Future Hindsight

Future Hindsight

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A weekly show that takes big ideas about civic life and democracy and turns them into action items for you.

The Architects of Division: Katherine Stewart

We discuss the anti-democratic and reactionary nihilistic nature of the Christian nationalist movement. Christian nationalism is an ideology that functions as a tool for a leadership driven organization machine that turns mythology into political power.    Katherine’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Mobilize the pro-democracy majority Stop purity testing   Katherine Stewart is the author of Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy. Katherine is an

Mar 27, • 51:40

Voting Booth in Your Pocket: Bradley Tusk

We discuss mobile voting as the definitive way to make elections more accessible for everyone — especially for Americans with disabilities and overseas citizens — and therefore finally increase turnout in significant numbers.    Bradley’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Sign up and get involved at mobilevoting.org Rally your friends and family to demand change.   Bradley Tusk is the co-founder of the Mobile Voting Movement, the founder and CEO of Tusk Holdings, and previously se

Mar 20, • 43:20

But Is It Constitutional?: Julie Suk

We discuss whether executive orders can change the Constitution, the ongoing transformation of executive power, and the true intersection of the Constitution and democracy.   Julie’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Get a pocket Constitution and read it over with a red pen! Think about the kind of democracy you want to live in and decide how the Constitution will get us there.   Julie Suk is the Hon. Deborah A. Batts Distinguished Research Scholar, Professor of Law. She’s a legal

Mar 13, • 57:15

Be a Joiner: Pete Davis

We discuss why joining a club or an association is the glue that binds civic society to democracy. They are the classrooms for our citizenship!   Pete’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Join a club! Re-inhabit the world that you’re in, by learning about it.   Pete Davis is a bestselling author of Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing, the founder of the Democracy Policy Network, and the co-director of Join or Die, a film about why you should join a clu

Mar 6, • 49:46

Democrats, Hit the Reset Button!: Faiz Shakir

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Feb 27, • 59:58

Marxism for Americans: Andrew Hartman

We discuss the influence of Karl Marx in American politics and the continued relevance of Marxism today.   Andrew’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Form a reading group to change your collective political consciousness Read something challenging at an intellectual, political, or philosophical level   Andrew Hartman is professor of history at Illinois State University and the author of several books, including A War for the Soul of America: A History of the Culture Wars. His upco

Feb 20, • 55:28

Truth or Disinformation?: Barbara McQuade

We discuss that Americans should prize truth over tribe. A lot of disinformation is hiding behind the First Amendment – using the right to free speech to tell lies. The muddy media and information ecosystem is turning us against our neighbors.   Barb’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Meet people in real life because when we know them it’s harder to vilify them  Get accurate election-related information from your secretary of state’s office   Barbara McQuade is a legal analyst fo

Feb 13, • 47:58

Looking Out for the Public Interest: Paul Sabin

We discuss how the public interest movements in the 60s and 70s can be a source of inspiration for American democracy and why this movement was a formidable force in influencing public policy that benefits all of us, from traffic safety to the Clean Water Act.    Paul’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Focus on state and local government Make liberal cities and states compelling models for good governance to be replicated across the nation    Paul Sabin is the Randolph W. Townsen

Feb 6, • 46:05

Playing Defense for Democracy: Ezra Levin

We discuss what we can all do to say "no" to Project 2025, including getting Democrats to play hardball in local, city, and state offices, and to protect and win elections this year and in the midterms next year.   Ezra’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Organize in your community with like-minded Americans  Use your constituent power to influence the political calculus of your elected representative   Ezra Levin is the Co-Executive Director of Indivisible, which he co-founded wi

Jan 30, • 49:22

Know Your Rights: Monica Hopkins

We discuss many of our rights that are at risk under the new Trump administration, what our rights actually are–like due process and the 1st amendment, and an action plan for when they come under attack.    Monica’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Know what your rights are and speak up. Talk to your friends and family about DC statehood   Monica Hopkins is the Executive Director of the ACLU of the District of Columbia (ACLU-DC).   Let’s connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instag

Jan 23, • 40:53

Organizing Is Power: Elyssa Feder

We discuss the long history of organizing as a tool for fortifying American democracy, making it more equitable and just. Americans live from the benefits of organizing every day, whether that’s women’s suffrage or disability rights.  Organizing is the tool for everyday people who are not in positions of power to solve the problems their communities are facing.    Elyssa’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Get clarity on what you’re good at and what brings you joy. Organize for the

Jan 16, • 43:40

How Political Parties Should Behave: Didi Kuo

We discuss the role of political parties in representing your interests and turning those interests into public policies that meaningfully make a difference in your life. Since the 1980s, both major political parties have adopted neoliberal policies, marked by declining responsiveness to major policy areas, and instead prioritizing pro-market and anti-state policies for economic growth and reliance on the private sector.    Didi’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Get engaged on the l

Jan 9, • 52:25

WFP Represents You!: Maurice Mitchell

We discuss why now is the time for a third political party to really take center stage in American democracy.   Maurice’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Organize! Join an organization. Create conditions where people can govern and decide the direction of their country and their democracy   Maurice Mitchell is the National Director of the Working Families Party. He's a nationally recognized social movement strategist, a visionary leader in the Movement for Black Lives, and a com

Jan 2, • 49:30

The Border Has Eyes: Latino USA

We’re sharing an episode from our friends at Latino USA! In this episode, producer Reynaldo Leaños Jr. travels to southern Arizona where one of the first major concentrations of surveillance towers on the southern border were built, and he looks at what these towers mean today, and for the future of those crossing, and living, there.   The “virtual wall” across the U.S.-Mexico border is made up of things like drones, sensors, cameras and… surveillance towers. Both Democrats and Republicans have

Dec 26, 2024 • 58:14

Be Ready for Ungoverning: Nancy Rosenblum

We discuss how ungoverning is the equivalent of a bull in a china shop. Many institutions will be destroyed, but we don't know which ones and to what extent!   Nancy’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Don’t let unpredictability strip you of your agency Vote in local, county, and state elections   Nancy Rosenblum is the Senator Joseph Clark Professor of Ethics in Politics and Government Emerita at Harvard University, and the co-author of Ungoverning: The Attack on the Administrati

Dec 19, 2024 • 51:27

Yes, Our Elections Are Secure: Ben Adida

We discuss election integrity and voting machines, the amazing work of election workers, and the logistics of election audits.   Ben’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Talk to your town or county clerk and offer to help. Be a poll worker for a day!   Ben Adida is the Executive Director of Voting Works, the only non-profit voting system vendor in the U.S. Their mission is to make election technology everyone can trust through transparency, simplicity, and demonstrable security.

Dec 12, 2024 • 47:14

We Voted… Now What?: Michael Waldman

We discuss why the American electorate voted the way they did in 2024, the history of various voter suppression tactics, and how we can bounce back from a feeling of post-election civic helplessness.   Michael’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Use your platform! Do the research. Read books. Go deep on what's going on and convey what you've learned.   Michael Waldman is the CEO and President of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law and a constitutional lawyer and wr

Dec 5, 2024 • 51:11

Vigilante Democracy Returns: David Noll

We discuss the long history of vigilante democracy in the US and its return in our current politics. The playing field is currently tilted in favor of these vigilante policies, but blue states can level the playing field by playing constitutional hardball. David Noll reminds us that the American people have beat back movements to use vigilante power to enforce a reactionary agenda time and again.   David’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Get involved in local politics Resistance w

Nov 26, 2024 • 51:55

The AAPI Movement: Varun Nikore

We discuss how the Democratic party continues to ignore AAPI voters in schools despite their increasing power at the ballot box and the necessity to build coalitions with them to win elections. Between 2016 and 2020, voter turnout in this community increased by 47%. The near doubling of AAPI voters in Georgia and Arizona effectively made the Biden victory in 2020 possible.    Varun’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Show up to a school board meeting Gather insight from engaging in

Nov 21, 2024 • 50:11

Feminism at the Heart of Democracy: Dr. C. Nicole Mason

We discuss the intersection of feminism and democracy and discover how the egalitarian underpinnings of feminism are fundamental to an equal society. Abortion bans illustrate this well. “Any time there's a conflict between the Constitution and someone's personal bodily autonomy and the subject of rights under the law, that is anti-democratic.”    Nicole’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Start small, engaging directly in your community Maintain hope and optimism and believe that yo

Nov 14, 2024 • 46:57

Go Beyond Voting: Sharon McMahon

We discuss the importance of shifting our mindset to one that is infused with hope. Positive change comes when we choose hope. Though nobody can fix it all, we can all do something and make an impact. Sharon reminds us that if something is worth doing for everyone, it’s worth doing for one person.    Sharon’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Choose hope. Get involved in an issue that is important to you because your actions do matter.   Sharon McMahon is the creator of “Sharon Sa

Nov 7, 2024 • 43:33

The Future American Electorate: Maria Teresa Kumar

We discuss why American democracy should not treat the Latinx community as a monolith, what actually matters to this community, and how the strength of their engagement in U.S. democracy will play out in this year’s presidential election.   Maria Teresa’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  VOTE! Share your excitement to vote with everyone you know, especially young people.   Maria Teresa Kumar is the President and CEO of Voto Latino, a civic engagement organization focused on educa

Oct 31, 2024 • 45:59

Abandon the False Narratives: Jason Stanley

We discuss the purpose of fascist education, the political nature of universities in defending democracy, and the dangers of America’s powerful exceptionalist narrative.   Jason’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Stand up in solidarity with those who are political targets Understand other people’s perspectives because that gives them the voice in a democracy   Jason Stanley is the Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy at Yale University and the author of seven books. His most rec

Oct 24, 2024 • 43:26

What is a Family Friendly Economy?: Sondra Goldschein

We discuss the necessary policies that make a family friendly economy possible, such as investments in child care, elder care, and paid family leave. Such investments ought to be considered basic infrastructure, which contribute to the economy.   Sondra’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Talk to your friends and family who are having challenges around caregiving. Vote for candidates who support child care and paid family leave, and hold them accountable after elections.   Sondra

Oct 17, 2024 • 33:54

Take Action: Vote for Future Hindsight!

