The Democracy Group

Download our free guide on 5 ways to take action!CPF's inaugural discussion of our Combating Antisemitism and Hatred Series features CPF Director Bob Shrum, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bret Stephens, and former Los Angeles elected official Zev Yaroslavksy. The series explores the struggle against antisemitism in the context of countering hate, reducing violence, promoting empathy, and nurturing civil dialogue.   Featuring: William Deverell: Divisional Dean for the Social Sciences, USC DornsifeBret Stephens: Opinion Columnist for The New York Times; Editor-in-Chief of SapirZev Yaroslavsky: Former Los Angeles County Supervisor, District 3Bob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC DornsifeAdditional InformationThe Democracy Group listener surveyThe Bully Pulpit PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

Tareq Alani and Aaron Myran join The Great Battlefield podcast to talk about their careers in politics and founding Chorus AI, where they're applying artificial intelligence and news analysis to political communications and organizing.Additional InformationThe Democracy Group listener surveyThe Great Battlefield PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

Download our free guide on 5 ways to take action!When we elect representatives, we expect them to be held accountable to the people they represent and the laws they are subject to. But how can voters be sure that elected officials are acting with their best interests in mind? In this enlightening episode of Democracy Decoded, host Simone Leeper explores the pivotal role that state and local ethics commissions play in safeguarding the integrity of the democratic process and dives into some of the scandals that have brought about their creation. This episode underscores how independent oversight is crucial in preventing corruption. Simone begins by talking to Jeremy Farris who shares his first hand experiences with the creation of an ethics commission in New Mexico. Kedric Payne, the Vice President, General Counsel and Senior Director of Ethics at Campaign Legal Center, explains how commissions fight corruption and offers insights on how they can be implemented across the country. Senior Legal Counsel for Ethics at CLC, Delaney Marsco, describes the mechanisms that allow ethics commissions to hold government officials accountable. Simone then speaks with LeeAnn Pelham, a longtime democracy advocate who directed ethics commissions in California, who tells the story of the scandal that sparked the creation of the ethics commission in Los Angeles. Host and Guests:Simone Leeper litigates a wide range of redistricting-related cases at CLC, challenging gerrymanders and advocating for election systems that guarantee all voters an equal opportunity to influence our democracy. Prior to arriving at CLC, Simone was a law clerk in the office of Senator Ed Markey and at the Library of Congress, Office of General Counsel. She received her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2019 and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Columbia University in 2016.Jeremy Farris is the Executive Director of the New Mexico State Ethics Commission. He previously served as General Counsel to New Mexico’s Department of Finance and Administration and practiced law at litigation firms both in Atlanta, Georgia and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jeremy clerked for the Honorable Julia S. Gibbons on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; the Honorable Judith K. Nakamura on the New Mexico Supreme Court; and the Honorable James O. Browning on the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico. He holds a law degree from Harvard Law School, a doctorate and masters degree from the University of Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and a Bachelors of Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology.Kedric Payne is Vice President, General Counsel and Senior Director of Ethics at Campaign Legal Center. He specializes in government ethics, lobbying law and election law. He began his career in private practice and has since served in the three branches of federal government. Prior to joining CLC, he advised on executive branch ethics laws as a deputy general counsel at the U.S. Department of Energy.  He also enforced legislative branch ethics laws and standards of conduct as deputy chief counsel of the Office of Congressional Ethics, where he was one of the office’s first investigators. Prior to OCE, Kedric practiced political law at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and advised lobbyists and government contractors on compliance with federal, state and local laws governing campaign finance, lobbying and ethics. Kedric began his career as a litigator at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York.Delaney Marsco is Senior Legal Counsel, Ethics at Campaign Legal Center. She works on CLC’s ethics watchdog and policy reform efforts at all levels of government. Delaney’s work encompasses a wide range of ethics issues, including congressional stock trading reform and conflicts of interest in the federal executive branch. Her watchdog work has led to numerous investigations into ethics violations by members of Congress and senior executive branch appointees, and her expertise is regularly relied on for ethics reform legislation. Delaney’s expert analysis has been featured in national print news publications, including The Washington Post, The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, and she has appeared on television and radio programs on CNBC, C-SPAN and NPR. Prior to joining CLC, Delaney was an associate in Goldman Sachs’s financial crime compliance division, where she created, tested and administered firm-wide electronic surveillances.LeeAnn Pelham has worked to advance accountability and public trust in local government for over 30 years. As Executive Director of voter-created ethics commissions in both San Francisco and in Los Angeles, LeeAnn initiated and led political reform programs to strengthen the effectiveness of government and promote its responsiveness to the public. At both agencies, she was responsible for the development, implementation and enforcement of local ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance laws, including broad public disclosure programs, compliance guidance, and public campaign financing systems that provide matching funds for eligible city candidates. She has also provided executive direction and guidance to support ethics and organizational performance in public service in leadership roles with the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) and while serving as Director of Ethics and Corporate Governance for the Santa Clara Valley Water District. Prior to working in local government, LeeAnn conducted performance audits for the California Auditor General’s Office and was a Senior Political Organizer for Common Cause in Washington, D.C.Links:Ethics Commissions Across the Country are Using Innovation to Fight CorruptionTop Ten Enforcement Upgrades for Ethics CommissionsAdditional InformationThe Democracy Group listener surveyDemocracy Decoded PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

We're sharing a special interview of The Democracy Group founder, Jenna Spinelle, & network manager, Brandon Stover from the Continuing Studies podcast.Discover the power of a podcast network; the tremendous value that it brings to it’s member shows, and how it’s fostering democracy and civil discourse from all sides of the political landscape.  Join hosts Neil McPhedran and Jennifer Lee Gunson in conversation with Jenna Spinelle and Brandon Stover, the driving forces behind The Democracy Group, as they share the intricacies of their pioneering podcast network. From exploring the website's role as a central hub for diverse voices and initiatives, to dissecting the innovative use of thematic shows and curated playlists, we uncover the transformative impact of podcasts on civic education and political discourse. The episode provides a behind-the-scenes look at their fellowship program, highlighting their dedication to nurturing the next generation of leaders and fostering inclusive dialogue. Join us as we navigate the nuances of political conversations, the challenges of bridging divides, and the inspiring potential of podcast networks in pushing forward a common goal and educating the general public.

