Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Amy Coney Barrett will be featured in a PBS special on elections later this month.

“Deadlock: an election story” is a one-hour special that will attempt to inspire civil dialogue about ethical dilemmas in a time of political polarization.

What You Need To Know

  • Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Amy Coney Barrett will be featured in a PBS special on elections later this month

  • “Deadlock: an election story” is a one-hour special that will attempt to inspire civil dialogue about ethical dilemmas in a time of political polarization

  • Moderated by University of California-Davis Law Professor Aaron Tang, the special will include a diverse panel of legal, political and cultural speakers discussing complex, ethical dilemmas based on real-life scenarios

  • Filmed before a live audience on Sept. 9 at the New York Historical Society in New York City, the special will air Sept. 20 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS, and stream on PBS.org, YouTube and the PBS app

Moderated by University of California-Davis Law Professor Aaron Tang, the special will include a diverse panel of legal, political and cultural speakers discussing “complex, ethical dilemmas based on real-life scenarios,” according to the network. The goal is to “elicit the panel’s heartfelt reactions without providing them any advance knowledge of the topic or opportunity for preparation.”

The two justices, who represent the liberal and conservative wings of the Supreme Court, will introduce the topic before the panel discussion begins.

The 12 panelists include political strategist Dr. Rachel Bitecofer, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, Princeton University African American Studies Professor Dr. Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., New York Times National Politics Reporter Astead Herndon and CBS “60 Minutes” Correspondent Scott Pelley, among others. 

“The current climate of American discourse finds us deeply entrenched and overconfident in our own beliefs,” Tang said in a statement. “Deadlock aims to illuminate how, for many of the difficult challenges facing our nation, the honest answers are nuanced and complex. Our goal is to spark open-mindedness and help people find the middle ground instead of retreating to our usual corners.”

A Gallup News poll from earlier this year found that American voters have become less moderate over the past 24 years, with conservative Republicans increasing from 24% to 30% and liberal Democrats increasing from 14% to 22% since 2000.

Filmed before a live audience on Sept. 9 at the New York Historical Society in New York City, the special will air Sept. 20 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS, and stream on PBS.org, YouTube and the PBS app.

NOTE: This article has been updated to accurately reflect the role of the justices in the special.