Future Hindsight is a finalist in the 2024 Signal Awards and we need your help to win the gold!    We’re being recognized in the Activism, Public Service, & Social Impact category for our episode on Policing Equity and Justice with Dr. Phillip Atiba Solomon.    Public voting is open until Oct 17th, 2024 and every vote counts. Go to this link to vote for Future Hindsight now:  https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2024/individual-episodes/general/activism-public-service-social-impact   You

Oct 10, 2024 • 2:31

What is Project 2025?: Matt Cohen

We discuss the deep impact of Project 2025 policies on the American people, even if only 10-15% were implemented. Well beyond abortion bans and no-fault divorces, Project 2025 would adversely affect democracy. It would be easier for big money to influence election outcomes, for disinformation and misinformation to spread, and for foreign actors to meddle in elections.   Matt’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Look at what’s going on around you and take action at the local level Joi

Oct 10, 2024 • 41:42

Your Political Rights: Attorney General Eric Holder & Michael Waldman

This is a recording of a live event of the American Voter Project at the Eric H. Holder Jr. Initiative for Civil and Political Rights. We discuss the long history of voter suppression, voting rights, the electoral college, the Supreme Court, and democracy.   General Holder’ and Michael’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Vote! Engage in a major social movement   Eric H. Holder, Jr. serves as Chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. He served in the Obama Admini

Oct 3, 2024 • 1:27:19

End Climate Silence: Genevieve Guenther

We discuss deepening our understanding of the climate crisis, the urgent need for decarbonization, and our role in speaking truth about phasing out fossil fuels.    Genevieve’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Call your elected representatives and demand policies to phase out fossil fuels. If extreme weather comes up in conversation, connect the dots to climate change and say: “We really need to phase out fossil fuels so we can halt global heating.”    Genevieve Guenther is the f

Sep 26, 2024 • 58:34

Everybody Benefits from Public Schools: Jennifer Berkshire & Jack Schneider

We discuss the power and the promise of public schools, the universal rejection of book bans by parents across the country, and an inclusive vision for democracy.   Their civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Have a conversation with people with whom you disagree Remain open-minded.   Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Schneider are co-hosts of the education podcast Have You Heard. Their new book is The Education Wars: A Citizen’s Guide and Defense Manual.    Follow Jennifer on X:  https://x

Sep 19, 2024 • 52:58

People Power on the Ballot: Chris Melody Fields Figueredo

We discuss how ballot measures give voters the opportunity to take power and agency. It is about citizens putting issues that are important to their communities, gathering signatures, and then putting them on the ballot directly to effect policy change.   Her civic action toolkit recommendations are:   1. Voting is the starting line, not the finish line. 2. Hold your elected officials accountable after elections by reaching out to them about the issues that matter to you, and making sure they ar

Sep 12, 2024 • 41:30

Break Up the Two-Party System: Lee Drutman

We discuss how two parties alone cannot represent the diversity of views in American society, how fusion voting could solve for better representation, and who exactly should get engaged in our civic lives.   His civic action toolkit recommendations are:  1. Support political parties and reforms that create more choices. 2. Be a good neighbor and participate in a local meeting.   Lee Drutman is Senior Fellow in the Political Reform program at New America, co-host of the Politics in Question podca

Sep 5, 2024 • 41:27

What Is It Like to Run for Office?: Wendy Davis

We discuss what it takes for citizens to take action and run for elected office. Wendy ran as a Democrat in Utah because she wanted to give voters a viable, different choice. She knew it was going to be difficult to win as a first time candidate, but she ran so hard that she left a body mark in the wall. She lost by a mere 78 votes.   Her civic action toolkit recommendations are:  1. Vote and encourage other people to vote 2. Work or volunteer for a candidate during an election year   Wendy Davi

Aug 29, 2024 • 45:35

Protect Whistleblowers: Joe Spielberger

Joe Spielberger is the policy counsel for the Effective and Accountable Government team at the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), where he advocates in Congress and the executive branch to strengthen whistleblower rights, protect a merit based civil service, and promote government ethics and transparency. We discuss how government can be transparent and accountable to us, the People.    All Americans need to be confident that federal employees are hired based on their qualifications and not

Aug 22, 2024 • 40:06

U.S. Influence in Central America: Daniel Alvarenga

Daniel Alvarenga is a journalist who covers issues pertaining to immigration, racial equity, and Latinx cultures – with a special emphasis on Central America and its diasporas. He’s also the English language podcast host of Humo: Murder and Silence in El Salvador. We discuss the intersection of foreign policy, immigration policy, and democracy.   US foreign interference in Central America has had a huge impact on destabilizing the region. During the civil war in El Salvador between 1980 and 1992

Aug 15, 2024 • 26:19

Disinformation is Sabotaging America: Barbara McQuade

Barbara McQuade is a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, co-host of the podcast #SistersinLaw, and a professor at the University of Michigan Law School. Her first book is Attack From Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging America. We discuss the dangers of disinformation and how we can defeat it.   Democracy depends on truth, and as Americans we should prize truth over tribe. A lot of disinformation is hiding behind the First Amendment – telling lies as a right to free speech. We are overrun

Aug 8, 2024 • 45:45

Protecting Democracy: Daria Dawson

Daria Dawson is the Executive Director of America Votes, which coordinates more than 400 partners to engage and mobilize voters for elections up and down the ballot across the country. We discuss why 2024 is - yet again - the most important election of our lifetimes.    The biggest threat to American democracy is fascism and thus the most important issue in this election is preserving our democracy. Of course, democracy and protecting democracy is a process and never just one election. The top p

Aug 1, 2024 • 38:33

Give Up the Bootstrapping Myth!: Alissa Quart

Alissa Quart is the executive director of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project and the author of Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream. We discuss what it really means to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps in America, “the land of the self-made.”   Humans are biologically wired to be interdependent. In fact, achievement is often accompanied with isolation and loneliness. Alissa reminds us that “People who are fighting for democracy shouldn't be leaning into their own

Jul 25, 2024 • 41:26

Living Constitutionally: A.J. Jacobs

A.J. Jacobs is a journalist and author. His most recent book is The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution's Original Meaning. We discuss how the Founding Fathers prized humility, experimentation, and a willingness to change their own minds.    The heart of our democracy is for the community to come together and cooperate. One example is to advocate for democratic reforms, which are nonpartisan. Being apathetic or cynical helps the slide into autocracy

Jul 18, 2024 • 45:47

Nationly: A Brutal Choice

Nationly is a limited election series podcast by Immigrantly Media. Join hosts Sara Sadhwani and Juan Diego Ramirez as they offer their unique perspectives on swing states pivotal in determining the 2024 election outcomes. Focusing on minority communities—specifically, immigrants and communities of color—'Nationly' uncovers the issues that truly matter to these voters, ranging from global events like the situation in Gaza to local races such as the showdown between Kari Lake v. Ruben Gallego.

