The Democracy Forum: Speakers

• 
  KT McFarland

  The national security analyst says that despite political gridlock, America will succeed if it draws on its ingenuity.

• 
  Wendy Wolf

  The editor of the late Manning Marable's book on Malcolm X describes it as a nuanced view.

• 
  Gery Chico

  The Chicago civic leader says the state is raising standards and holding teachers more accountable.

• 
  Jon Meacham

  Faith shapes the life of the nation without strangling it, says the historian and political commentator.

• 
  Louis Menand

  The Harvard scholar considers whether higher education today meets the needs of students and society.

• 
  Jesse White

  The Illinois Secretary of State says steering clear of scandal is key to longevity in state government.

• 
  Naomi Wolf

  The civil rights activist warns that citizens must demand transparency in government and ask questions.

• 
  Jeffrey Toobin

  The nation’s highest court is as polarized as the rest of government, says the author and legal analyst.

• 
  Robert D. Putnam

  The renowned political scientist says Americans are divided politically, but accepting of other people’s faiths.

• 
  Mark Kirk

  The Republican senator from Illinois says the nation must tackle its high debt and addiction to borrowing.

• 
  Michael Eric Dyson

  The cultural critic says Martin Luther King Jr. would be appalled by today's demonizing of the poor.