Hey Smarties! We’re on a break for the holidays and revisiting some of our top episodes from 2024. We can’t do this show without you and we still need your support. If you can, donate today to keep independent journalism going strong into 2025 and beyond. Give now to support “Make Me Smart.” Thank you so much for your generosity, happy holidays and we’ll see you in the new year.
If you’ve been feeling hopeless about the news, the election, the economy, the climate crisis and everything else that’s going on, today’s episode is for you.
Emily Amick, lawyer and co-author of “Democracy in Retrograde: How to Make Changes Big and Small in Our Country and in Our Lives,” argues we can all become better participants in our democracy. And we don’t need to have a gazillion dollars to do it.
“There’s incredible potential for all of us to build the strength of democracy and fight against these massive moneyed forces,” Amick said.
On the show today, Amick explains why we should treat civic engagement as self-care, how to find your civic personality and ways to cultivate a news diet that doesn’t put you in a doom loop. Plus, the moment she realized our democracy was headed in the wrong direction.
Then, we’ll get into how voters in Utah fought to protect the power of citizen-led ballot initiatives. And, are you hiding purchases from your romantic partner? You may be guilty of financial infidelity.
Later, a teacher shares what made her feel appreciated. And, an anime cosplayer was wrong about the cost of creating her costume.
Here’s everything we talked about today:
How are you getting involved in civic life? What helps you fend off feelings of hopelessness? Let us know at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.
