More than half of American voters expect to see a rise in violence after election day, according to a recent poll. Only 49% said Americans will largely accept the results.

These findings and others suggest that American democracy is facing intense stress. President Trump has repeatedly refused to say whether he would accept the official results. "Trump and Biden supporters have deep disagreements over several aspects of the election and voting process – including whether it will be clear which candidate won even after all the votes are counted," says Pew Research Center.

This episode examines how our current problems compare to past outbreaks of political turmoil. Professor Suzanne Mettler, co-author of the new book, "Four Threats: The Recurring Crises of American Democracy" is our guest.

The four threats are: polarization, racism and nativism, economic inequality, and excessive presidential power. "Today, for the first time ever, all four of these threats to democracy have come together," Suzanne tells us.

Richard and Jim, who calls himself "the pushback guy" in  this episode, also have a lively discussion about the book's findings.

Recommendation: Richard is reading “All the King’s Men” - first published in 1946 and written by Robert Penn Warren. The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel portrays the dramatic rise of Governor Willie Stark, a cynical left-wing autocratic populist in the South.