Guardrails of Democracy: The Law, Institutions, and the American Experiment

What holds a democracy together, and how has the United States responded when its guardrails have been tested?

This timely conversation explores the rule of law and the democratic institutions that uphold it as cornerstones of democratic life and defining forces in the 250-year-old American experiment. How have the Constitution, courts, and long-standing norms responded in moments of strain, and how do they continue to evolve in a period of significant political and legal volatility? Panelists explore how democratic systems react to pressure, adapt over time, and protect the rights and freedoms at the heart of democracy’s promise.

This session is produced by the Karsh Institute of Democracy.

Speakers will be announced soon.

More information here: https://karshinstitute.virginia.edu/d360/2025/events/guardrails-democracy-law-institutions-and-american-experiment

You may also like the following events from UVA Karsh Institute of Democracy:

• This October, 16th October, 01:00 pm, Join the Conversation: A ‘Braver Angels’ Debate in Charlottesville
• This October, 16th October, 04:00 pm, Building the American Dream: Work, Tech, and Community in a Shifting Economy in Charlottesville
• This October, 17th October, 01:00 pm, Join the Conversation: ‘Feast of Reason’ in Charlottesville