Zanny Minton Beddoes Editor-in-chief
42 min
Episode summary
It’s America’s birthday. And the country finds itself in the throes of revolution once again.
At home, the Trump administration—run on flattery, favouritism and whim—bears an uneasy resemblance to the crown-and-courtier regime America’s founders rebelled against, and executive overreach strains against the constitutional checks designed to contain it. Abroad, America’s leaders have instigated a “wrecking-ball revolution”, demolishing the post-war world order their predecessors built.
Has the American experiment failed? Is the damage done beyond repair? Or are those who pronounce the superpower in decline forgetting that dynamism has rescued the republic from dark episodes before? Zanny Minton Beddoes, The Economist’s editor-in-chief, and a panel of expert journalists assess the health of America’s democracy, consider the future of American power and share their wishes for the country on its milestone birthday.