Liberal democracies rely on truth-seeking institutions insulated from, or capable of rising above, partisan politics: science, universities, and serious journalism. Each were politicized and degraded under COVID. Based on their forthcoming book, “In Covid’s Wake: How Our Politics Failed Us” (Princeton University Press, March 2025), Princeton professors Stephen Macedo and Frances Lee trace how leaders made policy during the worst pandemic in over a century. In so doing, they 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. 

Lecture One: ‘Following the Science’ Before and During the Covid Pandemic 

Lecture Two: Noble Lies and Democracy Under Covid

Speakers:
Frances Lee is professor of politics and public affairs at Princeton University. Stephen Macedo is the Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Politics and the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University. 

This event is open to the public.