

Good Citizen
Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library
What does it mean to be a good citizen? What values motivate someone to step into the arena and make positive change? Join Ted Roosevelt V on Good Citizen and hear a new conversation every other Friday with a diverse range of folks who take action to build this country up and protect our planet.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 3, 2025 • 29min
Bradford Fitch
Bradford Fitch insists that Congress’ reputation is worse than its reality. He is a columnist for “Roll Call,” the former CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation, and the author of Citizen’s Handbook to Influencing Elected Officials.Find him at bradfordfitch.comFor more, visit goodcitizenpodcast.com.Follow us on Facebook @TRPresidentialLibraryInstagram @trlibraryX @TRPresLibrary.And sign up for our newsletter at trlibrary.com/newsletter to stay up-to-date on the TRPL!--Good Citizen is hosted by Ted Roosevelt V and produced by The Future of StoryTelling in collaboration with Charts & Leisure, on behalf of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation. Learn more about T.R.’s upcoming presidential library at www.trlibrary.com. Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation350 Third AvenueMedora, North Dakota 58645 Future of StoryTellingFounder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanProducer, Alison Byrne Assistant Producer, Madison Brown Charts & LeisureExecutive Producer, Jason OberholtzerProducer, Meghal JanardanEditor, Garrett CroweMix, Andrew AtkinMusic and Final Assembly, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Edward F. O’Keefe, Robbie Lauf, Courtland Miller, and Matt Briney.

Sep 19, 2025 • 28min
Ruth Whippman
Ruth Whippman shows that our approach to raising boys leaves them isolated and trapped between competing expectations of steely dominance and emotional sensitivity. She is the author of BoyMom: Reimagining Boyhood in the Age of Impossible Masculinity. Find her at: ruthwhippman.comFor more, visit goodcitizenpodcast.com.Follow us on Facebook @TRPresidentialLibraryInstagram @trlibraryX @TRPresLibrary.And sign up for our newsletter at trlibrary.com/newsletter to stay up-to-date on the TRPL!--Good Citizen is hosted by Ted Roosevelt V and produced by The Future of StoryTelling in collaboration with Charts & Leisure, on behalf of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation. Learn more about T.R.’s upcoming presidential library at www.trlibrary.com. Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation350 Third AvenueMedora, North Dakota 58645 Future of StoryTellingFounder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanProducer, Alison Byrne Assistant Producer, Madison Brown Charts & LeisureExecutive Producer, Jason OberholtzerProducer, Meghal JanardanEditor, Garrett CroweMix, Andrew AtkinMusic and Final Assembly, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Edward F. O’Keefe, Robbie Lauf, Courtland Miller, and Matt Briney.

Sep 5, 2025 • 29min
Tony Porter
Tony Porter redefines masculinity and frames vulnerability as power, challenging a culture that teaches boys to be tough and emotionless. He is the co-founder and CEO of A Call to Men and the author of Breaking Out of the “Man Box”: The Next Generation of Manhood. Find him at: acalltomen.orgFor more, visit goodcitizenpodcast.com.Follow us on Facebook @TRPresidentialLibraryInstagram @trlibraryX @TRPresLibrary.And sign up for our newsletter at trlibrary.com/newsletter to stay up-to-date on the TRPL!--Good Citizen is hosted by Ted Roosevelt V and produced by The Future of StoryTelling in collaboration with Charts & Leisure, on behalf of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation. Learn more about T.R.’s upcoming presidential library at www.trlibrary.com. Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation350 Third AvenueMedora, North Dakota 58645 Future of StoryTellingFounder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanProducer, Alison Byrne Assistant Producer, Madison Brown Charts & LeisureExecutive Producer, Jason OberholtzerProducer, Meghal JanardanEditor, Garrett CroweMix, Andrew AtkinMusic and Final Assembly, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Kenny Williams, Jr., Edward F. O’Keefe, Robbie Lauf, Courtland Miller, and Matt Briney.

Aug 22, 2025 • 30min
Jeffrey Rosen
Jeffrey Rosen insists that self-discipline and reading were central to the Founders’ vision and are not just personal habits but principles vital to democracy. He's the president and CEO of the National Constitution Center and author of The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America. Find him at: constitutioncenter.orgFor more, visit goodcitizenpodcast.com.Follow us on Facebook @TRPresidentialLibraryInstagram @trlibraryX @TRPresLibrary.And sign up for our newsletter at trlibrary.com/newsletter to stay up-to-date on the TRPL!--Good Citizen is hosted by Ted Roosevelt V and produced by The Future of StoryTelling in collaboration with Charts & Leisure, on behalf of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation. Learn more about T.R.’s upcoming presidential library at www.trlibrary.com. Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation350 Third AvenueMedora, North Dakota 58645 Future of StoryTellingFounder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanProducer, Alison Byrne Assistant Producer, Madison Brown Charts & LeisureExecutive Producer, Jason OberholtzerProducer, Meghal JanardanEditor, Garrett CroweMix, Andrew AtkinMusic and Final Assembly, Michael SimonelliWith special thanks to Edward F. O’Keefe, Robbie Lauf, Courtland Miller, and Matt Briney.

