Thursday, October 12th, 2023   Steven Levitsky is Professor of Government at Harvard University. Together with Daniel Ziblatt, he is co-author of How Democracies Die and has just published Tyranny of the Minority. They argue that reforming American institutions to become more democratic will help us achieve a multiracial democracy—and in the process save democracy itself.    We are on the cusp of a multiracial democracy, but to get there we need to reform our constitution and end counter-majoritarian institutions. Majorities should be empowered to govern. If the majorities are not getting serious consideration in the legislature, something is wrong. For example, states with higher populations should get greater representation because democracy represents people, not territory.     Follow Mila on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/milaatmos    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey!  http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard    Take the Democracy Group’s Listener Survey! https://www.democracygroup.org/survey   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight    Check out the Future Hindsight website!  www.futurehindsight.com   Read the transcript here:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/tyranny-of-the-minority-steven-levitsky      Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Steven Levitsky Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

Thursday, October 5th, 2023   Jocelyn Simonson is Professor of Law at Brooklyn Law School, a former public defender, and the author of Radical Acts of Justice: How Ordinary People Are Dismantling Mass Incarceration. We discuss how certain radical acts of justice challenge the legitimacy of the criminal system and form the underpinning of a new collective legal thought.   The four pillars of this work comprise of court watching, community bail funds, participatory defense, and people’s budgets. Bail funds are pulling the rug out from the system's justification for what it's doing. Defunding the system in this way shows that the combination of carceral and economic forces that we currently use to “do justice” is not inevitable. A big part of the power of these acts of justice is that they’re done collectively. Abolition has two sides: breaking down and building up. Jocelyn shared that “we need to simultaneously decarcerate, stop spending our resources, and start building it out.”     Follow Jocelyn on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/j_simonson   Follow Mila on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/milaatmos    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey!  http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard    Take the Democracy Group’s Listener Survey! https://www.democracygroup.org/survey   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight    Check out the Future Hindsight website!  www.futurehindsight.com   Read the transcript here:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/radical-acts-of-justice-jocelyn-simonson      Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Jocelyn Simonson Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

Thursday, September 28th, 2023   Stephen Bright and James Kwak are co-authors of The Fear of Too Much Justice: Race, Poverty, and the Persistence of Inequality in the Criminal Courts. Stephen Bright has been an advocate for death row inmates for four decades and was the long-time director of the Southern Center for Human Rights, where James Kwak is the immediate past chair. We do not have a level playing field between the prosecution and the defense. Inequality and injustice in the criminal legal system is made worse by the widespread lack of capable defense attorneys for poor people. If you're accused of a crime, a good lawyer can tell you what your rights are and can conduct an investigation to uncover new facts that might show your innocence. Unsurprisingly, over 90% of convictions are acquired through plea bargains, instead of through trials.    Listen to our first conversation with Stephen:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/episode/stephen-bright    Follow James on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/jamesykwak    Follow Mila on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/milaatmos    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey!  http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard    Take the Democracy Group’s Listener Survey! https://www.democracygroup.org/survey   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight    Check out the Future Hindsight website!  www.futurehindsight.com   Read the transcript here:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/the-fear-of-too-much-justice-stephen-bright-james-kwak      Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Stephen Bright & James Kwak Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

Thursday, September 21st, 2023   Sara Schreiber is the Executive Director of America Votes, the coordination hub of progressive communities. We discuss expanding access to voting, modernizing elections, and getting out the vote up and down the ballot. The last three election cycles saw a real surge of voters: 46 million people who did not vote in the 2016 election, voted in 2018 or 2020. Unprecedented numbers of voter engagement and pro voter policies have also been implemented since 2016. New voters are young and diverse. More than half of them are 18 to 34; nearly half are people of color; and 56 percent of them are women. Although most of them think of themselves as independents, they are more progressive on the issues. They are in favor of abortion rights, gun violence prevention policies, and climate action. Democracy issues were also more salient in the election after the Dobbs decision. In the eighties, younger voters were not necessarily more progressive than older voters.  Follow Sara on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SchreiberSara     Follow Mila on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/milaatmos    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey!  http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard    Take the Democracy Group’s Listener Survey! https://www.democracygroup.org/survey   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight    Check out the Future Hindsight website!  www.futurehindsight.com   Read the transcript here:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/america-votes-sara-schreiber      Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Sara Schreiber  Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

Thursday, September 14th, 2023   Yoni Landau is the CEO and founder of Movement Labs, the founder of Contest Every Race, and a former White House Office of Management and Budget and Robert Reich staffer. We explore just how technology can empower our practice of democracy and enrich our civic action toolkit.   Think about your personal impact in terms of additionality – how much you’ve done that wouldn’t have otherwise been done. Movement Labs aims to make it easy for you to have an impactful volunteer experience. To be of more service would be to get involved at a very deeply local level. Down ballot, about 75% of elected offices go uncontested; when contested, 48% are winning their elections!   Follow Yoni on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ylandau    Follow Mila on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/milaatmos    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   >Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey!  http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard    Take the Democracy Group’s Listener Survey! https://www.democracygroup.org/survey   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight    Check out the Future Hindsight website!  www.futurehindsight.com   Read the transcript here:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/maximum-impact-volunteering-yoni-landau      Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Yoni Landau  Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

