About
- Author of “The Seven Democratic Values: What You Can Do to Overcome Tribalism and Save Our Democracy,” which outlines specific steps that average American citizens can take to safeguard democracy.
- Co-hosts the "Democracy Works" podcast, an initiative from the McCourtney Institute for Democracy, which examines a different aspect of democratic life each week.
- Beem can also talk about the impact of misinformation and declining trust in the media on the state of democracy.
Christopher Beem is the managing director of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy, a role he’s held since 2015. Beem is also an associate research professor in the Department of Political Science and an affiliate faculty with the Rock Ethics Institute.
He is the author or co-editor of six books, including his most recent, “The Seven Democratic Values: What You Can Do to Overcome Tribalism and Save Our Democracy.” Published Aug. 30, 2022, by Penn State University Press, “The Seven Democratic Virtues” pulls from Beem’s background in political theory, ethics and history to outline seven specific steps that average American citizens can take to safeguard democracy from threats of extremism.
Beem is also a co-host of the Democracy Works podcast and a frequent contributor to The Conversation.
In The Media
Opinion: Goodbye, Kari Lake. And good riddance to all election deniers
from CNN November 15, 2022
"In the end, it failed to be a winning strategy. And that means that free and fair elections remain the foundation of a still-viable American democracy."
Biden's 'unusual' midterm strategy favors low-key approach over high-profile rallies
from Yahoo News October 21, 2022
What makes people vote? What data and experts say
from Stacker News September 14, 2022
"I think that we are in a point in our history where we all need to do what we can to preserve democracy."
Why virtue signaling isn’t the same as virtue
from Big Think September 14, 2022
"Virtues are really just agreements among the members of any group about what is important, valuable and what group members can expect from each other."
What 13th-century Christian theologian Thomas Aquinas can teach us about hope in times of despair
from Yahoo News January 19, 2022
"Understood the way Aquinas suggests, hope emerges as a distinctively democratic virtue."
Opinion: Democracy is fragile, but we can strengthen it together
from Pennsylvania Capital-Star January 10, 2021
"Democracy exists as a way for people to disagree and yet still live together peaceably. "
Americans are widely pessimistic about democracy in the United States, new poll finds
from Philadelphia Inquirer July 29, 2016
In Penn State News
What are the seven virtues of a healthy democracy?
August 26, 2022
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Preserving Democracy
Americans on both sides of the aisle say the U.S. is at risk of losing its democracy depending on who wins the 2024 presidential election, according to a recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The erosion of trust in institutions, including the media, elections and rule of law, has contributed what Gallup found is a record-low percentage of U.S. adults who are satisfied with democracy.