Episodes
Be Ready for Ungoverning: Nancy Rosenblum
We discuss how ungoverning is the equivalent of a bull in a china shop. Many institutions will be destroyed, but we don't know which ones and to what extent!
Yes, Our Elections Are Secure: Ben Adida
We discuss election integrity and voting machines, the amazing work of election workers, and the logistics of election audits.We discuss why the American electorate voted the way they did in 2024, the history of various voter suppression tactics, and how we can bounce back from a feeling of post-election civic helplessness.
We Voted… Now What?: Michael Waldman
We discuss why the American electorate voted the way they did in 2024, the history of various voter suppression tactics, and how we can bounce back from a feeling of post-election civic helplessness.
Vigilante Democracy Returns: David Noll
We discuss the long history of vigilante democracy in the US and its return in our current politics. The playing field is currently tilted in favor of these vigilante policies, but blue states can level the playing field by playing constitutional hardball. David Noll reminds us that the American people have beat back movements to use vigilante power to enforce a reactionary agenda time and again.
The AAPI Movement: Varun Nikore
We discuss how the Democratic party continues to ignore AAPI voters in schools despite their increasing power at the ballot box and the necessity to build coalitions with them to win elections. Between 2016 and 2020, voter turnout in this community increased by 47%. The near doubling of AAPI voters in Georgia and Arizona effectively made the Biden victory in 2020 possible.
Feminism at the Heart of Democracy: Dr. C. Nicole Mason
We discuss the intersection of feminism and democracy and discover how the egalitarian underpinnings of feminism are fundamental to an equal society. Abortion bans illustrate this well. “Any time there's a conflict between the Constitution and someone's personal bodily autonomy and the subject of rights under the law, that is anti-democratic.”
Go Beyond Voting: Sharon McMahon
We discuss the importance of shifting our mindset to one that is infused with hope. Positive change comes when we choose hope. Though nobody can fix it all, we can all do something and make an impact. Sharon reminds us that if something is worth doing for everyone, it’s worth doing for one person.
The Future American Electorate: Maria Teresa Kumar
We discuss why American democracy should not treat the Latinx community as a monolith, what actually matters to this community, and how the strength of their engagement in U.S. democracy will play out in this year’s presidential election.
Abandon the False Narratives: Jason Stanley
We discuss the purpose of fascist education, the political nature of universities in defending democracy, and the dangers of America’s powerful exceptionalist narrative.
What is a Family Friendly Economy?: Sondra Goldschein
We discuss the necessary policies that make a family friendly economy possible, such as investments in child care, elder care, and paid family leave. Such investments ought to be considered basic infrastructure, which contribute to the economy.
What is Project 2025?: Matt Cohen
We discuss the deep impact of Project 2025 policies on the American people, even if only 10-15% were implemented. Well beyond abortion bans and no-fault divorces, Project 2025 would adversely affect democracy. It would be easier for big money to influence election outcomes, for disinformation and misinformation to spread, and for foreign actors to meddle in elections.
Your Political Rights: Attorney General Eric Holder & Michael Waldman
This is a recording of a live event of the American Voter Project at the Eric H. Holder Jr. Initiative for Civil and Political Rights. We discuss the long history of voter suppression, voting rights, the electoral college, the Supreme Court, and democracy.
End Climate Silence: Genevieve Guenther
We discuss deepening our understanding of the climate crisis, the urgent need for decarbonization, and our role in speaking truth about phasing out fossil fuels.
Everybody Benefits from Public Schools: Jennifer Berkshire & Jack Schneider
We discuss the power and the promise of public schools, the universal rejection of book bans by parents across the country, and an inclusive vision for democracy.
People Power on the Ballot: Chris Melody Fields Figueredo
We discuss how ballot measures give voters the opportunity to take power and agency. It is about citizens putting issues that are important to their communities, gathering signatures, and then putting them on the ballot directly to effect policy change.
Break Up the Two-Party System: Lee Drutman
We discuss how two parties alone cannot represent the diversity of views in American society, how fusion voting could solve for better representation, and who exactly should get engaged in our civic lives.
What Is It Like to Run for Office?: Wendy Davis
We discuss what it takes for citizens to take action and run for elected office with Wendy Davis. Wendy ran as a Democrat in Utah because she wanted to give voters a viable, different choice. She knew it was going to be difficult to win as a first time candidate, but she ran so hard that she left a body mark in the wall. She lost by a mere 78 votes. Wendy is the author of The Fight You Don’t See – an honest memoir about her campaign.
Protect Whistleblowers: Joe Spielberger
Joe Spielberger is the policy counsel for the Effective and Accountable Government team at the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), where he advocates in Congress and the executive branch to strengthen whistleblower rights, protect a merit-based civil service, and promote government ethics and transparency. We discuss how government can be transparent and accountable to us, the People.
U.S. Influence in Central America: Daniel Alvarenga
Daniel Alvarenga is a journalist who covers issues pertaining to immigration, racial equity, and Latinx cultures – with a special emphasis on Central America and its diasporas. He’s also the English language podcast host of Humo: Murder and Silence in El Salvador. We discuss the intersection of foreign policy, immigration policy, and democracy.
Disinformation is Sabotaging America: Barbara McQuade
Barbara McQuade is a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, co-host of the podcast #SistersinLaw, and a professor at the University of Michigan Law School. Her first book is Attack From Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging America. We discuss the dangers of disinformation and how we can defeat it.