In this episode of This Old Democracy, Washington Post columnist Perry Bacon joins the podcast to discuss the state of American democracy, the increasing authoritarianism of the Trump presidency, and the weakening of independent institutions like the Supreme Court, Congress, the business community, and the media.

He and host Micah Sifry explore whether the two-party system contributes to political polarization and stifles new ideas, considering the potential for a multi-party democracy, fusion voting, and proportional representation. Perry also shares his perspective on what gives him hope amidst these challenging times.