Writers of Washington Presents: Common Sense Take 2

Join The Honorable Russell E. Travers in a discussion moderated by Dr. Kathryn H. Floyd about his book, Common Sense: Take 2, A Call to Renew Democracy. Two hundred and fifty years after Thomas Paine helped ordinary citizens think seriously about self-government, Common Sense: Take 2 revists that tradition for a different democratic moment. Addressed to an exhausted majority of Americans, it examines why our democracy is under strain and what a long-term, sequenced roadmap for renewing democracy and restoring our capacity to govern might require. Russ Travers is a retired senior civil servant whose five-decade career spanned eight presidential administrations. He received Presidential Rank Awards from Presidents Clinton, and Trump, including recognition as one of the top one percent of leaders in the Senior Executive Service. Known for integrity and a commitment to good government, his intelligence community career focused on the defining national security threats of the past half-century: the USSR/Russia and terrorism. He was part of the leadership team that created the National Counterterrorism Center and later served as its acting director. He also completed three senior tours at the White House National Security Council, most recently as Deputy Homeland Secuirty Advisor in the Biden Administration. Guided by his oath to the Constitution to defend against threats both foreign and domestic, Travers has turned his attention from foreign adversaries to the forces undermining America’s ability to govern itself. He now writes on democratic renewal and strengthening insitutional capacity. In retirement, he divides his time between advancing those causes and playing pickleball. This event will be in person with an option to attend virtually.