Jul 10, 2024 • 27:13

Healthcare for All: Melanie D’Arrigo

Melanie D’Arrigo is the Executive Director of the Campaign for New York Health, which aims to win universal single-payer healthcare for all New Yorkers. We discuss the intersection of democracy and healthcare and what is necessary to create better health outcomes.   The New York Health Act is a current bill in the New York State Legislature that would implement a single payer healthcare system in New York, similar to Medicare for All. Instead of accessing health insurance, this bill would provid

Jul 4, 2024 • 51:24

How It Feels to Love America: Wajahat Ali

Wajahat Ali is a Daily Beast columnist and the co-host of Democracy-ish. He's also the author of Go Back to Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American. Together, Mila and Waj discuss what it means to be American and to love a country that often doesn’t love them back.   Defense of democracy continues to resonate as a kitchen table issue for all Americans. Mainstream media is not properly serving the public, whether that’s about fully informing the public on

Jun 27, 2024 • 58:57

Pursuing Equal Justice: Robert Tsai

Robert L. Tsai is the author of Demand the Impossible: One Lawyer’s Pursuit of Equal Justice for All and Professor of Law and Harry Elwood Warren Memorial Scholar at Boston University School of Law. We discuss the death penalty, legal representation for the indigent, and equality under law.   People do see the flaws in the criminal justice system. They are often aware that aside from major metropolitan areas, public defenders are not well funded. Elsewhere, there is a patchwork of sub-par soluti

Jun 20, 2024 • 44:38

Relational Organizing: Rachel Vindman

Rachel Vindman is the co-host of the Suburban Women Problem podcast and she has her finger on the pulse on all things politics for American women. We discuss abortion, Trump's conviction, Ukraine, and relational organizing.   The goal in this year’s election is maintaining American democracy. Relational organizing is about talking to people about what's going on, making sure they know and understand. Being a reliable source of good information and then sharing it is very powerful — and should no

Jun 13, 2024 • 53:27

Take the Constitution Back from Originalism: Madiba Dennie

Madiba Dennie is Deputy Editor and Senior Contributor at the critical legal commentary outlet Balls and Strikes. Her debut book is The Originalism Trap: How Extremists Stole the Constitution and How We The People Can Take it Back. We discuss a fresh way to interpret the Constitution.   Inclusive Constitutionalism interprets the Constitution in a way that makes inclusive democracy real. By contrast, originalism interprets the meaning of the Constitution as fixed in time in the 1800s. However, the

Jun 6, 2024 • 39:58

Voters Are the Boss: Jessica Gonzalez Rojas

Jessica Gonzalez Rojas is the New York State Assembly Member representing the 34th District in New York City. We discuss the New York State budget and how she represents her constituents on housing, food insecurity, and healthcare.   The number one issue for constituents is housing, ranging from vermin problems and bad landlords to high rents. Food insecurity became more apparent during the pandemic and continues to be rampant. Access to healthcare is still uneven and passing the New York Health

May 30, 2024 • 46:02

When Government Works: Debbie Cox Bultan

Debbie Cox Bultan is the CEO of the NewDEAL, a network of 150 rising state and local officials, and the NewDEAL Forum, which identifies and promotes innovative state and local pro-growth progressive policies. We discuss what it means to deliver good governance at the state and local level.   We have a big problem with our democracy right now, and it stems from people believing that the government is to blame for all of our problems. In 24-hour media cycles that fill airtime with the loudest voic

May 23, 2024 • 40:03

The Path to Decarbonization: Bill Weir

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

May 16, 2024 • 44:28

Power to the Polls: Mandela Barnes

Mandela Barnes is the president of Power to the Polls Wisconsin. He also served as Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin from 2019 to 2023 and is the co-founder of The Long Run PAC. We discuss how grassroots voter outreach connects the dots for the voters on policy that impacts their lives.   Voters need to know what politicians have done for their constituents and why it is worth their time to vote. In order to be a part of the democratic process and to make things better, citizens need to show up o

May 9, 2024 • 42:43

Fixing Immigration: Aaron Reichlin-Melnick

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick is the Policy Director at the American Immigration Council, a non-profit organization that strives to strengthen the United States by shaping immigration policies and practices. We discuss how out-of-date immigration laws are and why the only cure is comprehensive immigration reform from Congress.   US immigration laws have not changed since the 1990s. The current border enforcement and asylum system dates back to 1996, and in fact, one of the reasons that asylum seekers a

May 2, 2024 • 45:04

America’s Half a Billion Guns: Jonathan Metzl

Jonathan M. Metzl is the Frederick B. Rentschler II Professor of Sociology and Psychiatry and the Director of the Department of Medicine, Health, and Society at Vanderbilt University. His most recent book is What We’ve Become: Living and Dying in a Country of Arms. We discuss lax gun laws and gun ownership as an identity.   The public health narrative is about how guns pose a health risk, a threat to mortality to our bodies. Those who vote based on guns see guns as symbols of power or protection

Apr 25, 2024 • 51:50

Everyday Freedom: Philip K. Howard

Philip K. Howard is the founder and chair of Common Good, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that advocates for simplifying government, and has advised both parties on needed reforms. His latest book is Everyday Freedom: Designing the Framework for a Flourishing Society.   Every community depends on democracy to deliver, whether that’s government services, schools, hospitals, or housing. Howard argues that a democracy depends on people being able to take responsibility, to interpret guideline

Apr 18, 2024 • 39:02

Power Sharing Liberalism: Danielle Allen

Danielle Allen is the author of Justice by Means of Democracy. She is also the James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University and Director of the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation at Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. We discuss power sharing liberalism as a new paradigm in the practice of democracy.   Whether it’s through ballot measures to introduce ranked choice voting or open primaries, we are experiencing great innovation in democr

Apr 11, 2024 • 37:45

The Founders’ Intentions: Jeffrey Rosen

Jeffrey Rosen is the president and CEO of the National Constitution Center and the author of The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America. We discuss how the Constitution is a framework for a productive conversation for people with fundamentally different points of view.   For the Founders, personal self government was a pre-requisite for political self government. In order to deliberate with fellow citizens and vote wisely, cit

Apr 4, 2024 • 39:17

Cancel Student Debt: Braxton Brewington

Braxton Brewington is the Press Secretary of the Debt Collective. We discuss the origins of the Debt Collective in the Rolling Jubilee and its history in canceling student debt. Their example is a powerful model for canceling student debt, which continues to be important for all Americans in this election cycle and beyond.   Education is a public good, yet the cost of college over the past couple of decades has risen eight times faster than the average wages. The average student debt is $30,000-

Mar 28, 2024 • 46:13

Employ Negative Partisanship: Rachel Bitecofer

Rachel Bitecofer is a political scientist and election forecaster turned political strategist. Her most recent book is Hit ’Em Where it Hurts: How to Save Democracy by Beating Republicans at Their Own Game. We discuss why it's time for Democratic Party candidates to embrace negative partisanship in their campaigns.   Half of America’s electorate doesn't vote – even in the most consequential elections – because they aren't interested in politics. The Knight Foundation took a very large sample sur

Mar 21, 2024 • 48:55

A Real Right to Vote: Richard L. Hasen

Richard L. Hasen is Professor of Law and Political Science at UCLA and director of UCLA Law’s Safeguarding Democracy Project. We discuss his most recent book, A Real Right to Vote: How a Constitutional Amendment Can Safeguard American Democracy.   A country that believes that its people are equal should ensure equal voting rights. However, the US Constitution does not currently protect the right to vote. All adult non-felon citizens should have a constitutional right to vote where they reside. T

Mar 14, 2024 • 47:42

Policing Equity and Justice: Phillip Atiba Solomon

Phillip Atiba Solomon is the chair and Carl I. Hovland Professor of African American Studies, Professor of Psychology at Yale University, and co-founder of the Center for Policing Equity. We discuss policing equity, investing in communities, and taking police out of the mental health crisis business.   Policing equity is multi-faceted and requires collaboration with communities. Proven solutions to reduce violence include anti-poverty investments, stopping low level traffic stops, sending non-po

Mar 7, 2024 • 49:01

Make Your Vote Pack a Punch: Sam Wang

Sam Wang is the Director of the Electoral Innovation Lab and a professor of neuroscience at Princeton University. We discuss how we can better understand the current state of district maps across the US, and how they can be made more fair and representative of their constituents.   Gerrymandering is not only unfair but also anti-democratic. It favors one party over another, effectively shutting out the possibility of accurate representation in a legislative body. The current electoral system for

Feb 29, 2024 • 40:00

Rural Democrat: Jess Piper

Jess Piper is the Executive Director of Blue Missouri and the host of the Dirt Road Democrats podcast. We discuss the reality of living in rural Missouri, the state of education, and the dearth of Democratic candidates across the state.   Rural candidates have little to no support from the state party, but Republicans enjoy the support of local churches. One-third of Missouri is rural, but there is not a single elected Democrat representing these areas. Uncontested races are bad for democracy an

Feb 22, 2024 • 39:36

Patriotism vs. Extremism: Ken Harbaugh

Ken Harbaugh is the host of the Burn the Boats podcast, a former United States Navy pilot, and executive producer of Against All Enemies, a documentary film that explores the critical role of military veterans in domestic violent extremist groups.   We discuss why veterans are equally sought out to work in Fortune 500 companies and to be in leadership positions of extremist groups. Most veterans make a successful transition to civilian life, but a small minority become radicalized. Anger and res

Feb 15, 2024 • 36:43

Leveling the Playing Field for Women: Cynthia Richie Terrell

Cynthia Richie Terrell is the founder and executive director of RepresentWomen. We discuss institutional reforms that can reduce the barriers for women to run, win, and govern.   There are approximately 520,000 elected office holders in the U.S., but incumbency is the biggest barrier to electing more women. Term limits make more seats open to competition. In addition, ranked choice voting eliminates vote splitting if there is more than one woman on the ballot. In NYC, for example, the combinatio

Feb 8, 2024 • 40:33

Identify as a Voter: Anat Shenker-Osorio

Anat Shenker-Osorio is the host of the Words to Win By podcast and the Principal of ASO Communications. We discuss the winning messages for 2024 and the importance for pro-democracy voters to turn out on Election Day.   2024 is yet another do-or-die election for American democracy, and thus the first and most important message to Americans is to vote. We need to marshal a sense of defiance to participate because if we don’t decide for ourselves, someone else will decide for us. This election is

Feb 1, 2024 • 53:24

Make A.I. Work for Democracy: Marietje Schaake

Marietje Schaake is International Policy Director at Stanford University Cyber Policy Center, International Policy Fellow at Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, and also serves on the UN’s A.I. Advisory Body. We take a deep dive into how the digital revolution can still fulfill its promise of a democratic revolution. In other words: make A.I. work for democracy.   Over the past 20 years, power became more and more concentrated in the hands of big tech companies, whil

Jan 25, 2024 • 42:53

Montana is a Bulwark: Ryan Busse

Ryan Busse is a Democratic candidate for governor of Montana and the author of Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry That Radicalized America. We discuss how Montana is a bulwark against anti-democratic forces and how Ryan cuts through the politi-speak on the campaign trail.    It's important for Democrats to identify with the basic democratic freedom values of the vast majority of people, whether that’s fair taxes on homeowners or reproductive freedom. Ryan argues that a vibrant democracy de

Jan 18, 2024 • 43:16

A Better Way to Vote: Deb Otis

Deb Otis is the Director of Research & Policy at FairVote, a nonpartisan organization that researches and advances voting reforms that make democracy more functional and representative for every American. We discuss the benefits of ranked choice voting and the likelihood that it will become more popular after the 2024 presidential election.   Ranked choice voting addresses a variety of problems in “vote one” elections, such as vote splitting among similar candidates; ranking candidates in order

Jan 11, 2024 • 32:18

State Races Matter: Lala Wu

Lala Wu is the co-founder and executive director of Sister District, an organization that works to build enduring progressive power in state legislatures. We discuss how state races will continue to be important during the presidential election cycle and why the battle for redistricting will be center stage.   State legislatures are where a lot of impactful policy is made, such as abortion laws. They’re also critical because in most states, state legislatures control redistricting. Building prog

Jan 4, 2024 • 37:29

Why Dissent is a Part of Democracy: Democracy-ish

Over the last several years our politics has been pushed from a place of collaboration to bold faced loyalty tests. In his latest book: Differ We Must: How Lincoln Succeeded in a Divided America, our guest, author and NPR Morning Edition co-host, Steve Inskeep, discusses with Waj and Danielle why dissent necessary and is as American as apple pie!  Listen to Democracy-ish:  https://www.dcpofficial.com/democracy-ish    Follow Danielle on X:  https://twitter.com/DeeTwoCents    Follow Waj on X:  h

Dec 28, 2023 • 39:47

Building the Public Square: Rich Harwood

Rich Harwood is the president and founder of The Harwood Institute, who just launched a campaign to reclaim the public square from the most divisive voices and build it into a place that can make hope real for all.   The public square is a noisy and messy place where society disagrees, argues, and also finds solutions. It’s through working out expectations, engaging in the work to be on the right path forward, and holding ourselves accountable to our goals that we engender hope. Acknowledging wh

Dec 21, 2023 • 39:54

Black Grief/White Grievance: Juliet Hooker

Juliet Hooker is the author of Black Grief/White Grievance: The Politics of Loss and the Royce Family Professor of Teaching Excellence in Political Science at Brown University. We talk about how racism has narrowed the political imagination of both black and white citizens.   In American politics and democracy, neither side is supposed to win all the time. Losing is a fundamental part of democracy, and does not make the losers victims. In a multiracial democracy, having a president or any other

Dec 14, 2023 • 36:51

Housing is a Moral Issue: Shaun Donovan

Shaun Donovan is the CEO & President of Enterprise Community Partners. We discuss how the deeply entrenched housing crisis has become worse in recent years and the multiple strategies to make home and community places of pride, power, and belonging.   Housing is a basic need that is fundamental to democratic participation. The lack of housing is preventing communities around the country from attracting workers and studies show slowing GDP growth due to housing affordability. People across the US

Dec 7, 2023 • 43:59

Building a Black Future: Christopher Paul Harris

Christopher Paul Harris is Assistant Professor of Global & International Studies at the University of California, Irvine, and the author of To Build A Black Future: The Radical Politics of Joy, Pain, and Care. We discuss why addressing our society’s hard-wired prejudices must be a substantial part of our endeavors toward a truly multicultural democracy.   Central to building a Black future is reframing and recreating institutions from the perspective of those who have been historically marginali

Nov 30, 2023 • 42:11

Have the Conversation: Neal Rickner

Just in time for Thanksgiving, Neal Rickner joins us to talk about the American Values Coalition, a growing community of Americans who are empowered to lead with truth, reject extremism and misinformation, and defend democracy. Get some pointers to dialogue across political divides and across the table.   First, have the courage to have the conversation. As much as hiding in the kitchen sounds preferable, we’re going to engage on the issues one relationship at a time. Begin the conversation with

Nov 21, 2023 • 38:48

Unions and Democracy: Theda Skocpol

Thursday, November 16th, 2023   Theda Skocpol is the Victor S. Thomas Professor of Government and Sociology at Harvard University and co-author of Rust Belt Union Blues: Why Working-Class Voters are Turning Away from the Democratic Party. We learn how unions are true laboratories of democracy and why their demise has eroded our democratic culture.   Unions were at the heart of local communities well beyond bargaining for contracts. They were part of recreational and social life, and even the chu

Nov 16, 2023 • 46:28

Cooperation Democracy: Bernard Harcourt

Thursday, November 9th, 2023   Bernard E. Harcourt is Isidor and Seville Sulzbacher Professor of Law and Professor of Political Science at Columbia University -- and he was also our very first guest on the podcast! Bernard's most recent book, Cooperation: A Political, Economic, and Social Theory, offers the blueprint for a society based on cooperation.   The idea of creating a space that benefits the stakeholders, rather than the shareholders, has a long history. Cooperatives offer a robust way

Nov 9, 2023 • 43:13

Shaping Collective Memory: Hajar Yazdiha

Thursday, November 2nd, 2023   Hajar Yazdiha is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences and the author of The Struggle for the People’s King: How Politics Transforms the Memory of the Civil Rights Movement. We discuss the role of collective memory in the myth-making of American exceptionalism.    Collective memory is the way that we remember history and that becomes central to our idea of who we are as a people. It’s a process of storytellin

Nov 2, 2023 • 37:45

Everytown for Gun Safety: Nick Suplina

Thursday, October 26th, 2023   Nick Suplina is Senior Vice President for Law & Policy at Everytown for Gun Safety. He was previously an advisor for New York State’s Attorney General. We discuss how 10 years of grassroots organizing has changed the political calculus on gun safety legislation, starting with the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.    Although progress is slow, 15 Republican senators did vote for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in 2022. This was made possible because of 10 years

Oct 26, 2023 • 40:19

Making Government Responsive: Sam Oliker-Friedland

Thursday, October 19th, 2023   Sam Oliker-Friedland is the Executive Director of the Institute for Responsive Government and a former Department of Justice voting rights litigator at the Civil Rights Division. We discuss the promise of automation for good governance and democracy.   There is a lot of good pro-voter legislation being implemented in states from Nevada to Michigan, Pennsylvania to New York. The success of automatic voter registration laws are fertile ground for better public policy

Oct 19, 2023 • 42:50

Tyranny of the Minority: Steven Levitsky

Thursday, October 12th, 2023   Steven Levitsky is Professor of Government at Harvard University. Together with Daniel Ziblatt, he is co-author of How Democracies Die and has just published Tyranny of the Minority. They argue that reforming American institutions to become more democratic will help us achieve a multiracial democracy—and in the process save democracy itself.    We are on the cusp of a multiracial democracy, but to get there we need to reform our constitution and end counter-majorit

Oct 12, 2023 • 38:43

Radical Acts of Justice: Jocelyn Simonson

Thursday, October 5th, 2023   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. B

Oct 5, 2023 • 47:43

The Fear of Too Much Justice: Stephen Bright & James Kwak

Thursday, September 28th, 2023   Stephen Bright and James Kwak are co-authors of The Fear of Too Much Justice: Race, Poverty, and the Persistence of Inequality in the Criminal Courts. Stephen Bright has been an advocate for death row inmates for four decades and was the long-time director of the Southern Center for Human Rights, where James Kwak is the immediate past chair. We do not have a level playing field between the prosecution and the defense. Inequality and injustice in the criminal leg

Sep 28, 2023 • 43:47

America Votes: Sara Schreiber

Thursday, September 21st, 2023   Sara Schreiber is the Executive Director of America Votes, the coordination hub of progressive communities. We discuss expanding access to voting, modernizing elections, and getting out the vote up and down the ballot. The last three election cycles saw a real surge of voters: 46 million people who did not vote in the 2016 election, voted in 2018 or 2020. Unprecedented numbers of voter engagement and pro voter policies have also been implemented since 2016. New

