This is Democracy

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Professor Seth Garfield to discuss Brazil's history and current political climate. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "Brazilia Lament" Seth Garfield is a professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of: Indigenous Struggle at the Heart of Brazil: State Policy, Frontier Expansion, and the Xavante Indians, 1937-1988; In Search of the Amazon: Brazil, the United States, and the Nature of a Region; and most recently, Guarana: How Brazil Embraced the World's Most Caffeine-Rich Plant.

Jeremi and Zachary sit down with Beverly Gage to discuss the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, and their role in American democracy. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "The Secret to Believing". Beverly Gage is a professor of history at Yale University. Her book G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century, a biography of former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, was named a best book of 2022 by the Washington Post (Ten Best Books), The Atlantic (Ten Best Books), Publishers Weekly (Ten Best Books), The New Yorker (24 Essential Reads), The New York Times (100 Notable Books), Smithsonian (Ten Best History Books), and Barnes & Noble (Ten Best History Books). She is also the author of The Day Wall Street Exploded: A Story of America in its First Age of Terror, which examined the history of terrorism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, focusing on the 1920 Wall Street bombing.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Professor Erika Bsumek to discuss how major infrastructure projects tend to damage indigenous communities and contribute to their erasure. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "Sonnet on the Shores of Lake Powell" Dr. Erika Bsumek is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin. She is the author of: Indian-Made: Navajo Culture in the Marketplace and, most recently, The Foundations of Glen Canyon Dam: Infrastructures of Dispossession on the Colorado Plateau. Prof. Bsumek has received numerous teaching awards, including the UT Regents Outstanding Teaching Award. 

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Art Markman to discuss the state of civics in post-pandemic society. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Our Lonely Midnight Feasts". Art Markman is the Annabel Irion Worsham Centennial Professor of Psychology and Marketing at the University of Texas at Austin. Prof. Markman is the Founding Director of the Human Dimensions of Organizations program in the College of Liberal Arts at UT, former Executive Director of the IC² Institute, and he is currently the Vice Provost for Continuing and Professional Education and New Education Ventures at the University of Texas at Austin.  Prof. Markman is a frequent contributor to Psychology Today, Fast Company and the Harvard Business Review. He has published more than 150 scholarly works about cognitive science, decision-making and organizational behavior. Dr. Markman has also written several books for general audiences including: Smart Thinking, Smart Change, Bring Your Brain to Work, and Brain Briefs (co-written with Dr. Bob Duke). Beyond the UT Austin campus, he is probably best known as the co-host of KUT’s “Two Guys on Your Head” radio show and podcast, where he and Butler School of Music professor Bob Duke explore the human mind with a unique mix of research, humor and everyday relevance. He also plays saxophone in the Austin ska band Phineas Gage.

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by CEO of BridgeUSA Manu Meel to discuss bridge-building and how to approach cynicism in modern political discourse Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "Listening" Manu Meel is the CEO of BridgeUSA, a national organization that is investing in the future of democracy. Through his work, Manu has contributed to several news outlets, advanced pro-democracy efforts nationally, and led the policy operation for a Baltimore mayoral candidate. In the past, Manu worked as an associate at the venture capital firm Amplo and at the Department of State as a political analyst in counterterrorism. His work has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and other media platforms.

Jeremi and Zachary sit down with Isabel Cademartori to discuss German Right-Wing Extremism and its effects on democracy. Zachary sets the scene with his poem: "Chickens That Won't Die". Isabel Cademartori was elected as a Member of the German Bundestag for Mannheim in the 2021 federal election. Cademartori served as a city councillor in Mannheim since 2019. She is a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, which leads the current coalition government in Germany.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Dr. Joshua Eisenman to discuss protests and political upheaval in China. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "A Blank Sheet of Paper" Joshua Eisenman is an associate professor of global affairs at the University of Notre Dame. His research focuses on the political economy of China’s development, and its foreign relations with the United States and the developing world—particularly Africa. His work has been published in top academic journals including World Development, Development and Change, the Journal of Contemporary China and Cold War History. He has also published widely in Foreign Affairs, The Wall Street Journal, and Foreign Policy. Prof. Eisenman is the author of: China and Africa: A Century of Engagement, with David Shinn (2012) and Red China's Green Revolution (2018).

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Dr. Geoffrey Kabaservice to discuss the Midterm Elections. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "My First Vote: 10/24/22" Dr. Geoff Kabaservice is Director of Political Studies at the Niskanen Center in Washington D.C. He is the author of several books including: The Guardians: Kingman Brewster, His Circle, and the Rise of the Liberal Establishment (Henry Holt, 2004) and Rule and Ruin: The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican Party, from Eisenhower to the Tea Party (Oxford 2012). Kabaservice has written for numerous national publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Politico, and the Guardian. His most recent article appeared in the Washington Post on December 4: “The Forever Grievance.”

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Peter Beinart to discuss the history of anti-semitism in The United States and around the world. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "Mezuzah Addendums." Peter Beinart is Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the Newmark School of Journalism at the City University of New York. He is also Editor-at-Large of Jewish Currents, an MSNBC political commentator, a frequent contributor to The New York Times, and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace. He writes the Beinart Notebook newsletter on https://substack.com. His first book, The Good Fight, was published by HarperCollins in 2006.  His second book, The Icarus Syndrome, was published by HarperCollins in 2010. His third, The Crisis of Zionism, was published by Times Books in 2012. 

This week, Jeremi and Zachary discuss the ongoing protests in Iran with Professor Nahid Siamdoust. Zachary recites his poem "Worth Waiting For." Nahid Siamdoust is an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin. She is the author of Soundtrack of the Revolution: The Politics of Music in Iran (Stanford, 2017). Professor Siamdoust has also published in The New York Times, Foreign Policy, Der Spiegel, and Jadaliyya, among others, and she often appears in English, German and Iranian media. This episode of This is Democracy was mixed and mastered by Morgan Honaker.