Reforming the American federal republic | Taming polarization: Reforming the American federal republic conference

On the 16th and 17th of October 2026 the LSE Phelan US Centre hosted the conference Taming polarization: Reforming the American federal republic. The conference brought together historians, political scientists, geographers, legal scholars, analysts, and practitioners from the US, EU, and the UK to consider the role of federalism in fuelling polarization in the US and how federalism may be leveraged to tame it. Adopting a comparative and historical perspective, the conference featured frank, sustained discussion of critical issues such as state autonomy, political representation, and fiscal equalization.

On Friday 16 October, the conference began with the roundtable event, "Reforming the American Republic". Politics as usual in the US has given way to winner-take-all politics, where federal power is weaponized to "impose" highly conflictual preferences across the national territory, fuelling resentment, polarization, and fragmentation at the regional and state levels. How did America get itself into this political fix and what steps can be taken to tame the divisions and rancor that are roiling its politics?

The roundtable featured Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times, Professor Aziz Z. Huq of the University of Chicago and Professor Suzanne Mettler of Cornell University. The event was chaired by Professor Larry Kramer, the President and Vice Chancellor of LSE.

This recording also features conference opening remarks from Peter Trubowitz, Director of the LSE Phelan US Centre and Professor of International Relations at LSE.

For more information about the Taming polarization: Reforming the American federal republic conference, including recordings from the other panel sessions, please see the conference website.

This event recording was produced by Chris Gilson and Avan Fata.