Thursday, September 7th, 2023   Samuel G. Freedman is an award-winning professor of journalism at Columbia University and author of Into the Bright Sunshine: Young Hubert Humphrey and the Fight for Civil Rights. We dive into Humphrey’s activism in the proto civil rights movement and his role to include civil rights in Democratic Party platform in 1948.   Hubert Humphrey was a coalition builder. After his decisive win for mayor of Minneapolis, he put together a civil rights and human rights agenda that put Minneapolis on the national map as an example of what was best in America. He also engaged in deep work to change public attitudes. Humphrey understood as mayor that electing people to the council is crucial to passing laws. Pay attention to every race on the ballot! Follow Sam on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SamuelGFreedman    Follow Mila on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/milaatmos    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey!  http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard    Take the Democracy Group’s Listener Survey! https://www.democracygroup.org/survey   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight    Check out the Future Hindsight website!  www.futurehindsight.com   Read the transcript here:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/hubert-humphrey-and-civil-rights-samuel-g-freedman      Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Samuel G. Freedman Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

Thursday, August 31st, 2023   Kurt Andersen is a prolific writer and author of Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America: A Recent History. We discuss the conservative playbook to move our society culturally, economically, and politically to the right, and why continuous civic engagement and investment in Americans can restore basic fairness.   Influential conservatives capitalized on a wave of cultural nostalgia after the turbulent 1960s to turn the American economy into a version of extreme capitalism. Together with neoliberalism from the left, the New Deal was replaced by the raw deal. The US government has provided funding for many of the greatest inventions of the last century, like in pharmaceuticals and in technology. If the government acted like a private investor, it would have more funds to invest in communities and also to support more innovation.    Follow Kurt on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/KBAndersen    Follow Mila on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/milaatmos    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey!  http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard    Take the Democracy Group’s Listener Survey! https://www.democracygroup.org/survey   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight    Check out the Future Hindsight website!  www.futurehindsight.com   Read the transcript here:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/americas-raw-deal-kurt-andersen      Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Kurt Andersen Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

Thursday, August 24th, 2023   Anne Nelson is an author and lecturer in the fields of international affairs, media, and human rights. Her most recent book is Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right. We discuss the coordination between fundamentalist organizations and oil barons to win elections and pass socially conservative public policies.    Before the demise of local news, the American public had a factual common page. That is now largely displaced by right-wing media, especially on the radio. Right-wing media is unidirectional messaging, only expressing one point of view. This view is repeated on social media, radio, churches, and television, which creates a parallel universe that successfully turns out conservative voters. Conservative groups are also good at playing the long game on the ground, instead of parachuting into communities a few weeks before an election.    Follow Anne on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/anelsona    Follow Mila on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/milaatmos    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey!  http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard    Take the Democracy Group’s Listener Survey! https://www.democracygroup.org/survey   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight    Check out the Future Hindsight website!  www.futurehindsight.com   Read the transcript here:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/the-rights-parallel-universe-anne-nelson      Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Anne Nelson Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

Thursday, August 17th, 2023   David Pepper is a lawyer, writer, political activist, and former elected official. He served as the Chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party between 2015 and 2021. He’s the author of several books, including the excellent how-to guide: Saving Democracy: A User’s Manual for Every American. We discuss how every one of us can use our personal footprint to lift democracy.   The forces attacking democracy are doing so in order to keep their minority worldview locked in. All Americans – and not only in swing states – are on the front line of democracy because the battle is waged in local government and state houses. Unsurprisingly, these very undemocratic and rigged state houses render broken and corrupted government. All state and local races should be contested.   Follow David on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/DavidPepper    Follow Mila on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/milaatmos    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey!  http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard    Take the Democracy Group’s Listener Survey! https://www.democracygroup.org/survey   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight    Check out the Future Hindsight website!  www.futurehindsight.com   Read the transcript here:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/use-your-footprint-for-democracy-david-pepper      Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: David Pepper Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

Thursday, August 10th, 2023   Skye Perryman is the President and CEO of Democracy Forward, an organization that uses the law to build collective power and advance a bold, vibrant democracy. We discuss successful legal action to protect and advance the rights of all Americans.     A culmination of factors have come together to create a moment in which there are serious existential questions about what type of government and what kind of society Americans will be living in. Backsliding in areas such as voting rights, reproductive rights, and freedom to read are leading to legal fights across the nation. Skye reminds us that “The role of courts in a democracy is to fortify and strengthen democratic institutions through interpreting our constitution, through interpreting the laws, through providing predictability, as well as to ensure that everyone has access to the rule of law.”   Follow Skye on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/skyeperryman    Follow Mila on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/milaatmos    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey!  http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard    Sponsor Thanks to Shopify for supporting the show! Sign up for a $1/month trial period at shopify.com/hopeful.   Take the Democracy Group’s Listener Survey! https://www.democracygroup.org/survey   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight    Check out the Future Hindsight website!  www.futurehindsight.com   Read the transcript here:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/courts-for-democracy-skye-perryman      Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Skye Perryman Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis