BELFAST — Monday, Dec. 9, at 6:30 p.m., the Belfast Free Library will host a free Camden Conference Community Event, "If you can keep it…democracy in America" with Seth Singleton. The program will take place in the Abbott Room with a Zoom option. To register for the Zoom link, find the listing at belfastlibrary.org/events. 

This year’s Camden Conference, Democracy Under Threat: A Global Perspective focuses on the worldwide retreat from democracy. In this talk Singleton will consider the United States. 

When the Constitution was written, Benjamin Franklin was reportedly asked, “Are we a monarchy or a republic?”  He replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”   

Will the United States remain a democracy?   We will consider what democracy requires, how 21st century autocrats take over democratic governments, our present situation, and what will be necessary to preserve democracy during and after the second Trump Presidency. 

Seth Singleton has taught political science in the United States and overseas, most recently at the University of Maine. He was educated at Harvard and Yale and studies political change, revolution, and democracy in countries around the world. He lived in Russia during the Soviet collapse and has worked in Africa, Latin America, Vietnam, and Mongolia. Seth lives in Mount Desert and appreciates the vibrant discussion in our Maine communities. 

This presentation is hosted by the Belfast Free Library and offered as a free community event in anticipation of the 38th Annual Camden Conference – Democracy Under Threat: A Global Perspective, February 21-23, 2025, live at the Camden Opera House and live-streamed to the Strand Theatre in Rockland, Lunt Auditorium in Falmouth, and to homes and classrooms worldwide. For more information about the Camden Conference and upcoming events, visit www.camdenconference.org.