The Democracy Group

Oregon became the first state to decriminalize drug possession. The goal is to reverse some of the negative impacts of the War on Drugs by approaching drug use from a health-centered basis. We visit an addiction and recovery center in Portland that’s gearing up for what they hope will be an influx of people seeking treatment. Reported by Cecilia Brown.Find a resource guide and annotated transcript at our website here.Additional Information70 Million PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

Best-selling author Daniel Pink admits he's pedaling against the wind. His new book, "The Power of Regret" takes on the longstanding and deeply ingrained doctrine that paying attention to our regrets is foolish. In this episode, we ask him why this notion is wrong."No regrets" is the name or theme of countless books and popular songs. Bob Dylan, Angelina Jolie, and Ruth Bader Ginsberg all advised us to live without regrets. "We think that it's courageous to say I have no regrets, but it's not," Pink tells us. "What's courageous is staring your regrets in the eye, confronting them, and doing something about them".Almost everybody has regrets. And if we acknowledge them in fresh and imaginative ways, we can enlist our regrets to make smarter decisions, perform better at work and school, and deepen our sense of meaning and purpose. In our solutions podcast, we hear that examining what we regret the most helps us understand what we value the most.Pink draws on research in psychology, neuroscience, economics, and biology to challenge widely-held assumptions about emotions and behavior. He also questioned people about their regrets and conducted his own World Regret Survey, which has collected regrets from more than 16,000 people in 105 countries.Additional InformationHow Do We Fix It? PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

Many years each voter typically has 2 or more opportunities to have their voice heard and hold their elected officials accountable. But in non-presidential elections participation in some municipalities can be as low as 10%. "Decisions are made by those who show up." We'll talk about the power of each citizen to effect change and have their voice heard in their democracy!The Democracy Group and ActiVote present a panel discussion with:Mila Atmos, Host of Future HindsightDebi Lombardi, Program director for National Voter Registration DayTed Getschman, Director for MaximumVoting.orgShakira Mills, Deputy Chief of Staff for the Bridge AllianceChuck Corra, Associate Director for Generation CitizenA recording and transcripts of this event are available at democracygroup.org.HostWhen we talk about empowering voters, time and time again voter education comes up as a key to participation. ActiVote is dedicated to voter education on the elections, issues, candidates and policies that matter most to the voter. Never miss another election. Vote confidently. Make democracy work for you! Try out ActiVote here.

We’re revisiting our conversation with Mark Rank, a poverty expert, professor, and author of Poorly Understood: What America Gets Wrong About Poverty. We discuss the true causes and systemic nature of poverty, and poverty reduction as being both moral and smart public policy.Musical ChairsAmerican poverty is a bit like a game of musical chairs. The US only has good opportunities for 8 out of 10 Americans, meaning 2 people always lose. Instead of adding new opportunities or chairs, we shuffle the opportunities around, but 2 of every 10 people still end up without the opportunities. This shows that poverty is a result of the systems we have in place, not personal shortcomings, and if we continue shuffling the opportunities, we will continue having a poverty problem. Poverty MythsBeing poor in the US is subject to several damaging myths that make it harder to reduce poverty rates country-wide. We think of a poverty rate between 10-15% of the US population, but shockingly 60-75% of Americans will spend at least one year of their lives in poverty. Another myth blames poor Americans for their own poverty, not the systems that maintain poverty in America. We also assume the costs of poverty are borne by the poor, but US taxpayers pay more than $1 trillion per year due to the externalities of poverty. Social Safety NetsThe US has a much weaker social safety net than other developed countries. We view poverty as a personal shortcoming that is not to be rewarded with welfare programs or healthcare. Since we think the poor are undeserving of help, we do not invest in social safety nets, creating high rates of poverty. Social safety nets reduce poverty by 75-80% in other counties, whereas the US safety net only reduces it by 25-30%. The most successful anti-poverty program in the US is Social Security.FIND OUT MORE:Mark R. Rank is recognized as a foremost expert on issues of poverty, inequality, and social justice.  His research on the life course risk of poverty has demonstrated for the first time that most Americans will experience poverty at some point during their lives. To date, he has written 10 books on a range of subjects, including an exploration of the American Dream, a new understanding of poverty and inequality, and the role of luck and chance in shaping the course of our lives.  In addition, he has published articles in numerous academic journals across a wide variety of fields.He has provided research expertise to members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, as well as many national organizations involved in issues of economic and social justice. His work has been cited by then-President Barack Obama, as well as Senator Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.You can check out his book Poorly Understood here. Additional InformationFuture Hindsight PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