Sep 21, 2023 • 34:44

Maximum Impact Volunteering: Yoni Landau

Thursday, September 14th, 2023   Yoni Landau is the CEO and founder of Movement Labs, the founder of Contest Every Race, and a former White House Office of Management and Budget and Robert Reich staffer. We explore just how technology can empower our practice of democracy and enrich our civic action toolkit.   Think about your personal impact in terms of additionality – how much you’ve done that wouldn’t have otherwise been done. Movement Labs aims to make it easy for you to have an impactful vo

Sep 14, 2023 • 41:25

Hubert Humphrey and Civil Rights: Samuel G. Freedman

Thursday, September 7th, 2023   Samuel G. Freedman is an award-winning professor of journalism at Columbia University and author of Into the Bright Sunshine: Young Hubert Humphrey and the Fight for Civil Rights. We dive into Humphrey’s activism in the proto civil rights movement and his role to include civil rights in Democratic Party platform in 1948.   Hubert Humphrey was a coalition builder. After his decisive win for mayor of Minneapolis, he put together a civil rights and human rights agend

Sep 7, 2023 • 45:33

America’s Raw Deal: Kurt Andersen

Thursday, August 31st, 2023   Kurt Andersen is a prolific writer and author of Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America: A Recent History. We discuss the conservative playbook to move our society culturally, economically, and politically to the right, and why continuous civic engagement and investment in Americans can restore basic fairness.   Influential conservatives capitalized on a wave of cultural nostalgia after the turbulent 1960s to turn the American economy into a version of extreme capit

Aug 31, 2023 • 47:56

The Right’s Parallel Universe: Anne Nelson

Thursday, August 24th, 2023   Anne Nelson is an author and lecturer in the fields of international affairs, media, and human rights. Her most recent book is Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right. We discuss the coordination between fundamentalist organizations and oil barons to win elections and pass socially conservative public policies.    Before the demise of local news, the American public had a factual common page. That is now largely displaced by right-wing

Aug 24, 2023 • 52:22

Use Your Footprint for Democracy: David Pepper

Thursday, August 17th, 2023   David Pepper is a lawyer, writer, political activist, and former elected official. He served as the Chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party between 2015 and 2021. He’s the author of several books, including the excellent how-to guide: Saving Democracy: A User’s Manual for Every American. We discuss how every one of us can use our personal footprint to lift democracy.   The forces attacking democracy are doing so in order to keep their minority worldview locked in. All

Aug 17, 2023 • 54:25

Courts for Democracy: Skye Perryman

Thursday, August 10th, 2023   Skye Perryman is the President and CEO of Democracy Forward, an organization that uses the law to build collective power and advance a bold, vibrant democracy. We discuss successful legal action to protect and advance the rights of all Americans.     A culmination of factors have come together to create a moment in which there are serious existential questions about what type of government and what kind of society Americans will be living in. Backsliding in areas su

Aug 10, 2023 • 43:15

Asian Americans: Norman Chen

Thursday, August 3rd, 2023   Norman Chen is the CEO of the Asian American Foundation or TAAF. We discuss racism against Asians and the pursuit of belonging through philanthropy, civic engagement, and education.   Deep misconceptions about Asian Americans persist. Narrative change is key for people to see Asian Americans as really being Americans. Only about 1.5% of schools offer a formal Asian American studies program, although Asian American history and Pacific Islander history is a critical pa

Aug 3, 2023 • 40:22

Open System for Democracy: Landon Mascareñaz & Doannie Tran

Thursday, July 27th, 2023   Landon Mascareñaz and Doannie Tran are co-authors of The Open System: Redesigning Education and Reigniting Democracy. Education is our greatest democracy-building endeavor. We discuss rebuilding trust in public education and marshaling the public will to do something great together.   The democratic act is in the spark of everyday interactions with our community, such as in schools. Families and communities should be an integral part of the way that schools function.

Jul 27, 2023 • 45:42

The Post-Roe Reality: Jenice Fountain

Thursday, July 20th, 2023   Jenice Fountain is the Executive Director of the Yellowhammer Fund, a reproductive justice organization in Birmingham that serves Alabama, Mississippi, and the deep south. We discuss what the actual lived experience is in Alabama, a year after the Dobbs decision.   Since the Dobbs decision, pregnancies are less safe in states where abortion is prohibited. Exceptions to protect the life of the pregnant person do not work in reality because interventions are only offere

Jul 20, 2023 • 37:53

The Power of Citizen Voice: Layla Law-Gisiko

Thursday, July 13th, 2023   Layla Law-Gisiko serves on Manhattan’s Community Board 5 at the very center of New York City. She currently chairs the land use committee, which makes recommendations on the community’s built real estate environments. We discuss her community advocacy, the land use issues the Community Board considers, and the future of New York’s Penn Station.   The community board’s power is its voice. Community boards give people an opportunity to get involved and participate in de

Jul 13, 2023 • 47:15

Democracy Decoded: A Fight for the Right to Vote

Thursday, July 6th, 2023   We’re sharing an episode from fellow Democracy Group podcast, Democracy Decoded, a show that examines our government and discusses innovative ideas that could lead to a stronger, more transparent, accountable, and inclusive democracy.   During the COVID-19 pandemic, many states took steps to make voting safer and more accessible, but afterward, we saw a backlash with some states erecting barriers to voting access. Democracy Decoded host Simone Leeper speaks with Trevor

Jul 6, 2023 • 24:18

Citizens and Their Obligations: Richard Haass

Thursday, June 29th, 2023   Dr. Richard Haass is the President of the Council on Foreign Relations and the author of The Bill of Obligations: Ten Habits of Good Citizens. We discuss how we, as citizens, can fulfill our role in the social contract.   The United States is a country founded on an idea about equality, about opportunity, and about freedom. Rights alone will not guarantee the smooth functioning of a society, but must be coupled with obligations. These include being informed, getting i

Jun 29, 2023 • 52:45

Lawyers for Democracy: Anna Chu

Thursday, June 22nd, 2023   Anna Chu is the executive director of We The Action, an organization that connects volunteer lawyers with nonprofits that require legal assistance. We discuss how lawyers play a unique and critical role in strengthening American democracy.   A strong democracy relies on everyone having the ability to have their voices heard at every level of the government, but in the US there is a huge gap between who is actually eligible to vote and who actually votes. In addition,

Jun 22, 2023 • 39:28

The Power of Solidarity: Frank Guridy

Thursday, June 15th, 2023   Frank Guridy is the Executive Director of the Eric H. Holder Initiative for Civil and Political Rights at Columbia University and the Dr. Kenneth and Kareitha Forde Professor of African American and African Diaspora Studies. We discuss social movements in the past, present, and future.    Social movements consist of mass participation from outside of established political structures to address grievances or to pursue larger social goals. They are often long term endea

Jun 15, 2023 • 47:12

National Security & Truth: David Priess

Thursday, June 8th, 2023   David Priess is the Director of Intelligence at Bedrock Learning and has served at the CIA as an intelligence officer, a manager, and a daily intelligence briefer during the presidencies of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. We discuss how the issues of waging war and negotiating peace affect our everyday lives.   The intelligence function is about discovering the truth in order to reduce uncertainty for decision-makers on issues of national security. Intelligence cannot

Jun 8, 2023 • 53:38

Democracy in Texas: Beto O’Rourke

Thursday, June 1st, 2023   Beto O’Rourke is a fourth-generation Texan, the former US Representative of Texas’s 16th Congressional district, the Democratic Party’s nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2018, and the Democratic nominee for the 2022 Texas gubernatorial election. He is also the author of We've Got to Try: How the Fight for Voting Rights Makes Everything Else Possible.   We discuss the outsized importance of Texas politics for the nation. Republicans have relied on winning Texas’s electoral

Jun 1, 2023 • 55:21

Fighting for Good Governance: Anna Eskamani

Thursday, May 25th, 2023   Representative Anna Eskamani serves on behalf of Florida’s 42nd district of Orange County in the state House of Representatives. We discuss her victories at the ballot box and her work to represent her constituents. Her campaign slogan is “Working for you. Fighting for us.”   When serving in the minority of the Florida state legislature, you only pass legislation by working across the aisle. Anna is a firm believer in calling people in before calling them out, and on f

May 25, 2023 • 33:17

People Power and AI: Chris Wiggins & Matt Jones

Thursday, May 18th, 2023   Chris Wiggins and Matthew L. Jones are co-authors of How Data Happened: A History from the Age of Reason to the Age of Algorithms. Chris is an associate professor of applied mathematics at Columbia University and the New York Times’s chief data scientist and Matt is a professor of history at Columbia. Together, they taught a course called “Data: Past, Present, and Future," and their book is an extension thereof. We discuss the history of how data is made; the relations

