Ken Burns: Founders Would Be Disappointed by Today's U.S. Authoritarianism

Ken Burns told Meet the Press that the drafters of the Constitution would be abjectly disappointed by how far the United States has drifted toward authoritarian power, noting the executive has expanded while Article I's power has weakened. While praising progress on rights, he warned that current division and anti-education rhetoric threaten democracy and urged lifelong learning and a marketplace of ideas to sustain a healthy republic, saying the founders anticipated such risks and would want stronger checks on power.