Netflix's new docuseries 'The American Experiment' features prominent political figures including Kamala Harris, Al Gore, Mike Pence, and Hillary Clinton reflecting on America's founding and its ongoing challenges. The five-part series, directed by Brian Knappenberger, explores the history of America's founding through a mix of historical re-enactments, academic commentary, and interviews with current politicians.
Series Premise and Tone
The first episode ends with Laura Marling's song 'Devil's Spoke,' which includes the ominous warning: 'All of this can be broken.' Knappenberger believes this message is central to the American story, which began 250 years ago as an experiment in governance. 'The experiment is clearly ongoing,' he said.
The series uses a traditional historical documentary format with voiced-over re-enactments of events around the American Revolution. Martin Sheen, who played President Jed Bartlet on 'The West Wing,' provides the voiceover for George Washington.
Political Figures Across Party Lines
Knappenberger intersperses interviews with current political figures throughout each episode. Featured individuals include former vice-presidents Al Gore, Kamala Harris, and Mike Pence; Republican senators Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and Jeff Flake; and Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi. 'We wanted to talk to people from as many different areas as we could, but the politicians are the ones engaged in this system,' Knappenberger said.
The appearance of these well-known faces adds to the motif that history is ongoing. Democrats and Republicans featured on the series all regard the story of America's founding with reverence, serving as proof that two sides can come together in appreciation of the idealism behind one of the greatest underdog narratives in history.
Addressing Partisanship
Knappenberger said: 'We definitely did want to make a point about partisanship here. George Washington in his farewell address had warned the country against extreme factionalism, which was their word for partisanship. He really believed that it would tear the country apart.'
The series addresses the current partisan divide head-on. Pence recounts the events of January 6, recalling how he watched Gore certify another controversial election 20 years earlier, even though it meant losing the presidency. 'My only purpose was to keep my oath,' Pence said, referring to his oath to preserve, protect, and defend the constitution.
Power Imbalance and Executive Authority
Both politicians and academics in the series highlight the power imbalance existing today. 'The power of the executive right now would be surprising to the founders,' Knappenberger said, adding that the only way to combat this is for Congress to stand up to Donald Trump and his allies. Pence said: 'I think the American people would do well to reflect in the 250th year since the signing of the Declaration [of Independence], on the framework of our constitution and to particularly encourage our elected representatives to take back the authority and the role that the founders intended.'
Optimism Amid Uncertainty
The experiment could still fail, but Knappenberger remains optimistic. He noted that when John Adams became president, he told his wife Abigail: 'We'll be in Washington for four years if the country lasts that long.' 'Optimistic estimates were 20 years, 30 years at the time,' Knappenberger said. 'And here we are at 250 years. We've lived through quite a lot of really serious crisis moments – a Great Depression, wars. With the civil war, the country did actually break in half. In all these moments, we've managed to kind of correct it and figure it out and get through it and come together.'
Conservative historian Yuval Levin says in the series: 'The fear of losing it all is actually a source of our strength.' Knappenberger added: 'If you look at the national anthem of England, it's God Save the King. The national anthem of France is about how great France is. The national anthem of America is about barely making it through one night. It's who we are. We've inherited something incredible – and we're on the cusp of losing it.'
'The American Experiment' is now available on Netflix.
