November 22, 2019
“The real tradition in the U.S. is make voting convenient.”
Seth Flaxman is the co-founder of Democracy Works, a non-profit and non-partisan organization that aims to make voting simple and seamless. They provide tools for voters, such as TurboVote, as well as critical data infrastructure for elections. We talk about voting in the 21st century, creating partnerships for a stronger democracy, and increasing voter turnout.
November 20, 2019
We talked with Marcia Johnson-Blanco of the Lawyers’ Committee’s Election Protection program. One of the most worrying election issues we talked about was the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder Supreme Court Case, and the damage it did to certain states’ electoral infrastructure.
November 15, 2019
“The right to vote is preservative of all other rights.”
Marcia Johnson-Blanco is the Co-Director of the Voting Rights Project, an initiative of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The program works to ensure voters have an equal opportunity to vote, to have that vote count, and to keep elections free and fair. We talk about the challenges, threats, and solutions facing our democracy and elections.
November 13, 2019
Our latest episode with Hannah and Nick of the Civics 101 podcast was as enlightening as it was fun to make. We thought it might be interesting (and helpful) to give a quick overview of exactly what the EC is, and how we got it in the first place.
November 8, 2019
“If you don't understand the system you're in, you can't change it.”
Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice host Civics 101, the podcast refresher course about the basics of how American democracy works. We discuss the importance of empowering citizens and understanding the rules of our complex system, as well as the enduring repercussions of slavery in the United States.
October 4, 2019
“The government is us.”
Mila Atmos is the Founder and Host of Future Hindsight, this very podcast whose mission is to spark civic engagement. In this mini episode with Associate Producer Myriam Zumbühl, we discuss what the term civic engagement means, and why we can only be represented if we participate in our society.
November 9, 2018
“We as citizens aren't the fans. We’re the players.”
Ben Theodore is an avid community activist in Brooklyn, as well as a program associate at the NYC Department of Education. His passion for civic engagement shows how it can transform our society. We discuss the power of local politics and grassroots activism, our responsibility as citizens, and the importance of idealism in public policy and politics.
November 2, 2018
"The ballot box today acts like a time machine that takes us back about 10 years, demographically speaking.”
Robert P. Jones, Ph.D., is the CEO of PRRI, a leading scholar, and the author of “The End of White Christian America”. PRRI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that conducts independent research at the intersection of religion, culture, and public policy. We discuss how partisanship, demographic changes, and low voter turnout affect American society.
October 26, 2018
“I'm passionate about making sure that people who want to vote, can vote.”
Max Feldman serves as Counsel in the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU, a nonpartisan institute that works to improve our democracy and judicial system. We discuss the powers of voting, the need to modernize election systems and enact pro-voter laws, as well as the rising trend of voter suppression since 2010.