May 18, 2023 • 41:51

Dignity and Justice: Judge Victoria Pratt

Thursday, May 11th, 2023   Judge Victoria Pratt was Chief Judge in Newark Municipal Court in New Jersey and the author of The Power of Dignity. She is currently the Executive Director of Odyssey Impact, an interfaith non-profit driving social change through innovative storytelling and media. We discuss procedural justice, municipal court reform, and increasing the public's trust in the justice system.    Tough-on-crime laws are ineffective. Punishing people for wrongdoing does not change behavio

May 11, 2023 • 38:51

Civic Information Media: Craig Aaron

Thursday, May 4th, 2023   Craig Aaron is the Co-CEO of Free Press and Free Press Action. We discuss the civic information bill in New Jersey and the promise of centering civic information in the media.   A vibrant multiracial democracy requires civic information media, which delivers the information that helps us live better lives in our communities. Journalism or civic media are a public good, and the public needs to invest in media along those lines. In New Jersey, bipartisan legislative suppo

May 4, 2023 • 45:05

A Slow Civil War?: Jeff Sharlet

Thursday, April 27th, 2023   Jeff Sharlet is a journalist, best-selling author, and longtime observer and investigator of the Christian right. His latest book is The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. We discuss America's democratic bankruptcy, the martyrdom of Ashli Babbit, and the rightward shift of the mainstream.    The notion of civil war was a fringe idea, but in recent years it has become mainstream.  It was just a question of time and for some, it was already happening. Fascism does

Apr 27, 2023 • 43:13

Reclaiming Rural Power: Chloe Maxmin & Canyon Woodward

Thursday, April 20th, 2023   Chloe Maxmin and Canyon Woodward are the co-authors of Dirt Road Revival: How to Rebuild Rural Politics and Why our Future Depends on It. We discuss the importance of winning rural races in America.   When Chloe ran for office in rural Maine, she knocked on over 20,000 doors and discovered that constituents feel a lack of representation in their daily lives. Democrats really stopped showing up and investing in strong organizing infrastructure in rural places, but it'

Apr 20, 2023 • 41:05

Winning Messages: Anat Shenker-Osorio

Thursday, April 13th, 2023   Anat Shenker-Osorio is a renowned communications researcher and campaign advisor, the host of Words to Win By, and the Principal of ASO Communications. We discuss how to empower voters, the impact of repetition, and the importance of being clear on what you stand for.   All candidates should repeatedly state what they stand for because repetition is an essential ingredient in making sure a message is heard. Negative messaging can often be counterproductive because wh

Apr 13, 2023 • 43:29

Drilled: The Boom

Thursday, April 6th, 2023   We’re sharing an episode of Drilled, a true-crime podcast about climate change, hosted and reported by award-winning investigative journalist Amy Westervelt.   Four years ago, the Drilled podcast asked a question that changed how people thought about climate stories: What if we stopped acting like the climate crisis was inevitable and instead treated it like it truly is… the crime of the century? Now, the original true crime podcast about climate change is back with a

Apr 6, 2023 • 28:55

Bail Reform’s Success: Alana Sivin

Thursday, March 30th, 2023   Alana Sivin is the New York State Director of Criminal Justice Reform at FWD.us. We discuss the history of bail reform legislation, the subsequent roadblocks, and the truth behind the efficacy of this policy.    Bail reform was passed to end a system of wealth-based detention of people who have not been convicted of a crime. Many of them are Black and brown. Verified public data shows that bail reform is not leading to a rise in re-arrest rates. It is also not contri

Mar 30, 2023 • 37:09

Holding Police Accountable: Joanna Schwartz

Thursday, March 23rd, 2023   Joanna Schwartz is a professor of law at UCLA, where she teaches civil procedure and courses on police accountability. Her new book is Shielded: How the Police Became Untouchable. We discuss the multiple levels of protection for police offers and how local and state laws can break us out of the qualified immunity maze.   There is a broad systemic problem with holding police accountable when they abuse their power or violate the law. The Supreme Court and state and lo

Mar 23, 2023 • 45:02

Elect Women: Laphonza Butler

Thursday, March 16th, 2023   Laphonza Butler is President of Emily’s List, an organization that aims to help elect pro-choice democratic women to office. We're inspired by the organization's motto to "reject apathy and the status quo. Repeat daily." We discuss how women bring the challenges and dreams of their community to the policymaking table.    Running for office is perhaps the ultimate form of civic participation. Bringing more women to policy making discussions is crucial, but it takes wo

Mar 16, 2023 • 43:11

Defend Public Education: Jennifer Berkshire & Jack Schneider

Thursday, March 9th, 2023   Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Schneider are co-authors of A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door: The Dismantling of Public Education and the Future of School and co-hosts of the education podcast Have You Heard? We discuss the ideology behind the unmaking of public education and the dangers of losing one of our most prized public goods.    One of the original visions of public education was about building individual democratic citizens for a polis, an American society.  School

Mar 9, 2023 • 50:44

Winning Legislative Majorities: Daniel Squadron

Thursday, March 2nd, 2023   Daniel Squadron is the co-founder and Executive Director of The States Project and also a former New York State senator. We discuss what it takes to win legislative majorities in state houses and why this is the essential ingredient to making change.    State legislatures are the most important force in this country. When parties win legislative majorities, they can govern effectively. The good news is that tiny levels of new engagement make a seismic difference in st

Mar 2, 2023 • 47:59

Housing Justice: Leah Goodridge

Thursday, February 23rd, 2023   Leah Goodridge has served on the New York City Planning Commission since 2021 and is the Managing Attorney for Housing Policy at Mobilization for Justice. She oversees a team that provides legal representation to tenants in eviction proceedings. We talk about housing in New York City, ranging from high rents and evictions to land use discussions.   Tenant unions have advocated for tenants’ rights in New York and Albany, which pushed for right to counsel and new re

Feb 23, 2023 • 34:18

Solving Homelessness: Gregg Colburn

Thursday, February 16th, 2023   Gregg Colburn is the co-author of Homelessness is a Housing Problem: How Structural Factors Explain US Patterns. He's also an Assistant Professor of Real Estate at the University of Washington’s College of Built Environments. We discuss the prevalence and variety of homelessness and the big ideas to tackle the housing crisis.   About 5% of the population in the US will experience homelessness at some point in their life. Housing costs and other structural factors

Feb 16, 2023 • 38:17

Create Responsive Government: Octavia Abell

Thursday, February 9th, 2023   Octavia Abell is the co-founder and CEO of Govern For America, which describes its mission as bridging the gap between governments and emerging leaders to build a pipeline of diverse and dynamic public sector talent. We discuss the power of public sector workers to be agents of change, whether that's public policy on climate or streamlining the process of getting a birth certificate.   Government can deliver public policy that improves our daily lives. For example,

Feb 9, 2023 • 37:21

Unions Represent the Voiceless: Ruth Milkman

Thursday, February 2nd, 2023   Ruth Milkman is Distinguished Professor of Sociology and History at the CUNY Graduate Center and at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, where she chairs the Labor Studies Department. Her most recent books are Immigration Matters and Immigrant Labor and the New Precariat.   Unions remain a voice for the voiceless, especially given that the playing field has been very strongly tilted in favor of employers for some time. Employers are very aggressively anti-un

Feb 2, 2023 • 41:27

Overcoming Neoliberalism: Jared Yates Sexton

Thursday, January 26th, 2023   Jared Yates Sexton is a self-described Hoosier, a Political Analyst, and host of the Muckrake Podcast. His latest book is The Midnight Kingdom: A History of Power, Paranoia, and the Coming Crisis. We discuss our current era of neo-liberalism and what may be in store in the future.    One of the most dangerous things that Reagan and Thatcher did on behalf of neoliberalism was convince people that government is impotent. This has eaten away at the authority of the st

Jan 26, 2023 • 43:33

Invest in Young Voters: Victor Shi

Thursday, January 19th, 2023   Victor Shi is a Gen Z activist, host of On the Move, co-host of iGen Politics, a junior at UCLA, and Strategy Director of Voters of Tomorrow. He was elected as the youngest delegate for Joe Biden in 2020 and previously interned at the White House and DNC. We discuss the power of the youth vote to determine elections and which issues motivate Gen Zers to go to the polls.    Against the backdrop of voter suppression, especially in states like Texas, young voters stru

Jan 19, 2023 • 38:20

We Have the Majority: Danielle Moodie & Wajahat Ali

Thursday, January 12th, 2023   Danielle Moodie is a cultural connoisseur, a political junkie, and, in addition to Democracy-ish, also hosts the Woke AF Daily podcast. Wajahat Ali is a Daily Beast columnist, public speaker, recovering attorney, and author. His most recent book is Go Back To Where You Came From: And, Other Helpful Recommendations on Becoming American. We discuss the struggle toward a multiracial democracy and the role of civic action to achieve it.   Despite many years of disinfor

Jan 12, 2023 • 49:50

Winning the Civil War: Steve Phillips

Thursday, January 5th, 2023   Steve Phillips is the host of the Democracy in Color podcast and the author of How We Win the Civil War: Securing a Multiracial Democracy and Ending White Supremacy for Good. We start off a new year of civic engagement and fighting for democracy with a conversation about his political leadership, thought leadership, and coalition building.   The Confederate Battle plan of never giving an inch, ruthlessly rewriting the rules, distorting public opinion, silently sanct

Jan 5, 2023 • 50:21

How Textbooks Made America Not So Great: Some of My Best Friends Are

Thursday, December 29th, 2022   We’re sharing a clip from an episode of Some of My Best Friends Are…   Here’s a preview of another podcast, Some of My Best Friends Are, from Pushkin Industries. Harvard professor Khalil Gibran Muhammad and journalist Ben Austen are friends, one Black and one white, who grew up together on the South Side of Chicago. On Some of My Best Friends Are, Khalil and Ben, along with their guests, have critical conversations that are at once personal, political, and playful

Dec 29, 2022 • 12:42

Reform the Courts!: Chris Kang

Thursday, December 22nd, 2022   Chris Kang is the Co-Founder and Chief Counsel of Demand Justice. He served in the White House for nearly seven years as Deputy Counsel to President Obama and Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs. We talk about court reform from diversifying the bench of judges to expanding the Supreme Court.   The Supreme Court of the United States is actually the only court in the entire country that does not have a binding code of ethics. Congress has chan

Dec 22, 2022 • 37:54

Include the Independent Voter: Jackie Salit & Thom Reilly

Thursday, December 15th, 2022   Jackie Salit and Thom Reilly are co-directors of the Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy at Arizona State University and co-authors of The Independent Voter. Independents are making a statement about the culture, the practice, and the destructiveness of the current political culture. You have almost half the country identifying themselves as independents, but you have a system that is completely embedded with partisan bias.   Jackie and Thom break

Dec 15, 2022 • 48:06

Ballot Initiatives For Direct Democracy: Chris Melody Fields Figueredo

Thursday, December 8th, 2022   Chris Melody Fields Figueredo is the Executive Director of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, which seeks to strengthen democracy by building a national progressive strategy for ballot measures. We discuss ballot initiatives and how they put the issues directly into the hands of voters and out of the two-party system. It can really flip the script!   Ballot measures are often higher vote-getters than candidates. They also transcend party lines. Medicaid expansi

Dec 8, 2022 • 44:57

Organizing Powers Democracy: Cecile Richards

Thursday, December 1st, 2022   Cecile Richards is the co-chair of American Bridge, former president of Planned Parenthood, a co-founder of Supermajority, and author of the book Make Trouble. We make sense of the midterms, take away some gold nuggets for democracy, and are reminded that grassroots organizing is all about the long game.    A way to suppress democracy is by telling people it doesn't matter whether we vote or not. With widespread predictions that Republicans would sweep the midterms

Dec 1, 2022 • 54:33

The Appeal of Libertarianism: Andrew Koppelman

Thursday, November 23rd, 2022   Andrew Koppelman is the author of Burning Down the House: How Libertarian Philosophy Was Corrupted by Delusion and Greed. It’s a fascinating history of this idea and an excellent lens for understanding so much of American life and politics.    The core idea of liberalism is that people ought to be able to live as they like and libertarianism appeals to that desire for freedom. The question is how do you deliver it? A robust free market has proven to do more for th

Nov 23, 2022 • 43:20

The Truth About Disability Rights: Rebecca Cokley

Thursday, November 10th, 2022   Rebecca Cokley is a disability-rights advocate and the first U.S. Disability Rights Program Officer for the Ford Foundation. From 2009 to 2013, she served as an appointee in President Barack Obama’s White House. We discuss the lived experience of being disabled in America. It's an important conversation that truly exposes the inequities of our society.   We don't live in a society that allows for equality for disabled people. In fact, if you're disabled, you're mo

Nov 17, 2022 • 54:46

Police and Public Safety: Thaddeus Johnson

Thursday, November 10th, 2022   Thaddeus Johnson is a former police officer, a Senior Fellow at the Council on Criminal Justice, and Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice & Criminology at  Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. This broad-ranging conversation discusses law enforcement and empowering communities and citizens so we can all be safer.   Public safety falls under a much larger umbrella than just policing. Police officers need to be rewarded for community

Nov 10, 2022 • 49:34

Indictment Is Accountability: Allison Gill

Thursday, November 3rd, 2022   Dr. Alison Gill is a veteran, former federal government executive, and Host of Mueller She Wrote and the Daily Beans Podcast. We discuss democracy, accountability and all the legal troubles the former president is facing, and the power of your vote.   Your vote matters and can deliver accountability at the ballot box, which is why there are so many efforts to suppress it. Personal outreach and relational organizing are the most effective in turning out the vote. De

Nov 3, 2022 • 35:34

Flexing the Women’s Vote: Amanda Brown Lierman

Thursday, October 27th, 2022   Amanda Brown Lierman is the Executive Director at Supermajority and Supermajority Education Fund, which builds women’s political power through efforts to inform, train and organize women across age, race, and background.   Women are 52% of the vote. Fundamentally, women believe that their lives should be safe, their bodies should be respected, their work should be valued, their families should be supported, and that the government should represent them. Relational

Oct 27, 2022 • 45:13

AI for Equality: Orly Lobel

Thursday, October 20th, 2022   Orly Lobel is the Warren Distinguished Professor of Law and the Director of the Center for Employment and Labor Law. Her latest book is The Equality Machine: Harnessing Digital Technology for a Brighter, More Inclusive Future. We discuss reframing our public discourse around technology in order to proactively use it as a tool for equality.    Lobel urges us to think about what our goals, social norms, and values are in a democratic society. Because we’re racing for

Oct 20, 2022 • 41:31

The Difference Between The House & The Senate: Civics 101

Tuesday, October 18th, 2022   We're sharing an episode of Civics 101 from New Hampshire Public Radio.   The House and the Senate have mostly the same powers: they both propose and vote on bills that may become law. So why does the House have 435 members, and the Senate have 100? Why does legislation have to pass through both sides, and what kinds of power do each have individually? And finally: what role do you, as a voter, play in ensuring that Congress, and your Congressional delegation, is wo

Oct 18, 2022 • 31:56

How the NRA Radicalized America: Ryan Busse

Thursday, October 13th, 2022   Ryan Busse is a former firearms executive, Senior Policy Advisor to Giffords, and author of Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry That Radicalized America. We discuss how guns are intricately interwoven through our democratic division and radicalization in our everyday lives and in our politics.   The assault weapons ban helped codify societal norms. In the years after the legislation lapsed, the culture of hatred, division, fear, and conspiracy became widesprea

Oct 13, 2022 • 42:54

Gen Z for Change: Aidan Kohn-Murphy & Jack Petocz

Thursday, October 6th, 2022   Aidan Kohn-Murphy is the founder and Executive Director of the organization Gen Z for Change, a youth-led nonprofit working to educate and create change on issues that affect young people. Jack Petocz is a political strategist who also mounted a campaign to recall his local school board in Florida to fight back against anti-LGBTQ board members.    With the tool of social media, Gen Z for Change is reaching millions of youth across the country to mobilize them to be

Oct 6, 2022 • 35:50

Stop Banning Books: Jonathan Friedman

Thursday, September 29th, 2022   Jonathan Friedman is the director of free expression and education programs at PEN America. He oversees research, advocacy, and education related to academic freedom, educational gag orders, book bans, and general free expression in schools, colleges, and universities. We discuss the driving forces behind campaigns to ban books and silence teachers.   Education has always been political and a part of the culture war. We’re currently experiencing an eruption of ci

Sep 29, 2022 • 47:16

Fascism Is All Around Us: Jason Stanley

Thursday, September 22nd, 2022   Jason Stanley is the Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy at Yale and the author of 5 books, including How Propaganda Works and most recently How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them. We discuss the logic of fascism and why we need to use it as a concept to make sense of our times.   Using a concept like fascism makes plain that their goal is to end democracy. Fascists use projection as the core of their propaganda; they scapegoat a variety of targets like

Sep 22, 2022 • 34:46

Fight for Democracy: Steve Pierson

Thursday, September 15th, 2022   Steve Pierson is the host of the How We Win podcast. He’s an activist, community organizer, and trainer, who started as a “class of 2016” volunteer. He’s currently an elected California Democratic Party Delegate and chairs their Organizing Committee. We discuss the nitty gritty of Get Out the Vote, phone banking, and a whole host of other boots on the ground politics as we head toward the midterms.   According to a recent NBC poll, threats against democracy are p

Sep 15, 2022 • 41:20

The Power of Crisis: Ian Bremmer

Thursday, September 8th, 2022   Ian Bremmer is a political scientist and he’s the founder and president of the research and consulting firm Eurasia Group. We discuss his latest book, The Power of Crisis: How Three Threats -- and Our Response -- Will Change the World. He argues that the major challenges humanity is facing are spurring us to create a new world order that works against these common threats.   The climate crisis, disruptive technologies, and pandemics are existential threats to huma

