Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is THE iconic movie about American politics because its story is one that Americans have always wanted to believe about their democracy: that no matter how venal and corrupt politics can be, a virtuous, innocent man like Jimmy Stewart’s Mr. Smith — a small-town nobody picked by cynical powerbrokers to fill a Senate seat — can triumph and redeem it.
The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.