"American Democracy at a Crossroad": Brown-Bag Lunch Discussion with Former Members of Congress Brown-Bag Lunch Discussion with Former Members of Congress

On November 4, 2025, the North American Studies Program of the University of Bonn held another panel discussion with two former members of the US House of Representatives. This year our guests were Democrat Mike Capuano (Massachusetts) and Republican Fred Upton (Michigan), who talked about the causes and consequences of the hyperpolarization characterizing US politics today. Both Congressmen emphasized the need for compromise and expressed their hope that America's democratic system of government will survive the current challenges. After the panel discussion - moderated by Apl. Prof. Jasper Trautsch of the University of Bonn's North American Studies Program - the event's many attendants had the opportunity to ask questions to our guests. The brown-bag lunch discussion was organized in cooperation with the AmerikaHaus NRW, the Deutsche Atlantische Gesellschaft, and the Association of Former Members of Congress.