Welcome to #RestoringPublicTrust
Thomas Mann House in Los Angeles hosted a four-day, multi-platform program in April 2022 with innovators from academia, artistic fields and politics to discuss concrete steps for restoring public trust in Germany and the U.S. Through virtual discussions, video statements, podcasts, articles and streamed conversations from the Thomas Mann House, experts addressed how we can strengthen public trust in the areas of international relations, security, elections, diversity, local communities and the broader media landscape. The program may be over, but the discussion has not ended! Check out the full program on this website and watch, read and listen to them. You can still be a part of our social wall by posting and commenting on the contributions and find out what is happening at #RestoringPublicTrust.
Trust in political institutions has been severely shaken in many Western democracies. This is especially true in the United States, where a large portion of the population believes that their democracy is in danger of failing. Even though developments in Germany are less dramatic in comparison, public trust also declined during the Covid pandemic. A majority of citizens who classify themselves as belonging to lower socioeconomic classes are not satisfied at all with the state of democracy in Germany.
This crisis of trust is putting Western democracies to the test. This is all the more true in light of the challenges posed by the ongoing Covid pandemic, the rapid spread of anti-democratic content, growing economic inequalities and the outbreak of war in the heart of Europe. Urgent tasks arise that can only be solved by society as a whole and in international alliances.
With sociologists Larry Diamond (Stanford University), James Fishkin (Stanford University) and Craig Calhoun (Arizona State University), author Mithu Sanyal, political scientist and Thomas Mann Fellow Christine Landfried (University of Hamburg), lawyer and criminologist Walter Katz, media scholars Anya Schiffrin (Columbia University) and Robin Stevens (University of Southern California), legal scholar Lawrence Douglas (Amherst), artists Suzanne Lacy and Gregory Sholette, Thomas Mann Fellows archaeologist Sunhild Kleingärtner and journalists Mohamed Amjahid, Aiko Kempen, Olaya Argüeso Pérez and Tom Zoellner (Los Angeles Review of Books), and many others.
PROGRAM
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND CULTURE— 12 p.m. PT – 9 p.m. CET —
Opening with Minister of State Katja Keul
Fostering Trust: Innovative Ways for Cultural Institutions and Artists
With Steven Lavine, Chloë Bass, Sunhild Kleingärtner, Suzanne Lacy, András Szántó, Gregory Shollete
Live Event | → Watch Here
— 1 p.m. PT – 10 p.m. CET —
Citizens in Conversation: What brings us back to the table?
Interview with various voices from Germany and the United States
Article | → Read Here
— 1:30 p.m. PT – 10:30 p.m. CET —
Project Showcase: Rich Wilson on the Global Assembly
Video Statement | → Watch Here
SECURITY AND VOTING— 9 a.m. PT – 6 p.m. CET —
55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast: Fixing the Electoral System
With Lawrence Douglas, Tom Zoellner and Aida Baghernejad.
Live Podcast | → Watch Here
— 10 a.m. PT – 7 p.m. CET —
Reimagining Safety: Restoring Trust in Security Agencies
With Walter Katz, Aiko Kempen and Kren Malone, hosted by Alexandra Lieben
Discussion | → Watch Here
— 12 p.m. PT – 9 p.m. CET —
Project Showcase: Andreas Nitsche on LiquidFeedback
Video Statement | → Watch Here
DIVERSITY AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES— 9 a.m. PT – 6 p.m. CET —
Citizens’ Assemblies: A Radical Idea from Ancient Athens
With Craig Calhoun, Larry Diamond, Christine Landfried, James S. Fishkin
Live Event | → Watch Here
— 10 a.m. PT – 7 p.m. CET —
On the Road to Change: Legacies of Mistrust.
With Mohamed Amjahid, Robin Stevens, Joel Garcia
Video | → Watch Here
— 11 a.m. PT – 8 p.m. CET —
Mithu Sanyal on Identity Struggles and Trust
Article | → Read Here
— 11:30 a.m. PT – 8:30 p.m. CET —
Project Showcase: Xiomara Peña on the Small Business Majority
EXPERTS AND THE PUBLIC SPHERE— 10:30 a.m. PT – 7:30 p.m. CET —
Regulating Big Tech: Ways to Restore Trust in the Public Sphere
With Anya Schiffrin, Paula Cipierre, and Götz Hamann
In cooperation with ZEIT-Stifung and EUROPACAMP 2022 Live Event | → Watch Here
— 11:30 a.m. PT – 8:30 p.m. CET —
Project Showcase: Olaya Argüeso Pérez on CORRECTIV
Video Statement | → Watch Here
— 12 p.m. PT – 9 p.m. CET —
Wrap-Up: Thomas Mann Fellows in Conversation
With Christine Landfried, Sunhild Kleingärtner, Andreas Nitsche, Claus Pias, Moderation: Helmut Anheier
Video | | → Watch Here
SOCIAL WALL
Thomas Mann House, a residency center and space for transatlantic debate in Los Angeles, California.
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