Aug 8, 2025 • 28min
Emily Oster
Emily Oster discusses how communicating data with nuance can rebuild public trust and empower people to make informed decisions about their health. She is a professor of economics at Brown University, the CEO of ParentData, and the author of The Unexpected: Navigating Pregnancy During and After Complications.Find her work at www.parentdata.orgFor more, visit goodcitizenpodcast.com.Follow us on Facebook @TRPresidentialLibraryInstagram @trlibraryX @TRPresLibrary.And sign up for our newsletter at trlibrary.com/newsletter to stay up-to-date on the TRPL!--Good Citizen is hosted by Ted Roosevelt V and produced by The Future of StoryTelling in collaboration with Charts & Leisure, on behalf of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation. Learn more about T.R.’s upcoming presidential library at www.trlibrary.com. Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation350 Third AvenueMedora, North Dakota 58645 Future of StoryTellingFounder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanProducer, Alison Byrne Assistant Producer, Madison Brown Charts & LeisureExecutive Producer, Jason OberholtzerProducer, Meghal JanardanEditor, Garrett CroweMix, Andrew AtkinMusic and Final Assembly, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Nadia Schreiber, Edward F. O’Keefe, Robbie Lauf, Courtland Miller, and Matt Briney.

Jul 25, 2025 • 31min
Benji Backer [re-release]
To mark World Nature Conservation Day, we're revisiting this 2024 episode with Benji Backer. July 28th is World Nature Conservation Day, a day that calls attention to the critical importance of protecting our natural resources for future generations – something President Theodore Roosevelt took very seriously. He set aside more than 230 million acres during his presidency, protecting American forests and wildlife, and providing invaluable park land for all Americans to enjoy. Perhaps just as powerful was his belief that conservation transcends party lines and is a shared responsibility. Benji Backer has embraced this principle, building a new environmental movement – one that has directly influenced President Trump’s "Make America Beautiful Again" executive order. His group, Nature is Nonpartisan, brings together major conservative and progressive figures to establish environmental priorities and solutions for all Americans. In revisiting this episode we celebrate a revival of the nonpartisan environmental tradition.Find his work at natureisnonpartisan.org. For more, visit goodcitizenpodcast.com.Follow us on Facebook @TRPresidentialLibraryInstagram @trlibraryX @TRPresLibrary.And sign up for our newsletter at trlibrary.com/newsletter to stay up-to-date on the TRPL!--Good Citizen is hosted by Ted Roosevelt V and produced by The Future of StoryTelling in collaboration with Charts & Leisure, on behalf of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation. Learn more about T.R.’s upcoming presidential library at www.trlibrary.com. Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation350 Third AvenueMedora, North Dakota 58645 Future of StoryTellingFounder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanProducer, Alison Byrne Assistant Producer, Madison Brown Charts & LeisureExecutive Producer, Jason OberholtzerProducer, Meghal JanardanEditor, Garrett CroweMix, Andrew AtkinMusic and Final Assembly, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Edward F. O’Keefe, Robbie Lauf, Courtland Miller, and Matt Briney.

Jul 11, 2025 • 29min
Ben Jealous
Ben Jealous reflects on the personal toll of leadership, how to connect with communities, and what his deep American roots reveal about our shared humanity. He is the Executive Director of the Sierra Club and the author of Never Forget Our People Were Always Free: A Parable of American Healing.For more, visit goodcitizenpodcast.com.Follow us on Facebook @TRPresidentialLibraryInstagram @trlibraryX @TRPresLibrary.And sign up for our newsletter at trlibrary.com/newsletter to stay up-to-date on the TRPL!--Good Citizen is hosted by Ted Roosevelt V and produced by The Future of StoryTelling in collaboration with Charts & Leisure, on behalf of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation. Learn more about T.R.’s upcoming presidential library at www.trlibrary.com. Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation350 Third AvenueMedora, North Dakota 58645 Future of StoryTellingFounder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanProducer, Alison Byrne Assistant Producer, Madison Brown Charts & LeisureExecutive Producer, Jason OberholtzerProducer, Meghal JanardanEditor, Garrett CroweMix, Andrew AtkinMusic and Final Assembly, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Edward F. O’Keefe, Robbie Lauf, Courtland Miller, and Matt Briney.

