Political Violence: America’s Defining Threat?
with renowned experts:
William Galston & Barbara F. Walter
Thursday, February 26th, from 4-5pm EST, on Zoom
Political violence is no longer a fringe phenomenon — it is becoming a defining threat to American democracy.
Experts William Galston and Barbara F. Walter join The Common Good to unpack the “dark forces” driving political violence, why they are gaining power and fueling violent extremism, and the growing risk of democratic breakdown.
From the assassination of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark; to the assasination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk; the brutal attack on Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi; the kidnapping plot against Governor Gretchen Whitmer; the arson attack on Governor Josh Shapiro’s home, and two assassination attempts on President Trump—political violence has become a recurring and deeply destabilizing force in American life.
Drawing on decades of scholarship, Galston, author of Anger, Fear, Domination, and Walter, author of How Civil Wars Start, will help us to not only understand this threat—but what can be done to mitigate it.
Bring your questions and join us for this urgent conversion.
A renowned political theorist offers a road map to the dark forces that threaten democracy
“Politics is different now because something awful has been unleashed. William A. Galston defines this awful thing in his fantastic new book, Anger, Fear, Domination.”—David Brooks, New York Times
We encourage attendees to purchase a copy of “Anger, Fear, Domination: Dark Passions and the Power of Political Speech” available now via your local independent bookstore,Theodore’s Books, or Barnes&Noble.
New York Times bestseller, Winner of The Global Policy Institute Award • The Sunday Times Book of the Year • one of the Best Books of the Year: Financial Times, The Times (UK), Esquire, Prospect (UK)
“Required reading for anyone invested in preserving our 246-year experiment in self- government.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)
We encourage attendees to purchase a copy of “How Civil Wars Start”available now via your local independent bookstore,Theodore’s Books, or Barnes&Noble.
About Our Speakers
William A. Galston is a leading scholar of political theory and American democracy, a weekly columnist for The Wall Street Journal, and a senior fellow and the Ezra K. Zilkha Chair in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution. Galston’s most recent book of Anger, Fear, Domination (2025) offers a crucial road map to the dark forces that threaten democracy.
He is a recipient of the American Political Science Association’s Hubert H. Humphrey Award and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He previously served as deputy assistant to President Bill Clinton for domestic policy and has participated in six presidential campaigns.
Barbara F. Walter is one of the world’s leading experts on civil wars, violent extremism, and domestic terrorism. She is the author of five books, including the New York Times bestseller How Civil Wars Start and How to Stop Them, widely hailed as essential reading on the threats to modern democracy.
A frequent commentator on CNN, MSNBC, and PBS, her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, and The Wall Street Journal. Walter has advised the U.S. Departments of Defense and State, the United Nations, and the January 6th Committee, and is the Rohr Professor of International Affairs at UC San Diego.