The Shaping of Modern American Conservatism with Matthew Continetti | BRI Scholar Talks

What timeless messages does the Baldwin-Buckley Debate teach about the discussion of race in the 1960s? In this Scholar Talk video, BRI Senior Teaching Fellow Tony Williams sits down with Nicholas Buccola, writer and expert in American political thought, to discuss Buccola's new book, "The Fire is Upon Us: James Baldwin, William F. Buckley Jr., and the Debate Over Race in America." Buccola delves into the backgrounds of both James Baldwin, the foremost literary voice of the civil rights movement, and William F. Buckley Jr., one of America's most influential conservatives and opponent of the civil rights movement, to describe their radically different views on the racial divide in America. How far have we come from this moment in 1965, and what work lies ahead of us in pursuit of true equality for all?

How can political parties help to unite Americans? To explore this question, BRI Senior Fellow Tony Williams is joined by Joseph Postell, Professor of Politics at Hillsdale College. They discuss together how American political parties can be forces of unity rather than division and partisanship, how the Founders viewed political parties, and attempts made during the Progressive Era to eliminate them. What are the positive roles of political parties throughout American history? What were the arguments of constitutional conservatives regarding their constructive role?