Civic Forum

What does a second Trump term actually mean for U.S.–China relations? Could Washington and Beijing find their way to a political truce, or are we headed toward a sharper, more dangerous phase of rivalry? In this episode of The Civic Forum, Rory Truex talks with Jessica Chen Weiss about the state and stakes of U.S.-China relations. They get into Trump’s emerging approach to China, Xi Jinping’s incentives at home and abroad, and how trade, technology, and Taiwan fit into the broader picture. The conversation closes with a note on the need to move beyond Cold War thinking in the relationship.

In this episode of the Civic Forum, Rory Truex, an associate professor from Princeton University, discusses the intersection of democracy and the business community with Daniella Ballou-Aares, the founder of The Leadership Now Project. The conversation explores the importance of business engagement in democratic processes, the challenges of forming cross-partisan coalitions, and the role of informed business leaders in promoting rule of law and economic stability. Daniella shares insights from Leadership Now's initiatives, such as the 'Pass the Torch' campaign and advocacy on H1-B visas and electoral reforms. The episode also touches on responding to authoritarian threats, state capitalism, and crafting effective forms of influence through public statements, private actions, and strategic investment in pro-democracy candidates and policies.

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Follow Daniella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniella-ballou-aares-b117a/

00:00 Introductions

01:19 The Business Community's Role in Democracy

08:58 Impact of Political Climate on Business

15:11 Strategies for Effective Advocacy

23:32 Solidarity and Collective Action

28:06 Business Responses to Social Issues

29:17 Public Pressure on Corporations

31:15 Corporate Advocacy and Effectiveness

36:09 Domain-Specific Activism

38:00 Authoritarianism in the Tech Industry

43:48 State Capitalism and Industrial Policy

52:19 Career Advice and Personal Reflections

Indivisible's Ezra Levin joins Rory Truex to reflect on No Kings, the Democrats' November 2025 election wins, and where the pro-democracy movement goes from here.

Are America’s courts still capable of protecting the rule of law in the face of Trump's authoritarian power grab? In this episode, Princeton constitutional scholar Deborah Pearlstein joins Rory Truex on The Civic Forum to break down the state of the courts — and whether legal institutions are equipped to defend democracy in this moment.

New America's Lee Drutman joins Rory Truex to explain how the U.S. two-party system fuels polarization, gridlock, and democratic decline—and how reforms like proportional representation and fusion voting could help fix it.

In this week’s episode of The Civic Forum, Rory Truex is joined by Holden Thorp, the Editor-in-Chief of the Science family of journals. They discuss the state of American science and how Trump's attacks on universities may make U.S. science fall behind. They also discuss ways universities must improve their relationship with the American public and how far science has come in China.

In this episode of The Civic Forum, Rory leads a conversation with four leading scholars of democratic erosion — Steven Levitsky (Harvard), Adam Przeworski (NYU), Susan Stokes (UChicago), and Daniel Ziblatt (Harvard) — on the current state of American democracy. They discuss what's surprising and unique about Trump's authoritarian power grab, the state of political opposition, strategies for the Democratic Party, and what normal people can do in a time like this.

In this week’s episode of The Civic Forum, Rory Truex is joined by Kevin Arceneaux, professor at Sciences Po and leading expert on political psychology, to explore how Americans really think about democracy, authoritarianism, and political violence.They discuss:- Why most Americans support democracy in the abstract, but may condone bad behavior when their side benefits.- The rise of the “need for chaos”- How Americans view political violence and how escalation can be stopped- What citizens and leaders can do to reduce polarization and defend democracy.

Is American democracy in crisis? In this week’s episode of The Civic Forum, Rory Truex is joined by Dartmouth professors John Carey and Brendan Nyhan, co-founders of Bright Line Watch, the project tracking democratic backsliding in America.They discuss:

• Why expert ratings of U.S. democracy have dropped to historic lows.
• Why the U.S. may now resemble countries like Brazil or Hungary more than Canada or the U.K.
• The failure of Congress and political elites to check presidential power.
• Whether Democrats should “fight fire with fire” or risk deepening the spiral.
• What ordinary citizens can do to push back against authoritarianism.
  

In this week’s session of The Civic Forum, Rory Truex is joined by Amanda Litman, co-founder of Run for Something. Amanda explains why America’s political system is dominated by older leaders, and how young people can step up.We discuss:

• Why the U.S. is a gerontocracy, and how it affects democracy.
• The underrepresentation of Millennials, Gen Z, women, and working-class people in Congress.
• The structural barriers that keep young and diverse candidates from running.
• How Run for Something recruits and supports first-time candidates across the country.
• What it means to be authentic as a politician
• Amanda’s vision for political reform — from campaign finance to paying public servants fairly.