Publius, Tocqueville, & Burke on Federalism, Democracy and Revolution | Joseph Alulis | First Friday

What can Publius still teach a polarized democracy about leadership, federalism, and the conditions of political freedom? In this First Friday lecture hosted by the University of Chicago Graham School, Joseph Alulis turns to Publius, Tocqueville, and Burke to examine polarization and instability in American politics, with Publius and The Federalist at the center, Tocqueville in a supporting role, and Burke as a distant horizon. The argument is concentrated: how federalism, leadership, and constitutional design bear on the political crisis of the present. Alulis begins by asking whether we face a national political crisis. He defines polarization as a condition in which citizens and leaders approach political questions with fixed, culpable pre-determinations that crowd out deliberation about the common good. Leadership failure, party strategy, media incentives, and weakened institutions all deepen division. Alulis contrasts the weak Articles of Confederation with the Constitution's partly federal, partly national design. Working through Publius, he examines sovereignty, the 'imperium in imperio,' and the Anti-Federalist charge that the new regime would become consolidated, corrupt, or militarized. Tocqueville illuminates how local institutions educate citizens in the art of freedom. He connects these questions to controversies over the Electoral College, primaries, majority rule, and media polarization. The Q&A extends into social media, elite betrayal, Burke on revolution, militias, gerrymandering, and what citizens can do. Key questions explored in this lecture: 1. Why did the framers judge the Articles of Confederation too weak to preserve union? 2. In what sense is the Constitution both federal and national, and why does that mixed character matter? 3. How do Tocqueville’s reflections on townships and local institutions illuminate the “art of freedom”? Chapters 00:00:34 Welcome, First Friday introduction, and lecture logistics 00:02:17 The Basic Program, the Graham School, and upcoming events 00:06:36 Are we in a political crisis? Polarization, paralysis, and instability 00:09:30 Why Publius, Tocqueville, and Burke? 00:10:49 Publius at the center, Tocqueville in support, Burke mostly deferred 00:18:51 The Articles of Confederation and the weakness of union 00:23:20 Anti-Federalists, sovereignty, and the problem of confederation 00:30:28 The Constitution as partly federal and partly national 00:39:45 Anti-Federalist fears: conspiracy, corruption, and standing armies 00:48:36 Tocqueville on townships and the art of freedom 00:49:55 The Electoral College, state weight, and federalism 00:54:53 Democracy, party spirit, and primaries 00:59:01 Q&A begins 01:00:44 Q&A – social media and the machinery of polarization 01:03:09 Q&A – elite betrayal and failures of leadership 01:06:18 Q&A – Burke, revolution, and what the lecture left aside 01:07:30 Q&A – militias, standing armies, and Federalist 29 01:09:29 Q&A – gerrymandering, Senate elections, and federalism now 01:13:41 Q&A – what citizens can actually do 01:15:47 Closing thanks and applause About the Speaker Joe Alulis has a PhD in political science from the University of Chicago. He has published articles on Tocqueville, Lincoln, Shakespeare, Dostoevsky, and co-edited two collections of scholarly essays, Tocqueville’s Defense of Human Freedom (1993) and Shakespeare’s Political Pageant (1996). He has taught at Loyola University of Chicago, Lake Forest College, and North Park University. Alulis began teaching the Basic Program in 1982, and has taught many alumni courses on Plato, Aristotle, political philosophy, the sciences, literature, and much else. About the Basic Program The First Friday Lecture series is presented by the Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults. The Basic Program is a four-year certificate program for intellectually curious learners who want to read and discuss the Great Books in a serious, welcoming community. Through close reading and weekly conversation, students engage works of literature, philosophy, history, and social thought by authors such as Plato, Aristotle, Dante, Shakespeare, de Tocqueville, Woolf, and Morrison—guided by outstanding instructors, with no prerequisites, tests, papers, or grades. Offered online and in person, the program invites adults from all backgrounds to deepen their thinking, broaden their perspective, and join a lifelong community of readers. Learn more at https://graham.uchicago.edu/program/basic-program-of-liberal-education/ About Graham The Graham School is a one-of-a-kind intellectual community that brings the best of the University of Chicago to lifelong learners who are seeking discovery and discernment. Through an array of distinctive programs and courses in the Great Books, the liberal arts, and advanced leadership, we welcome learners who seek to deepen their understanding of the world and lead examined lives of purpose. Learn more at https://graham.uchicago.edu