Public Lecture by Steve Macedo | In Covid’s Wake: Science, Liberal Democracy, and Elite Failure

Liberal democracies rely on truth-seeking institutions insulated from, or capable of rising above, partisan politics: science, universities, and serious journalism. Each was politicized and degraded under Covid, falling victim to the moral and epistemic tribalism that disfigures our politics and culture. Based on his book, In Covid’s Wake: How Our Politics Failed Us, co-authored with Frances Lee (Princeton University Press, 2025), author Steve Macedo will trace how leaders made policy during the worst pandemic in over a century. In so doing, he will contend that educated elites need to soberly examine their performance, assess their own biases and blind spots, and strive to be more worthy of the public’s trust. Join us on Friday, October 3, 2025, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. ET.

Speaker:
Steve Macedo, Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Politics at the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University

For more information visit the event website.