Corruption has become a mainstay of American political life—but how did we get here? And what can we do about it?

Today, we investigate these questions with journalist Sarah Chayes, author of the new book On Corruption in America, and learn why she believes corruption is the primary threat to democracy in our lifetimes.

Sarah Chayes is an award-winning journalist and author. From 2002 to 2009, she reported for National Public Radio from Paris, covering Europe and the Balkans. She is the author of The Punishment of Virtue: Inside Afghanistan After the Taliban (Penguin, 2007), Thieves of State: Why Corruption Threatens Global Security (W. W. Norton, 2016), and On Corruption in America and What is at Stake (Knopf, 2020).

Note: This pledge drive interview was edited to remove parts of the show dedicated to station fundraising. We thank our listeners for their generous support.