The Democracy Group

In this week’s episode of Politics In Question, Congressman John Sarbanes, D-Md., joins Lee to talk about the health of American democracy. Sarbanes has represented Maryland’s third congressional district in the House of Representatives since 2007. He serves on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and is chair of the Democracy Reform Task Force. Sarbanes was born and raised in Baltimore and has experience working in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.What does it mean to live in a democracy? What is the state of American democracy? Is it a flawed democracy? If so, what can be done to fix it? These are some of the questions Rep. Sarbanes and Lee ask in this week’s episode.Additional InformationPolitics in Question PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We've reached the end of another school year and another season of Democracy Works. Before we go on summer break, Michael Berkman, Chris Beem, and Candis Watts Smith reflect on recent events and what's to come this summer. We do this by taking a look back at some of our previous episodes:The real free speech problem on campus: Penn State's Brad Vivian on the problems with "campus free speech" discourse and media coverage. We discuss how this narrative has been applied to protests about the war in Gaza that happened on some campuses near the end of the spring semester. Follow Brad's Substack for his more recent work on the Gaza protests and more.A different kind of political divide - Yanna Krupnikov from the University of Michigan on the divide between people who follow politics closely and those who don't. We're seeing this divide play out in recent polling that shows support for Donald Trump is higher among people who say they are not politically engaged, while support for Biden is higher among those who follow news and politics more closely. Debating the future of debates: John Hudak from Brookings talks about the value of presidential debates to democracy. We recorded this episode in 2022 after the RNC announced it would not participate in events organized by the Commission for Presidential Debates. Now that two debates are scheduled for the next few months, we discuss whether they'll actually happen and how much they'll matter. This is our last new episode until early September. We'll use the next few months to plan for our fall season. Please send us an email if you have ideas for topics we should tackle or guests we should interview.  Have a great summer!Additional InformationThe Democracy Group listener surveyDemocracy Works PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Simone Leeper litigates a wide range of redistricting-related cases at Campaign Legal Center, challenging gerrymanders and advocating for election systems that guarantee all voters an equal opportunity to influence our democracy. She is the host of Democracy Decoded, a Campaign Legal Center podcast.Liz Joyner is the executive director of the Village Square, a nonprofit dedicated to reviving civic connections across divisions inside American communities. She oversees the Village SquareCast, a Village Square podcast.Corey Nathan started out as a stockbroker by day while studying at a theatre conservatory at night. Corey loves theology, politics and culture and enjoys invigorating conversations with renowned experts of these subjects on his podcast, Talkin’ Politics & Religion Without Killin’ Each Other.Mila Atmos, a global citizen based in New York City, is the producer and series host of Future Hindsight, a weekly podcast that aims to spark civic engagement through in-depth conversations with citizen changemakers. Michael Baranowski is a political scientist with a Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky. His focus is American political institutions, public policy, and media. He spends most of his time indoctrinating students at Northern Kentucky University.To learn more about each of the featured podcasts, visit the Shows page at democracygroup.org/shows.To read the full Q&As with each of the featured podcasts, visit the Meet the Hosts section at democracygroup.org/blog. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we bring you a special episode from Maggie LeBeau, one of our 2024 Podcast Fellows.Using a solutions-based approach, Uneven Grounds will discuss inequalities in geography and navigate geographic social issues in each episode. Host Maggie LeBeau wants to bring attention to the many problems people across America encounter daily because of where they live with a solution to each of the issues. The first episode explores election inequality and how they are related to geography, such as through gerrymandering. LeBeau recently graduated from Glenbard East High School in Lombard, Illinois, where she served as editor-in-chief of the school’s newspaper, the Echo. Outside of school, she is a part of the Media Wise Teen Fact-Checking Network and PBS Student Reporting Labs.Know a student interested in democracy and podcasts? Send them over to our fellowship to apply: https://www.democracygroup.org/fellowship  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we bring you a special episode from Simran Gupta, one of our 2024 Podcast Fellows.With Simran Gupta’s network of friends from all over the world, Laws Across Borders will explore educational topics like the school systems, technology or academic pressure and how they vary from country to country. The first episode will talk about school environments, touching on both the technological and academic sides.Gupta is a rising high school senior in Georgia She believes that life is all