Past Present Future Live Special: Another American Civil War?
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Mar 22, 2026 
Adam Smith, historian of the United States and Civil War era specialist, joins to weigh whether modern America could fracture like the 1860s. He compares constitutional change, federalism, militias and guns. They explore election legitimacy, state-level resistance, hollowing of federal institutions and how tech firms or state courts might fill gaps.
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1850s Partisan Press Mirrored Today's Media Silos
- 1850s newspapers were highly partisan and readers rarely consumed opposing views, mirroring today's information silos.
- Adam Smith describes effigies burned, street-level hatred, and partisan press that amplified fear just like modern partisan media.
States Have Nonviolent Levers To Defy Federal Power
- States can escalate resistance short of secession by refusing federal cooperation, remitting funds, or blocking federal operations.
- Adam Smith points to potential California-Washington-Oregon alliances and unused legal toolboxes from historical state resistance.
Prioritize Risks Of Government Failure Over Civil War
- Worry more about government breakdown than civil war because hollowed institutions risk economic or administrative collapse.
- David Runciman warns of debt default, loss of data, and weakened bureaucratic capacity under reckless governance.