Welcome to Pride Month Week here at Deep Dive with Shawn C. Fettig! In recognition, you're getting two queer-themed espidoes this week.Today, I'm talking to my buddy Duncan Tucker, the writer and director of the 2005 film Transamerica - the story of a trans woman who, on the cusp of vaginoplasty surgery, finds out that she has a son from a previous relationship, and the journey they take together. This independent film, with Felicity Huffman in her first starring movie role, and including an original song by Dolly Parton, went on to win an incredible amount of awards and was nominated for two Oscars. Duncan Tucker - a first-time writer and director - hasn't made another film since. Our conversation includes many things, including the making and financing of Transamerica, working with people like Dolly Parton, Felicity Huffman, and Harvey Weinstein (Cher and Bette Milder show up too), raising chidlren, and if he has another film in him.  Mentioned: Dr. WhoPolitical Order and Political Decay: From the Industrial Revolution to the Globalization of Democracy - Francis FukuyamaGeorgette Heyer  Recommended:Transamerica - Duncan Tucker (writer/director)-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:InstagramYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

Today's episode concludes my two-part focus on the rise of political violence and right-wing extremism in America. I'm talking to Jason Van Tatenhove, a former employee of the Oath Keepers, an organization that was present and active in the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Jason and I talk about his history with the Oath Keepers, the organization's objectives, his interview with the House Select Committee to investigate the January 6th attack on the Capitol, and why he believes these organizations will remain a powerful, violent force in America. We also discuss Stewart Rhodes - the founder of the Oath Keepers - who was arrested and is currently awaiting trial on charges of seditious conspiracy related to his role in the January 6th insurrection, and how he has exploited his membership in the same way that Donald Trump has exploited his supporters. **Note: This interview was conducted prior to the public hearings of the House Select Committee to investigate the Jan 6 attack on the Capitol.**Mentioned: Hunter S. ThompsonRecommended:Homegrown: Standoff to RebellionThe Colorado Switchblade-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:InstagramYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

Rather than an episode, this is a memorial. Clela Rorex who, in 1975, became the first County Clerk in the country to knowingly issue same-sex marriage licenses, has died. I have been working on a couple of projects with her, including a special episode of this podcast that was scheduled to release later in the season. This is a tremendous loss for the queer community, and her life will stand as a testament to both 1) good governance, and 2) strength in the face of adversity. You can learn more at Out Boulder County and you can donate by following this link. -------------------------Follow Deep Dive:InstagramYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

This episode is the first of another two-parter focusing on the rise of political violence and right-wing extremism in America. In this episode I'm talking to Dr. James Hawdon, director of the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention at Virginia Tech. Dr. Hawdon's research  "investigates the role of communities in promoting, deterring, or reacting to crime, violence, and tragedies. His latest work has focused on community response to the COVID pandemic, and how online communities expose and contribute to participating in online extremism. We talk about warning signs, the impact of toxic politics on the electorate, the January 6th insurrection, its implications for American democracy, and what we might expect in the coming years. Mentioned:Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention Recommended:The Causes and Consequences of Group Violence: From Bullies to Terrorist - James Hawdon, John Ryan, & Marc Lucht-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:InstagramYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

Last week, I talked to Dr. Susan Schulten about the history of secession in the United States, the Civil War, and lessons we may, or may not, have learned. Today, I’m focusing on contemporary secession movements. My first guest, Dr. Timothy Waters (Maurer School of Law at Indiana University) is the author of Boxing Pandora: Rethinking Borders, States, and Secession in a Democratic World. We discuss secession movements globally, how they are instigated, their likelihood of success, something Shawn calls "country hunting," and how international law supports, or disincentivizes, serious secession sentiment. My second guest, Marcus Ruiz Evans, is the author of California’s Next Century 2.0: Economic Renaissance. He is also the leader of California’s secession initiative, Yes California (or Calexit). We talk about the divisions he sees between California and the rest of the United States, his vision for a new nation-state of California, and how he plans to get there. **Note that these interviews were conducted about one month into the Russian war in Ukraine.**Mentioned: Texas v. White Recommended:Boxing Pandora: Rethinking Borders, States, and Secession in a Democratic World– Timothy WatersCalifornia’s Next Century 2.0: Economic Renaissance– Marcus Ruiz Evans-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:InstagramYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

This episode is the first of two (one today and one next week) focusing on secession – the separation of a state or region from another. This week, I'm talking to Dr. Susan Schulten, a professor, author, and historian at the University of Denver. She is an expert on the Civil War and the precipitating events, including the secession of eleven southern states from the Union. While the conversation is historical, we also discuss the political climate in the United States today, as well as parallels that might exist between then and the now. I want to know if we should be concerned and Dr. Schulten reminds me of the fluid nature of history and events. Mentioned:Scopes TrialCamping Grounds: Public Nature in American Life from the Civil War to the Occupy Movement – Phoebe S.K. Young Recommended: A History of America in 100 Maps – Susan Schulten -------------------------Follow Deep Dive:InstagramYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

Welcome to the premiere of Deep Dive with Shawn C. Fettig. For this week only, two episodes will release - one today and one Friday, June 3. After this week, a new episode will release each Friday morning.In this premiere episode, I'm talking to my friend, Dr. Sara Benesh , a judicial scholar and professor at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, about the United States Supreme Court - its legitimacy and what we might expect if it starts issuing a slew of controversial decisions that overturn established precedent. With the leaked opinion in Dobbs, it appears that the Court is prepared to do just that. This episode was recorded just after the Buffalo and Uvalde shootings, so we also touch on the Court's role in expanding access to guns.So, we discuss the Court, its approval rating, if its legitimacy is threatened, what a post-Roe country might look like, and if the Court might be coming for some other established rights. Mentioned:The Handmaid's Tale Roe v. Wade Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health OrganizationBowers v. HardwickDC V. HellerMcDonald v. City of ChicagoCruzan v. Director, Missouri Department of HealthMother JonesRecommended:The US Court of Appeals and the Law of Confessions: Perspectives on the Hierarchy of Justice - Sara C. Benesh-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:InstagramYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

I’m Shawn Fettig. I’m a political scientist – with a particular interest in how things like trust influence how we interact with each other and with our governments and our politicians. What increases trust and what erodes it? I’m hosting a new podcast called Deep Dive, which is all about – as the name suggests - diving deep into particularly interesting issues in our political world, because that’s what I know, but also in our personal lives, our social lives, and our cultural environment. In this first season, I'm diving deep into political topics, obviously, and chatting with experts and activists about things like secession, the rise of violent rhetoric and extremist behavior, how the Supreme Court became such a driving force in crafting policy, and how and why country music went from being the sound of working-class folks to being a home for conservatives - but I’m also going to chatting with folks about things outside of my wheelhouse – like, how travel can influence our world view and how connection with different cultures can build trust and empathy. I’m going to have a discussion about the tv series All in the Family, how it landed 50 years ago and how it would - or if it even could – resonate with American society today. And, I’m going to chat with Duncan Tucker, the writer and director of the Oscar-nominated film Transamerica, about how such an unlikely film by a Hollywood newbie could become such a critical darling.Coming soon!**Music by Joystock - https://www.joystock.org-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:InstagramYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock