Peter Berkowitz: Defending Liberal Democracy

The Hoover Institution senior fellow on critiques of liberal democracy and why it deserves to be defended. Click "Show more" to view chapters. For more conversations, visit

Chapter 1 (00:15 - 39:35): Liberal Democracy and its Critics

Chapter 2 (39:35 - 1:04:48): Reclaiming the Liberal Tradition

Peter Berkowitz is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and a leading scholar of political philosophy and American politics. He serves as dean of students for the Hertog Political Studies Program and The Public Interest Fellowship, and teaches for the Tikvah Fund.

In recent years, criticism of liberal democracy for its alleged hostility to tradition, family, and community has been gaining strength. In this Conversation, Berkowitz addresses such critiques, reflects on classical liberalism, and considers why liberal democracy deserves to be defended. Kristol and Berkowitz discuss thinkers within the liberal tradition including John Locke, Edmund Burke, John Stuart Mill, and Alexis de Tocqueville. As Berkowitz makes clear, these thinkers understood that liberalism—like all regimes—has drawbacks. Yet these great thinkers also provide the intellectual resources for defending liberalism. This is a must-see Conversation at a time of growing uncertainty about the core principles of the modern West.