhetoric against immigrants in this country and around the world. The effect of such […]

ARE THE U.S. AND MEXICO BECOMING ONE COUNTRY?

National Center for the Preservation of Democracy 111 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, United States

Is there any canyon on earth wider than the gap between rhetoric and reality when it comes to the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico? The rhetoric is all about separation—with Americans proposing giant border walls and denigrating Mexican migrants, Mexican leaders condemning U.S. bullying, and each country accusing the other of being a source […]