Jun 27, 2025 • 30min
Aloe Blacc
Aloe Blacc navigates the crossroads of creativity, fame, empathy, and activism. His latest album, Stand Together, is a genre-blending collection of songs driven by a call for social change.Find him at aloeblacc.com.For more, visit goodcitizenpodcast.com.Follow us on Facebook @TRPresidentialLibraryInstagram @trlibraryX @TRPresLibrary.And sign up for our newsletter at trlibrary.com/newsletter to stay up-to-date on the TRPL!--Good Citizen is hosted by Ted Roosevelt V and produced by The Future of StoryTelling in collaboration with Charts & Leisure, on behalf of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation. Learn more about T.R.’s upcoming presidential library at www.trlibrary.com. Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation350 Third AvenueMedora, North Dakota 58645 Future of StoryTellingFounder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanProducer, Alison Byrne Assistant Producer, Madison Brown Charts & LeisureExecutive Producer, Jason OberholtzerProducer, Meghal JanardanEditor, Garrett CroweMix, Andrew AtkinMusic and Final Assembly, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Jerome Ware, Andrea Evenson, Edward F. O’Keefe, Robbie Lauf, Courtland Miller, and Matt Briney.

Jun 13, 2025 • 31min
Matthew Continetti
Matthew Continetti discusses American political thought and governance, along with the strategies and values that shape the parties. He’s the director of domestic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and the author of The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism. Find him @continettiFor more, visit goodcitizenpodcast.com.Follow us on Facebook @TRPresidentialLibraryInstagram @trlibraryX @TRPresLibrary.And sign up for our newsletter at trlibrary.com/newsletter to stay up-to-date on the TRPL!--Good Citizen is hosted by Ted Roosevelt V and produced by The Future of StoryTelling in collaboration with Charts & Leisure, on behalf of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation. Learn more about T.R.’s upcoming presidential library at www.trlibrary.com. Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation350 Third AvenueMedora, North Dakota 58645 Future of StoryTellingFounder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanProducer, Alison Byrne Assistant Producer, Madison Brown Charts & LeisureExecutive Producer, Jason OberholtzerProducer, Meghal JanardanEditor, Garrett CroweMix, Andrew AtkinMusic and Final Assembly, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Edward F. O’Keefe, Robbie Lauf, Courtland Miller, and Matt Briney.

May 30, 2025 • 32min
Dan Harris [re-release]
As Mental Health Awareness Month wraps up, this interview with Dan Harris deserves a second spotlight. May has been a time to remind ourselves that emotional resilience is not about hiding our struggles, but facing them with courage, compassion, and community.That idea runs deep in Roosevelt family history. When Theodore Roosevelt lost both his wife and his mother on the same day—in the same house—he was devastated. He wrote a large “X” in his diary that day and rarely spoke their names again. But he didn’t retreat forever. Instead, he went west. He found solace in the Badlands of North Dakota, embracing the rhythms of nature and the demands of ranch life, and finding a quiet space to grieve. It was there, amid the buttes and blizzards, that TR rebuilt himself—mind, body, and spirit.Nature didn’t just heal him, it transformed him. And it gave rise to his life’s work in public service, conservation, and a belief that the strenuous life was not about going it alone—but about showing up for something bigger than yourself.In that spirit, we revisit this powerful conversation with Dan Harris—author and host of the 10% Happier podcast. Dan challenges the myth of rugged individualism and argues that true strength lies in mindfulness, self-awareness, and altruism. It’s a timely reflection for Mental Health Awareness Month, and a reminder that even the most driven among us need to slow down, breathe, and reconnect—with ourselves and with each other.Find Dan at: www.danharris.comFor more, visit goodcitizenpodcast.com.Follow us on Facebook @TRPresidentialLibraryInstagram @trlibraryX @TRPresLibrary.And sign up for our newsletter at trlibrary.com/newsletter to stay up-to-date on the TRPL!--Good Citizen is hosted by Ted Roosevelt V and produced by The Future of StoryTelling in collaboration with Charts & Leisure, on behalf of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation. Learn more about T.R.’s upcoming presidential library at www.trlibrary.com. Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation350 Third AvenueMedora, North Dakota 58645 Future of StoryTellingFounder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanProducer, Alison Byrne Assistant Producer, Madison Brown Charts & LeisureExecutive Producer, Jason OberholtzerProducer, Meghal JanardanEditor, Garrett CroweMix, Andrew AtkinMusic and Final Assembly, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Edward F. O’Keefe, Robbie Lauf, Courtland Miller, and Matt Briney.