

This is Democracy
This is Democracy
The future of democracy is uncertain, but we are committed to its urgent renewal today. This podcast will draw on historical knowledge to inspire a contemporary democratic renaissance. The past offers hope for the present and the future, if only we can escape the negativity of our current moment — and each show will offer a serious way to do that! This podcast will bring together thoughtful voices from different generations to help make sense of current challenges and propose positive steps forward. Our goal is to advance democratic change, one show at a time. Dr. Jeremi Suri, a renown scholar of democracy, will host the podcast and moderate discussions.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 10, 2019 • 0sec
This is Democracy – Episode 34: Human Rights: Past and Future
What constitutes a human right?
Jeremi has a conversation with Michael Cotey Morgan about human rights on a global scale.
Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "The Dream."
Michael Cotey Morgan specializes in modern international and global history. His first book, The Final Act: The Helsinki Accords and the Transformation of the Cold War (Princeton University Press, 2018), examines the origins and consequences of the 1975 Helsinki Final Act, the most ambitious diplomatic undertaking of the Cold War and a watershed in the development of human rights. At UNC, he teaches courses on the history of diplomacy and international politics, the Cold War, and the history of human rights. Before coming to UNC, he taught at the US Naval War College and the University of Toronto, where he was the inaugural holder of the Raymond Pryke Chair.

Apr 2, 2019 • 0sec
This is Democracy – Episode 33: Democracy in Ukraine and Other Former Soviet Countries
Jeremi talks about the lasting effects of communism and Soviet influence on former Soviet countries and democracy with students, Maya Patel, Matt Maldonado, and Lauren Nyquist.
As always, Zachary kicks things off with his poem entitled, "Song of a Post Cold War Child."
Maya Patel is working to create a civically engaged campus as the President of TX Votes and the Chair of the Campus Vote Project's Student Advisory Board. Her work has led to 18-25-year-olds being the largest bloc of registered voters in Travis County, the PCL being opened as UT’s second polling location, and UT Austin receiving numerous national awards. Maya is also a Texas Orange Jacket and part of the Texas Friar Society.
Matt Maldonado is a Government and Russian studies double major. He’s a former Fulbright-Hayes GPA Fellow and Texas Civic Ambassador, who’s civic outreach work over the past two years has been centered around high school engagement in El Paso and Austin.
Lauren Nyquist is a Geography and International Relations and Global Studies double major at UT, where she works as a TA and research assistant, focusing on issues in sub-Saharan Africa. She is a member of Texas Votes and UT's Geography Society.

Mar 27, 2019 • 0sec
This is Democracy – Episode 32: White Supremacy
Where does it come from and what can we do?
Jeremi sits down with Augusta Dell'Omo to talk about white supremacy and what it means for our democracy.
As always, Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Torches Burning."
Augusta Dell’Omo is a doctoral student in History at the University of Texas at Austin. She specializes in U.S. foreign policy during the late Cold War, with a particular focus on U.S.-South African relations and race in American foreign policy. Her dissertation focuses on the intersections between the Reagan administration, televangelism, and the anti-apartheid movement during an ending Cold War. Interested in public history, Augusta contributes to UT’s public history forum, Not Even Past, and acts as an interview and technical director for 15 Minute History, UT’s podcast for students, educators and history buffs. A passionate teacher, Augusta serves as a Supplemental Instruction Supervisor, developing pedagogical techniques for graduate students. Currently, Augusta possesses reading proficiency in German and Italian, and is learning Afrikaans. She graduated with highest distinction and highest honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BA 2016) and received an MA in history from UT in May 2018. She tweets @Augusta_Caesar.

Mar 13, 2019 • 0sec
This is Democracy – Episode 30: US Foreign Policy
How do Americans interact with the wider world? What are the enduring strengths and weaknesses of US foreign policy?
Jeremi sits down with Dr. Charles Edel to discuss US foreign policy in a historical context.
Zachary kicks it off with his poem entitled, "An Old Forgotten Song."
Dr. Edel is the co-author (with Hal Brands) of a major new book, The Lessons of Tragedy: Statecraft and World Order. He is a senior fellow at the United States Studies Centre. Previously, he was associate professor of strategy and policy at the US Naval War College, and served on the US Secretary of State's policy planning staff from 2015 to 2017. In that role, he advised Secretary of State John Kerry on political and security issues in the Asia Pacific region.

