Upon exiting the Constitutional Convention, a group of citizens reportedly asked Benjamin Franklin what kind of government the delegates had created. “A republic,” he said, “if you can keep it.” Since the 2016 election and amid the unnerving events of the Trump presidency, many Americans have begun to wonder: Can we keep it?

In his new book, When at Times the Mob Is Swayed, noted civil liberties lawyer Burt Neuborne examines the structure of our constitutional system and its ability to withstand authoritarianism. Thanks to its built-in resilience, he argues, the Constitution will ultimately survive current attempts to dismantle it. But only an active citizenry will allow us to fulfill Ben Franklin’s charge to keep our republic.

In partnership with NYU School of Law, we will explore the questions and challenges of this moment in history. How durable is the Constitution’s separation of powers? Can our institutions withstand the threats of Trump’s federal regime? What must the American public do to defend and revitalize our system of government? 

Burt Neuborne, Norman Dorsen Professor of Civil Liberties at NYU School of Law; Founding Legal Director, Brennan Center for Justice; author of When at Times the Mob Is Swayed: A Citizen’s Guide to Defending Our Republic


Rachel Barkow, Vice Dean and Segal Family Professor of Regulatory Law and Policy, NYU School of Law