The Democracy Group

On this episode of Our Body Politic, guest host Karen Grigsby Bates talks with Virginia Kase Solomón, CEO of the League of Women Voters, about the threats and issues poll workers face protecting democracy. Karen then speaks with Melissa Murray, NYU law professor and host of the podcast Strict Scrutiny about some of the cases SCOTUS will hear this term. We round out the show with Karen discussing how to navigate medical bias with artist, author and doctor, Shirlene Obuobi.Additional InformationThe Democracy Group listener surveyOur Body Politic 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.

Download our free guide on 5 ways to take action!Coming at you live from Light House Studio’s Vinegar Hill Theatre in Charlottesville, our fair city: Emily and Siva welcome Jennifer Weiss-Wolf and Samhita Sunya to the stage, as part of the Karsh Institute’s Democracy360 forum. Sunya, a cinema expert, and Weiss-Wolf, a pioneering advocate for women’s rights, discuss the power of film and print media to shape global feminism. From Bollywood to Ms. magazine, we look at why the women’s movement and its representation matter for the health of a society.Additional InformationDemocracy in Danger 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.

The Democracy Group's Jessie Nguyen interviews Jahnavi Rao & Nivea Krishnan about New Voters, an organization that is helping the next generation of our country have their voice heard and a seat at the decision table. Jahnavi Rao is President & Founder of New Voters,  Government at Harvard University, Formerly White House, DNC, Harvard Kennedy, and UPenn. Nivea Krishnan is Executive Director of New Voters, Public Policy and Econ at USC, Student Government VP, Formerly State of Hawaii and Crooked Media.Find this interview and more in our bi-weekly newsletter, a collection of the hottest podcast episodes from the network, upcoming special events, expert features, and news from you favorite shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jahnavi Rao joins The Great Battlefield podcast to talk about her start in political activism, founding New Voters, which registers high school students to vote and now running New Voters Research Network where they use behavioral science tools to solve challenging problems.Additional InformationThe Democracy Group listener surveyThe Great Battlefield 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.

Download our free guide on 5 ways to take action!At the core of the deep societal divisions we navigate every day is an assumption that we share little with “those people” with whom we share a country—a belief that leaves us on dangerous ground as a nation. But author and entrepreneur Dr. Todd Rose says we’ve got that all wrong. According to Dr. Rose, not only do we agree more often than we think but we’re making terrible assumptions about what the people on our own side of the aisle think—then acting on those incorrect assumptions in a way that accelerates the divisions. Born of our highly social nature and hardwiring in our DNA, we so desperately want to protect our status and reputation inside our groups so we conform with what we think our group thinks—finding ourselves inside a “collective illusion” that is not only destabilizing society, it’s making us personally miserable.Dr. Rose offers his compelling and revelatory insights about human forces that are far too easily ignored in his most recent book: “Collective Illusions: Conformity, Complicity and the Science of Why We Make Bad Decisions.” We think his work is just so important that we’re delighted to bring him to Tallahassee to meet you (and we’ll be hosting book clubs to dive into “Collective Illusions” through the year). We don’t think you’ll ever see the world quite the same way again (trust us, that’ll be a good thing). Additional InformationThe Democracy Group listener surveyThe Village SquareCast 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.

Rory Stewart walked across Afghanistan, was an elected politician, served as a senior British government minister, and was a visiting fellow at Yale University. Today he is the host of a highly successful podcast— "The Rest Is Politics"— and outgoing president and advisor of the global anti-poverty charity, GiveDirectly. By any measure, he is a man of many parts. In our podcast, Stewart raises the alarm about threats to democracy in Europe and the U.S., explains his detailed understanding of common ground, and discusses the stark difference between skills needed to win political office and what's needed to govern well. We ask him about the parallels between U.S. and U.K. politics, the threats to democracy from populism, and how other elected politicians overseas view America's current political division and dysfunction. "The U.S. public square really looks incredibly divided," Rory Stewart tells us. We also discuss his outspoken new memoir about his years in the U.K. Parliament and government, "How Not To Be a Politician."Additional InformationThe Democracy Group listener surveyLet's Find Common Ground 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.

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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.