The Context

A devoted public servant, Maureen O’Connor discusses the importance of efficiency, fairness, and nonpartisanship in government. After years of witnessing and ruling against partisan gerrymandering on the Ohio Supreme Court, O’Connor is working toward an Ohio constitutional amendment to create an independent redistricting commission that empowers citizens, not politicians, to create district lines. Maureen O’Connor is the longest-serving statewide elected woman in Ohio history. O’Connor was elected to the Ohio Supreme Court in 2003, and in 2011, she became the state’s first female Chief Justice. During her tenure on the court, she led significant reforms and improvements in the Ohio judicial system. In retirement, she is spearheading the campaign Citizens Not Politicians to pass a constitutional amendment to reform redistricting in Ohio, which is slated for the November 2024 ballot. She also serves as a senior fellow for the Charles F. Kettering Foundation. Links: https://www.citizensnotpoliticians.org/

Throughout history, the rules and practices of American democracy have contradicted the nation’s democratic ideals. Kimberlé Crenshaw has dedicated her career to developing inclusive legal frameworks to address some of our greatest democratic problems. As one of the foundational thinkers of Critical Race Theory, she sets the record straight on what the project is—and what it isn’t. Kimberlé Crenshaw is the Co-founder and Executive Director of the African American Policy Forum and the founder and Executive Director of the Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies at Columbia Law School. She serves on the legal faculty at both UCLA and Columbia University. She is one of the most cited scholars in legal history. Links: https://www.aapf.org/intersectionality-matters https://www.aapf.org/shn-book

J. Michael Luttig was one of the earliest, and most prominent, conservative voices to publicly condemn the effort to overturn the 2020 election. A few days before the Capitol insurrection, he advised Mike Pence that the Vice President has no constitutional authority to overturn a presidential election. Three years later, he discusses whether Donald Trump should be disqualified from holding office for his role in the Capitol insurrection based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution. Then and now, Judge Luttig has acted in defense of the Constitution, the rule of law, and American democracy. J. Michael Luttig served on the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit from 1991 to 2006. From 2006 to 2020, he was executive director, vice president, and general counsel of Boeing. He is currently counselor and special advisor to the Coca-Cola Company. Luttig is a trustee of Franklin-Templeton Mutual Funds, a trustee of the National Constitution Center, a board member of the nonprofit Society for the Rule of Law, and cochair of the American Bar Association Task Force on American Democracy. He also serves as a senior fellow for the Charles F. Kettering Foundation. https://www.kettering.org/resources/judge-luttig-says-sec-3-of-the-14th-amendment-should-disqualify-trump-for-reelection/

America’s institutions are not perfect, but they are essential to the functioning of the rule of law. James Comey shares his experience working to improve the Justice Department through honesty, oversight, and transparency. He also discusses the criminal charges against former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump. James Comey has been a prosecutor, defense lawyer, general counsel, teacher, writer, and leader.  He most recently served in government as Director of the FBI. Since leaving that role in 2017, he has written three best-selling books. Two are memoirs of his time in government: A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership (2018) and Saving Justice: Truth, Transparency, and Trust (2021). His most recent book is a fictional legal thriller: Central Park West (2023). He also serves as a senior fellow for the Charles F. Kettering Foundation. Links: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250192455/ahigherloyalty https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250799128/savingjustice https://penzlerpublishers.com/product/central-park-west/

Welcome to The Context. A podcast from the Charles F. Kettering Foundation about what it takes for democracy to thrive You may have heard that democracy is in crisis. In the United States, citizens are alienated from their government, corruption threatens to undermine representation, and many are losing faith in our institutions altogether. There are also some bright spots. Recent elections have seen the largest, most diverse electorate in American history. On “The Context,” a new podcast from the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, we’ll explore the complex story of our democracy – its failures and successes, missteps, and triumphs. American democracy has always been flawed, excluding some voices and prioritizing others. But even a flawed system can be used as a tool for pro-democratic reform – in fact, that’s the story of American history. On “The Context,” host Alex Lovit, senior program officer and historian, will interview leaders in the field to confront the real problems challenging democracy today – but also celebrate its strengths and its successes.