# James Traub on Why American Classrooms Are Failing Democracy

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-good-fight-1434426/james-traub-on-why-american-classrooms-are-failing-democracy
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-good-fight-1434426/james-traub-on-why-american-classrooms-are-failing-democracy.md
Podcast: [The Good Fight](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-good-fight-1434426)
Published: 2026-05-23T10:40:17+00:00
Episode link: https://www.ivoox.com/james-traub-on-why-american-classrooms-are-failing-audios-mp3_rf_174225710_1.html
Audio file: https://www.ivoox.com/james-traub-on-why-american-classrooms-are-failing_mf_174225710_feed_1.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-good-fight-1434426/episodes/james-traub-on-why-american-classrooms-are-failing-democracy
Duration seconds: 3097

## Resource

Yascha Mounk and James Traub examine how progressive teaching methods are producing citizens who can't think critically. James Traub is a journalist, author and scholar. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the New York Institute For The Humanities and the Society of American Historians. In this week's conversation, Yascha Mounk and James Traub discuss why progressive pedagogy is failing American students, how classical schools are achieving better outcomes through traditional teaching methods, and whether learning facts versus critical thinking represents a false choice in education. If you have not yet signed up for our podcast, please do so now by following &#8288;this link on your phone&#8288;. Email: leonora.barclay@persuasion.community Podcast production by Jack Shields and Leonora Barclay. Connect with us! &#8288;Spotify&#8288; | &#8288;Apple&#8288; | &#8288;Google&#8288; X: &#8288;@Yascha_Mounk&#8288; &amp; &#8288;@JoinPersuasion&#8288; YouTube: &#8288;Yascha Mounk&#8288;, &#8288;Persuasion&#8288; LinkedIn: &#8288;Persuasion Community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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## Transcript

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