This talk was originally broadcast live on November 10, but you can still enjoy it on-demand until December 31!

The ongoing US Presidential election is a tense and provocative political spectacle. Americans are grappling with social and economic upheaval, an unprecedented public health crisis and, according to some observers, the survival of democracy itself. During the final weeks of the campaign, join veteran broadcaster and former CBC Washington Correspondent Alison Smith for a series of three live digital presentations that will examine what’s at stake in this historic campaign and the two wildly different candidates who are running for President. We’ll assess the issues and events that could decide the outcome—and we’ll check in with leading political experts to assess how this heated contest will change America and the world.

The results are in: what happened and what we should be watching for going forward? Alison will break down the emerging storylines with two internationally-renowned commentators on American politics:

•  Susan Glasser, political columnist at The New Yorker, who will discuss the governing challenges that face the incoming administration and The Man Who Ran Washington, her acclaimed new biography of former Secretary of State James Baker.

•  Lawrence Lessig, Harvard legal scholar and one of the world’s leading authorities on political institutions, who will explore what the election means for the future of American and global democracy.

About host Alison Smith
A former senior correspondent and network host for the CBC, Alison Smith has reported from every Canadian province and territory and from across the globe. She was a CBC Washington correspondent from 2005 to 2009 and covered the historic election of President Barack Obama. With decades of experience and a deep network of sources, she remains one of Canada’s keenest observers of American politics.

Promotional Partners: DemocracyXChange, Democrats Abroad Toronto, Munk One and Munk's Centre for the Study of the United States