Iowa author and retired UI law professor Nicholas Johnson will read from his recent book, Columns of Democracy. In this call to action, Johnson examines the institutions that are under threat around the world, the “columns” of democracy—which include independent media, K-12 and higher education, independent judges, accessible voting systems, and public libraries. These institutions support both an active citizenry and meaningful checks on executives’ abuses. This book calls Americans to action – with suggestions.  

Nicholas Johnson is among roughly 700 individuals listed in The Yale Biographical Dictionary of American Law, described by the publisher as “leading figures in the history of American law, from the colonial era to the present day.” He is perhaps best known for his tumultuous seven-year term as a Commissioner of the FCC (1966-1973), during which, among other things, he was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine and published How to Talk Back to Your Television Set. He taught at the UI College of Law from 1981 until his retirement in 2014.