The Guardrails are Holding: A Case for Confidence in American Institutions

Join the Stanford University Libraries for a thoughtful lecture on the perseverance of American institutions and the case for optimism in this challenging time, presented by James Hohmann, Stanford '09 alum and Deputy Opinion Editor of The Washington Post. 

Event Description

The evidence that our institutions are under pressure is overwhelming, but that does not mean they are failing. Institutions are resilient because they were designed to be redundant, competitive, and difficult for any single person to control. Such resiliency cannot be taken for granted, but there is cause for hope in this period of pessimism. James Hohmann will share his argument for confidence in American institutions, with insight from his coverage of Washington DC. 

Speaker Biography - James Hohmann

James Hohmann ’09 is the Deputy Opinion Editor of The Washington Post, with responsibilities that include overseeing the Editorial Board. He is also a lecturer at Stanford in Washington, teaching a course on campaigns. He served as Editor-in-Chief of The Stanford Daily, started his newspaper career at the San Jose Mercury News and spent six years at Politico. Hohmann contributed to the Jan. 6 coverage that earned the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Public Service. At The Post, he was previously a columnist, national political correspondent and chief commentator for live video coverage. Hohmann lives with his wife, the journalist Annie Linskey, in Arlington, Virginia.

Event Details

The event will take place in-person on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 from 5:30 - 6:30 pm at Green Library, Hohbach Hall 1st Floor in the Presentation Palace. The talk will last about 45 minutes with 15 minutes for audience Q & A. 

Questions? Please contact: Amelea Kim at akim6@stanford.edu