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The weaponization of information threatens American democracy. What should we do about that? | The TechTank Podcast

Workers install razor wire atop the unscalable fence surrounding the U.S. Capitol in the wake of the January 6th riot and ahead of the upcoming inauguration in Washington, U.S. January 14, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

New revelations from the January 6 hearings continue to shock the nation. And while former President Donald Trump failed in his attempt to undermine a peaceful transition of power, it’s dangerous to assume that an end to Trumpism is an end to all of America’s problems. Political polarization and extremism continue to be at an all-time high, worsened by ongoing economic tensions.

In his most recent book, “Power Politics: Trump and the Assault on American Democracy,” Darrell M. West, vice president and director of Governance Studies, senior fellow at the Center for Technology Innovation, and co-host and founder of the TechTank podcast, contends with how all these issues put American democracy at risk.

On TechTank, guest host and research analyst Samantha Lai converses with him on his new book and discusses how the weaponization of information threatens our democratic institutions and the country as a whole, and what could be done to address these contemporary challenges.

You can listen to the episode and subscribe to the TechTank podcast on AppleSpotify, or Acast.


TechTank is a biweekly podcast from The Brookings Institution exploring the most consequential technology issues of our time. From artificial intelligence and racial bias in algorithms, to Big Tech, the future of work, and the digital divide, TechTank takes abstract ideas and makes them accessible. Moderators Dr. Nicol Turner Lee and Darrell West speak with leading technology experts and policymakers to share new data, ideas, and policy solutions to address the challenges of our new digital world.

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