Ambassador (ret) Steve
McCann, founder and CEO of The Stevenson Group, was the keynote speaker at a
Forum on the State of American Democracy, held at Virginia International
University, Fairfax, VA on May 18, 2018.
Panels discussing the state of democracy in the U.S.
The forum consisted of
two panels of academics, journalists, and business people who spoke on the
state of democracy both in the United States and internationally before a
audience of faculty of the university. The first panel discussed the disturbing
trend of backtracking on democratic reforms internationally and the trend
globally toward autocracy, and the lessons that can be learned here in the U.S.
in light of the outcome of the 2016 presidential elections. The second panel
then looked at the state of democracy in the United States, emphasizing the
fact that political polarization is at its highest since the Reconstruction era
following the Civil War, and the trend of closed electoral primaries resulting
in mostly extreme candidates in general elections. It was pointed out that
while the US has a business climate that is favorable to small and medium-sized
enterprises (ranked third in the world), in terms of inequality of income, the
US ranks as one of the worst when compared with other developed economies,
outperforming only countries like Burundi, El Salvador, and Iran.
McCann
delivers keynote address
In his keynote address,
McCann acknowledged that the challenges to democracy are great, but stated that
as long as the populace remains alert and active, and we continue to abide by
the Constitution and honor the rule of law, there is no danger of the U.S.
becoming an autocratic state.
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