Mar 5, 2019 • 0sec
This is Democracy – Episode 29: North Korea: How Do We Understand This Society and its Leadership?
Dr. Jeremi Suri calls up his colleague Dr. David Fields, a scholar and expert on North Korea to take an even-handed look at the state of the country and how the rest of the world can understand a society that seems so very different from our lives in America, Europe and elsewhere. How do we understand this society and its leadership? What can Americans do to improve relations with North Korea? What role should ideas of democracy play?
But before that, Zachary reads his poem, "North Korean Lullabies."
Dr. David P. Fields is the associate director of the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He is the author of Foreign Friends: Syngman Rhee, American Exceptionalism, and the Division of Korea and editor of The Diary of Syngman Rhee. He has published in the North Korea Review, Journal of American-East Asian Relations, SinoNK.com, and in the Working Papers Series of the Cold War International History Project.

Feb 27, 2019 • 0sec
This is Democracy – Episode 28: Social Media
Uses and Abuses by Young People
Jeremi sits down with Aurin Bagchi and Lexi Marie Seay to discuss social media and its good and bad effects on young people.
Zachary kicks it off with his poem, "A Social Species."
Aurin Bagchi is a student at the University of Texas at Austin and is enrolled in Jeremi's History of the United States Since 1865 course.
Lexi Marie Seay is a student at Texas State University, but lives and works in Austin, TX.

Feb 20, 2019 • 0sec
This is Democracy – Episode 27: Sexual Assault
New Approaches to Prevention and Prosecution — How can we do better?
Hanna Senko is a sexual assault survivor whose case was closed via exceptional clearance by the Austin Police Department. She now serves as a survivor speaker, writer, and advocate fighting for change in the understanding, reporting, and handling of sex crimes.
Alison Alter was elected in 2016 as the City Council representative for District 10 in Austin, Texas. Among many other things, she recently authored city legislation requiring the Austin Police Department to conduct an external audit of its procedures for handling sexual assault cases.

Feb 13, 2019 • 0sec
This is Democracy – Episode 26: The American Dream
What is it? How are people pursuing it today?
This week, Jeremi discusses the American Dream with Professor Samuel J. Abrams.
Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "After the Dreams."
Samuel J. Abrams is professor of politics at Sarah Lawrence College and a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. He is the author of a recent study on the topic of the American dream, summarized in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/05/opinion/american-dream.html

Feb 5, 2019 • 0sec
This is Democracy – Episode 25: Wrongful Convictions
Clarence Moses-El was wrongfully convicted and served 28 years in prison. Clarence will discuss his experiences in the criminal justice system — his imprisonment and his efforts to seek justice; Eric Klein will discuss his role as an attorney for the wrongfully accused.
Zachary recites, "So Long."

Jan 30, 2019 • 0sec
This is Democracy – Episode 24: Media Portrayals of the Government Shutdown and Border Wall Debates
This week, Paul Stekler returns to the podcast to discuss the government shutdown and the media's response to it.
Zachary delights with his absurdist poem, "Golden Toilet Sank the Titanic."
Paul Stekler is an acclaimed documentary filmmaker and founder of the Center for Politics and Governance at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. His film work includes “George Wallace: Settin' the Woods on Fire,” “Last Man Standing: Politics, Texas Style,” two segments of the “Eyes on the Prize II” series on the history of civil rights, “Last Stand at Little Big Horn” (broadcast as part of PBS's series “The American Experience”), “Louisiana Boys: Raised on Politics” (broadcast on PBS's “P.O.V.” series) and “Getting Back to Abnormal.” His films have won two Peabody Awards, three duPont-Columbia University Journalism Awards, three Emmy Awards and a special jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Stekler has a doctorate in government from Harvard University, where his work focused on Southern politics. He previously was a political pollster in Louisiana while teaching at Tulane University. His writing has appeared in the Texas Observer, Texas Monthly and the International Documentary Association’s magazine, among other places, and in the book, “Killing Custer," co-written with novelist James Welch. Stekler was named film school Mentor of the Year in 2014 by Variety magazine.