about learning new things, but interpreting information in a way that’s meaningful is difficult, especially in this day and age where news is readily available and shared whether it’s accurate or not.Know a student interested in democracy and podcasts? Send them over to our fellowship to apply: https://www.democracygroup.org/fellowship  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we bring you a special episode from Kayla Anderson, one of our 2024 Podcast Fellows.Make America Great For Everyone will take a deep dive into the American justice system through conversations with policemen, ex-prisoners and people who experienced the injustice firsthand. Host Kayla Anderson will talk about all of the different issues currently plaguing the American system that is supposed to be just, starting with a heartfelt conversation with her brother in the first episode. Anderson is a rising fourth-year political science major on the pre-law track at Ohio State. She currently serves as the vice president of the Undergraduate Black Law Student Association, treasurer of the Minority Collegiate Outreach and Support Team, and DEI committee co-chair for her Law and Society Scholars Program.Know a student interested in democracy and podcasts? Send them over to our fellowship to apply: https://www.democracygroup.org/fellowship  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we bring you a special episode from Virginia Jones, one of our 2024 Podcast Fellows.Virginia Jones is a student at the University of South Carolina majoring in Public Relations with a minor in Political Science. A few years ago, she discovered her interest in politics, particularly in political media, and decided to incorporate this passion into her education. When searching for a way to approach political issues, she found podcasts to be the best form because these dialogues helped her understand nuanced and complex political conversations better than any other method of consumption. She is excited about the potential of podcasting to facilitate meaningful discussions, bridge divides, and foster positive change in our democracy.Know a student interested in democracy and podcasts? Send them over to our fellowship to apply: https://www.democracygroup.org/fellowship  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we bring you a special episode from Aprile Kim, one of our 2024 Podcast Fellows.Drawing from host Aprile Kim’s experience of growing up and living in Guam, Democracy Beyond Borders seeks to explore the complexities of democracy in the modern world and examine the impact of American policies beyond the country's borders. The podcast will take listeners through America's current affairs and political ideas to examine democracy starting with episode 1 where we hear about the contradictory behaviors in American politics and the intricacies of American democracy. Kim is a rising fourth-year student at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor pursuing a double major in political science and philosophy and a double minor in Japanese and international studies, with a thematic focus on international security, norms, and cooperation.Know a student interested in democracy and podcasts? Send them over to our fellowship to apply: https://www.democracygroup.org/fellowship  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kelly has worked in nonprofits for many years. She has served in some capacity as a volunteer, board member, or development staff member for over twenty-eight years after teaching middle schoolers in Southern Appalachia. In addition to a BS in education from Appalachian State University, she holds a certificate in nonprofit management from Duke University. While new to election administration, she is not new to elections. Kelly served on several local and state election campaigns as a volunteer, including state senate campaigns in 2006, 2008, and 2010 where she served as the assistant campaign manager and public relations liaison. Kelly has spent the past three years learning about RCV reform and election administration. She oversees fundraising, development, and communications for RCVRC and co-produces the RCV Clips podcast with Chris Hughes & Melissa Hall. Kelly lives with her family on the coast of North Carolina. To learn more about ranked choice voting and the Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center, visit rcvresource.org. To read the full Q&A with Kelly Sechrist, visit https://www.democracygroup.org/blog/meet-kelly-sechrist-from-rcv-clips Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bill Weir is CNN’s Chief Climate Correspondent and the author of Life As We Know It (Can Be). We discuss Carbon Godzilla, decarbonization, and the many existing and accessible technologies to mitigate climate change.Decarbonization must start with big industry, but there are many ways for individuals to make a difference, too. Clean energy can be had with tax incentives, reducing costs for consumers. Energy efficient homes – passive houses and innovations in heating and cooling – reduce or even eliminate monthly energy bills. At the same time, utility and power companies in the US function as legal monopolies whose primary incentive is to build more infrastructure and raise rates. Fossil fuel companies – despite being the most profitable companies in human history – are still getting billions in direct and indirect subsidies.Follow Bill on X: https://twitter.com/BillWeirCNNFollow Mila on Twitter: https://twitter.com/milaatmosAdditional InformationThe Democracy Group listener surveyFuture Hindsight PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.