Jocelyn Simonson is Professor of Law at Brooklyn Law School, a former public defender, and the author of Radical Acts of Justice: How Ordinary People Are Dismantling Mass Incarceration. We discuss how certain radical acts of justice challenge the legitimacy of the criminal system and form the underpinning of a new collective legal thought.The four pillars of this work comprise of court watching, community bail funds, participatory defense, and people’s budgets. Bail funds are pulling the rug out from the system's justification for what it's doing. Defunding the system in this way shows that the combination of carceral and economic forces that we currently use to “do justice” is not inevitable. A big part of the power of these acts of justice is that they’re done collectively. Abolition has two sides: breaking down and building up. Jocelyn shared that “we need to simultaneously decarcerate, stop spending our resources, and start building it out.”Follow Jocelyn on Twitter: https://twitter.com/j_simonsonFollow Mila on Twitter: https://twitter.com/milaatmosAdditional InformationThe Democracy Group listener surveyFuture Hindsight PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

Almost everyone has an opinion about the impact of social media on political polarization. Most of us believe that Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, YouTube and other sites have made our civic life more angry and divided. But how much of this is true? Are consumers as much to blame as the platforms themselves?15 years ago, in the very early days of social media, many Americans had a much more positive view of this new technology. It was bringing friends and families together, opening up new sources of information, and that was viewed as a good thing.We discuss the surprising findings of research into social media and polarization with Professor Chris Bail, founder of the Polarization Lab at Duke University. He’s the author of the 2021 book, “Breaking The Social Media Prism.” Bail studies political tribalism, extremism, and social psychology using data from social media and research from computational social science.This show was recorded during a week of chaos on Capitol Hill, right after the historic ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz who led the push to remove McCarthy, is one of a new generation of performative politicians, known more for their huge social media followings than their ability to get things done.Both Democrat and Republican hardliners are among those who have used Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to push politics to the extremes. Compromise is considered a dirty word by these politicians. Working out the complex, time-consuming details of legislation is hardly the stuff of clicks or headlines.In this episode we complicate the current social media narrative, learning more about algorithms, and user responses to them. This show is part of our podcast series on polarization, funded in part with a generous grant from Solutions Journalism Network. This non-profit group is about to celebrate its 10-year-anniversary.Recommendation: Richard enjoyed going to the movies recently and seeing "Past Lives", the latest film by Korean-Canadian- American playwright, Celine Song. Richard also gives a thumbs up to "The Morning Show" on Apple TV. Both feature the work of actress Greta Lee.Additional InformationThe Democracy Group listener surveyHow Do We Fix It? PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

Download our free guide on 5 ways to take action!CPF Co-Directors Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy join Fall 2023 CPF Fellows Arnon Mishkin and Reince Priebus for a conversation on polling and its ability or inability to predict voting outcomes as the 2024 presidential race approaches.Featuring:Arnon Mishkin: Political Analyst and Director of the Fox News Election Decision Team; Fall 2023 Fellow, USC Center for the Political FutureReince Priebus: Former White House Chief of Staff and Chairman of the Republican National Committee; Fall 2023 Fellow, USC Center for the Political FutureBob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC DornsifeMike Murphy: Co-Director, Center for the Political Future; NBC Political AnalystAdditional InformationThe Democracy Group listener surveyThe Bully Pulpit PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

Dr. Peter T. Coleman, an expert in toxic polarization and conflict resolution, discusses overcoming toxic polarization and the impact it has on society's progress. They explore the problem of misconceptions and misperceptions, the importance of building productive relationships, and the profit incentive for divisive content. The speakers express appreciation for Dr. Coleman's book and promote initiatives to bridge political divides.

Download our free guide on 5 ways to take action!In this week’s episode of Politics In Question, Steven Rogers joins Julia and Lee to discuss state legislatures. Rogers is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Saint Louis University, where he teaches and conducts research on elections, state legislatures, and public opinion.How many people can name their state representative? Does it matter if they have no idea who represents them in the state capital? What are the implications of low electoral accountability in state legislative elections? Would more competition make state legislators more accountable to their constituents? These are some of the questions Steve, Julia, and Lee discuss in this week’s episode.Additional InformationPolitics in Question PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

Download our free guide on 5 ways to take action!Poets, painters, novelists, musicians — it turns out they are as crucial to sustaining self-government as politicians and pundits. In a wide-ranging conversation, our hosts speak with English professor Steve Parks about the likes of Walt Whitman, Woody Guthrie, Sinéad O’Connor and the Malian singer Fatoumata Kouyaté. What does their art have in common? Spoiler: an affective sense of democracy. Plus, Parks shares our plans for a new segment on international activists. We’re calling it “The Power of Many.”Additional InformationDemocracy in Danger PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group