The Democracy Group

Social media has become a part of our daily lives, as we scroll endlessly through curated feeds. But it’s clear that these platforms are having a negative impact on our lives and our society in ways we never imagined.Platforms that were once a way to connect people have become a place where disinformation flows freely, controversy and division turns a profit, and people are pushed into echo chambers where everyone believes the same things and get fed disinformation that amps up their views.In episode 39, Weston unpacks social media’s psychological and cultural ramifications, but also its impact on our democracy and politics — looking at where we can go from here and discussing the need for increased transparency and accountability.Guests:Nora Benavidez, Senior Counsel and Digital Justice and Civil Rights Director at Free PressCamille Carlton, Communications Manager at the Center for Humane TechnologyDavid Jay, Chief Mobilization Officer at the Center for Humane TechnologyAdditional InformationSwamp Stories PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

A recording from our Twitter Space Event with Campaign Legal Center.HostsJustin Kempf, Host of Democracy ParadoxSimone Leeper, Legal Counsel for Campaign Legal Center, Host of Democracy DecodedGuestsTrevor Potter, President, Campaign Legal CenterAdiv Noti, Vice President & Legal Director, Campaign Legal CenterIf you would like to listen and ask questions live, follow us @GroupDemocracy or subscribe to our newsletter are democracygroup.org/newsletter to be the first to know about upcoming events.

In this week’s episode of Politics In Question, Julia, Lee, and James consider what could have been if things happened differently at key moments in American political history. What would politics look like today if Richard Nixon defeated John F. Kennedy in the 1960 presidential election? Would Barack Obama’s defeat in the 2012 presidential election alter the trajectory of American politics over the last ten years? What impact do individuals have on politics? Do events matter? Or is politics determined by forces beyond our control? These are some of the questions that Julia, Lee, and James ask in this week’s episode.Additional InformationPolitics in Question PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski to discuss her decades-long efforts to bridge partisan divides and promote sustainability efforts, and her thoughts on Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson.Featuring:Bob Shrum - Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC DornsifeLisa Murkowski - U.S. Senator (R-AK)Additional InformationThe Bully Pulpit PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

Mónica Guzmán is the loving liberal daughter of Mexican immigrants who strongly support Donald Trump. We hear her warm personal story of how Mónica set out to understand what divides America and discovered ways to overcome divisions that hurt our relationships and society.In this episode of "Let's Find Common Ground", we discuss ways to use our own sense of curiosity to have rewarding cross-partisan conversations with colleagues, friends, and family. Mónica Guzmán is the author of the new book, "I Never Thought Of It That Way". She serves as an advisor to the depolarization organization, Braver Angels. Our interview shows listeners how to cross boundaries and find common ground with others from different viewpoints and life experiences.Additional InformationLet's Find Common Ground PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

Elections across the country are run by dedicated full-time elected officials and by a huge and diverse group of citizens who serve as poll workers — people who might very well be your neighbors, your teacher, or your child’s baseball coach.These folks are the backbone of our elections system, and are the reason that the 2020 election went so smoothly and was called the “most secure election in American history” with the highest turnout in over a century. But since Election Day in 2020 — and because of a systematic campaign of disinformation designed to undermine trust in our elections — the people who make our democracy work have been the target of repeated attacks on their character and integrity, and have even been threatened with violence.In episode 38, Weston chats with current and former election officials about the threats they and other election workers have received since the 2020 election, and the problematic trend of election administration being politicized across the country.Guests:Natalie Adona, Assistant Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters for Nevada County, CABrian Corley, Supervisor of Elections in Pasco County, FLAl Schmidt, Former City Commissioner of PhiladelphiaElise Wirkus, Legislative Director at Issue OneAdditional InformationSwamp Stories PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

Daniel Beers, Colleen Moore, John Hulsey and Bernie Kaussler join us to provide historical and political context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the humanitarian and geopolitical consequences.See the show notes with links mentioned in this episode at https://j.mu/news/civic/2022/01-news.shtmlAdditional InformationDemocracy Matters PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shows how the incentives and views of dangerous leaders drive world events. The efficacy of the international community’s response depends on how regimes like Russia’s work. Erica Frantz finds that personalist regimes like Russia are more likely to initiate conflicts and suffer from misperceptions in a close inner circle. Putin’s actions follow authoritarian patterns elsewhere. This conversational edition features research and commentary on the war, the sanctions, the behavior of other regimes like China, the global implications of the rise in personalist authoritarianism, and the direction of research on harder-to-observe countries. Guest: Erica Frantz, Michigan State UniversityStudies: How Dictatorships Work, Authoritarianism: What Everyone Needs to KnowAdditional InformationScience of Politics PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

Was the war in Ukraine inevitable? What is Vladimir Putin trying to achieve? What does the conflict say about Ukraine as a democracy? Those are just a few of the questions Michael Berkman explores this week with Donna Bahry, professor emerita of political science at Penn State and an expert in  Soviet and post-Soviet politics and democratization. Donna has studied Russia and the Soviet Union for decades and traveled to the country dozes of time from late Gorbachev era through 2018. She also talks about the challenges of doing scholarly work in the region and how that task will become even more difficult in the wake of the current crisis. Additional InformationDemocracy Works PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

This week on Our Body Politic, Farai looks back on the 2016-2017 Dakota Access Pipeline protests with investigative journalist Jenni Monet to discuss activism among indegeonous peoples in America and across the globe. Farai also talks with MacArthur Grant Award winner, Harvard professor and author Tiya Miles about one family heirloom from the enslavement period that remarkably stood the test of time. Then in our weekly segment "Sippin' the Political Tea" Farai is joined by Christina Greer, political scientist and Associate Professor at Fordham University and Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon, a Ph.D. student in History at the University of Pennsylvania, as they examine the discrimination and other barriers international students and also non-white Ukrainanians are facing in result of Putin's invasion.Additional InformationOur Body Politic PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group