On this week's show, Host Farai Chideya talks with Politico’s Sabrina Rodriguez and pollster Fernand Amandi about how the Latino vote in Florida could shape this year’s elections. Award-winning journalist and author Celeste Headlee explores structural change around race in public media, and how everyone can have conversations about race that matter. Executive Coach Caroline Kim Oh talks about coaching BIPOC and women leaders, and the power of intentional time. And Farai sips the Political Tea about President Biden’s pending SCOTUS nomination with professors Christina Greer and Tiffany Jeffers.Additional InformationOur Body Politic PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

This program is part of the Created Equal and Breathing Free podcast series presented in partnership with Florida Humanities.Find this event online at The Village Square.A year-long project by More in Common came up with a description of most of America that a lot of us relate to: “the exhausted majority.” Everything has become political, high conflict, and seemingly inescapable as the electromagnetic suck of angry politics forces us to be either “us” or “them,” when most of us would rather do nothing of the sort. If we have ever needed one, now’s the time to chart a path forward that takes the higher ground. And is it even possible that by turning our attention to something else we might — unfathomably — be doing exactly what just might fix the political mess?  We’ll find out together, with God Squad sherpas leading our way.Joining us are God Squad regulars Pastor Gary Shultz of First Baptist Church of Tallahassee, Dr. Dan Leshem of Hillel FSU, Betsy Ouellette Zierden, and guest Latricia Scriven of New Life United Methodist Church to guide us through this discussion.Check out the More in Common study here.Additional InformationThe Village SquareCast PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

Center Co-Directors Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy join the Spring 2022 CPF Fellows to unpack the latest SCOTUS headlines and trends. They discuss everything from the Supreme Court’s denial of President Trump's executive privilege over the January 6 insurrection to their upholding Texas' abortion law to their blocking Biden’s federal vaccine mandate. They also explore what the growing division among the Justices means for the future of the majority conservative court.Additional InformationThe Bully Pulpit PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

“A lot of those who’ve left the church tend to be younger people, who nonetheless still consider themselves spiritual. They’ve been turned off by churches, but they haven’t necessarily gone full atheist, materialist…”Religion is declining around the world. Even in America, the great outlier of the post-Christian West, half the population doesn’t believe in organised religion any more.But the loss of our traditional beliefs has given rise to a growing number of ‘spiritualist’ alternatives. They range from mainstream ‘Wellness’ culture, through eco-spiritualism, occultism, witch culture on Instagram and astrology on TikTok, through to the darker visions of QAnon and Millenarianism.What defines Spiritualist thinking? What are its roots? Why is it flowering now? And why does it bleed so easily into Conspiracy?“In the last two years, spiritual culture has curdled - from positive and optimistic to a much more fearful and paranoid kind of message…”Listen to Jules and Turi discuss:The history of spiritualism, from the 16th century to todayThe cornerstones of spiritualist thinking: from myths and monsters through to harmony and healthThe ‘Meaning Gap’‘Conspirituality’: why conspiracy theories and spirituality so easily bleed into each other.Intuition (over Reason) as a path to knowledgeWhat Rationalists have lostHow Spiritualists have reacted to CovidJules EvansJules Evans is a writer and practical philosopher interested in emotions, well-being, transcendence and flourishing. He is the author of Philosophy for Life: And Other Dangerous Situations, and The Art of Losing Control: A Guide to Ecstatic Experience.Additional InformationOn Opinion PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

Around the world, religion is being used to fuel "us vs. them" narratives and undermine the foundations of democracy. This week, we dive into what this means and how people of faith can chart a different path forward.Faith, Nationalism, and the Future of Liberal Democracy highlights the use of religious identity to fuel the rise of illiberal, nationalist, and populist democracy.  It examines the ways religious identity is weaponized to fuel populist revolts against a political, social, and economic order that values democracy in a global and strikingly diverse world. The book is intended for readers who value democracy and are concerned about growing threats to it, and especially for people of faith and religious leaders, which is why we're excited to have author David M. Elcott on the show this week. Elcott is the Taub Professor of Practice in Public Service and Leadership at the Wagner School of Public Service at NYU and director of the Advocacy and Political Action specialization.Additional InformationDemocracy Works PodcastMore shows from The Democracy GroupFaith, Nationalism, and the Future of Liberal DemocracyDemocracy and the language of faith - article in Democracy Journal

In this week’s episode of Politics In Question, Julia, Lee, and James consider what American politics will look like in 2022. Is American democracy in decline? What do we mean by democracy? Do Americans focus too much on elections and not enough on what happens in-between elections? What will come out of Congress over the coming year? Do Americans want major policy change to happen? And what will happen in the 2022 midterm elections? These are some of the questions Julia, Lee, and James ask in this week’s episode.Additional InformationPolitics in Question PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group