Sep 8, 2022 • 1:02:04

Democratic Thinking and Acting: Christopher Beem

Thursday, September 1st, 2022   Christopher Beem is Managing Director of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy, co-host of the Democracy Works podcast, and the author of The Seven Democratic Virtues: What You Can Do to Overcome Tribalism and Save Our Democracy. We discuss vices and virtues in the context of democratic thinking, democratic acting, and democratic belief.   American democracy is at a crisis point. To fix our politics, we have to change our culture first. We can all take part in cr

Sep 1, 2022 • 40:35

The Taxpayers’ Watchdog: Rob Sand

Thursday, August 25th, 2022   Rob Sand is Iowa’s State Auditor, which is the taxpayers’ watchdog in the state. He’s the first Democrat to beat an incumbent Republican in Iowa in 50 years. We discuss putting public service above politics, delivering good governance, and how to get stuff done even when you are part of a political minority.    The auditor’s job is to promote transparency, uncover wrongdoing, and report their findings to the public. Their work is key in holding powerful people in po

Aug 25, 2022 • 49:00

Economic Crimes of the Powerful: Jennifer Taub

Thursday, August 18th, 2022   Jennifer Taub is a lawyer, advocate, and author of Big Dirty Money: The Shocking Injustice and Unseen Cost of White Collar Crime. We revisit our discussion on who gets a pass for committing such crimes, what the actual consequences are to our society, and how to hold the perpetrators accountable.   White collar crime, as originally defined by Edwin Sutherland in 1939, are offenses committed by someone of high social status and respectability in the course of their o

Aug 18, 2022 • 41:50

Break Up Monopolies: Zephyr Teachout

Thursday, August 11th, 2022   Zephyr Teachout is Senior Counsel for Economic Justice for the New York Attorney General and law professor at Fordham University. We revisit our conversation with her about her book, Break 'Em Up: Recovering Our Freedom from Big Ag, Big Tech, and Big Money. We discuss how monopolies are deeply anti-democratic, how we can break them up by enforcing existing anti-trust laws, and protect our democracy.   Monopolies are anti-democratic because they have the power to set

Aug 11, 2022 • 50:29

Climate Leadership with Vision: Elizabeth Yeampierre

Thursday, August 4th, 2022   Elizabeth Yeampierre is an internationally recognized Puerto Rican attorney and environmental and climate justice leader of African and Indigenous ancestry, a national leader in the climate justice movement, and the co-chair of the Climate Justice Alliance. She is also the Executive Director of UPROSE, Brooklyn’s oldest Latino community-based organization.    UPROSE helped the Sunset Park community in Brooklyn lead their efforts against industry city with a vision th

Aug 4, 2022 • 42:50

Making Government Work: Amanda Renteria

Thursday, July 28th, 2022 Amanda Renteria the CEO of Code for America, an organization of people-centered problem solvers working to improve government in a meaningful way. We discuss making government work better for everyday people by design. Good governance starts with getting the basics right, such as delivering clean water to all communities. Making government simple and accessible is also key. Currently it’s so complicated that many people have lost trust in the government's ability to res

Jul 28, 2022 • 44:06

Universal Civic Duty Voting: E.J. Dionne & Miles Rapoport

Thursday, July 21st, 2022   Miles Rapoport and E.J. Dionne are the co-authors of 100% Democracy: The Case for Universal Voting. In a time when the erosion of democracy is real and undisputed, they argue that every adult American citizen should be made to vote. We discuss the big idea at the core of America: democracy!   Democracy itself needs to be on the ballot and the dangers of extremism need to be on the ballot. If we want something close to 100% democracy, we have to abandon the idea that i

Jul 21, 2022 • 45:21

City Life and Remote Work: Matthew E. Kahn

Thursday, July 14th, 2022   Matthew E. Kahn is Provost Professor at the University of Southern California and the author of six previous books about environmental and urban economics issues. His latest book is Going Remote: How the Flexible Work Economy Can Improve Our Lives and Our Cities. We discuss the future of our cities and the future of work--whether that's remote or in person.   The pandemic revealed a new geography of economic opportunity. Some jobs that were only in person before are n

Jul 14, 2022 • 47:25

The Suburban Women Problem: Rachel Vindman

Thursday, July 7th, 2022   Rachel Vindman is the host of the Suburban Women Problem podcast and wife of retired Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman. We discuss the disenchantment of suburban women with our politics–who historically vote in very high numbers, our personal responsibility to use our voices for change, and the war in Ukraine.    One of the fastest ways to mitigate domestic issues like inflation and high gas prices is to help Ukraine defeat Russia. This would ease pressure on the wo

Jul 7, 2022 • 44:45

Financial Confessions: Imani Barbarin

Thursday, June 30th, 2022   This week, Future Hindsight is sharing an episode of The Financial Confessions – a podcast by The Financial Diet. The Financial Diet is the largest personal finance platform for women on the internet.  Money impacts everything we do, and talking about it can be scary. In each episode, host Chelsea Fagan sits down with a subject matter expert for an in-depth chat about their particular field of work with a financial-first lens. In this episode, she speaks with writer a

Jun 30, 2022 • 55:57

End Gerrymandering with Ballot Initiatives: Katie Fahey

Thursday, June 23rd, 2022   Katie Fahey is the Executive Director of The People, an organization working to find common ground and take action to create a more responsive government of, by, and for the people. In 2016, Katie founded Voters Not Politicians, an organization that successfully organized and passed a ballot initiative to end gerrymandering in Michigan in 2018. We discuss the appetite for non-partisan civic engagement and more accountability from elected representatives.   Voters Not

Jun 23, 2022 • 41:37

The Asian-American Vote: Sung Yeon Choimorrow

Thursday, June 16th, 2022   Sung Yeon Choimorrow is the executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, whose mission is to elevate AAPI women and girls to impact policy and drive systemic change in the United States. We discuss age-old and hardened stereotypes, changing the narrative about who Asian-Americans are, and activating Asian communities to take civic action.   The term model minority was coined by a white sociologist to pit Japanese Americans against Black Ame

Jun 16, 2022 • 40:55

Getting Dark Money Out of Politics: Jeff Clements

Thursday, June 9th, 2022   Jeff Clements serves as President of American Promise, an organization that is focused on repairing the constitutional foundation to renew freedom for all Americans, to support effective and honest government and an equal shot at the American dream. He is the author of Corporations Are Not People: Reclaiming Democracy from Big Money and Global Corporations. We discuss ratifying a constitutional amendment that would rid American politics of dark money.   Once the Suprem

Jun 9, 2022 • 46:26

Climate Action Within Reach: Amy Westervelt

Thursday, June 2nd, 2022   Amy Westervelt is a climate journalist and the founder and executive producer of the Critical Frequency Podcast Network. She hosts the Drilled and Hot Take podcasts. We discuss the long tentacles of the fossil fuel industry, the key takeaways from this year's IPCC report, and how a small group of people have locked us into climate crisis.    We have the tools and technology to mitigate the climate crisis now and the reasons that we're not taking dramatic action come do

Jun 2, 2022 • 53:06

The Future of Abortion Rights: Andrea Miller

Thursday, May 26th, 2022   Andrea Miller is the President of the National Institute for Reproductive Health. As we await the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, which will likely overturn Roe v. Wade and the right to abortion, we discuss how we got here and how we can prepare for the unwelcome reality of a post-Roe America.   Abortion access is essential to equality, bodily integrity, community safety, and the economic future of all Americans. Everyone knows and loves so

May 26, 2022 • 50:09

Primary Elections for All: John Opdycke

Thursday, May 19th, 2022     John Opdycke is the President of Open Primaries, an organization building a coalition of diverse Americans to enact open primaries in all 50 states. We discuss why it is time to shake up the closed-party primary system.    In an open primary, all voters get to vote on the same ballot and all candidates get to run on the same ballot. The number one growing demographic among voters is independents, and yet, they’re often shut out. Primaries are publicly funded, so ever

May 19, 2022 • 39:39

Patriot and Diplomat: Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch

Thursday, May 12th, 2022   Marie Yovanovitch is the former Ambassador to Ukraine and best-selling author of her memoir, Lessons from the Edge. In a live event for Big Tent USA, we discuss the powers of diplomacy, the corrosive effects of corruption, and the war in Ukraine.   Her memoir details her illustrious career, her courage and integrity, and her patriotic dedication and service to the United States. She exemplifies how career diplomats – public servants – serve their country, Republican or

May 12, 2022 • 47:15

Radical Common Ground: Nisha Anand

Thursday, May 5th, 2022   Nisha Anand is an Indian-American activist, leader for racial justice, and the CEO of DreamCorps. Her expansive organizing experience solidified her belief in the power of working with unlikely partners to find real solutions. Nisha leads a diverse group of people who are learning, like her, the value of unconventional relationships. We discuss Dream Corps' work in criminal justice reform, building a green economy, and creating equity in tech.   We all have our humanity

May 5, 2022 • 42:27

Strategic Racism is a Divide and Conquer Scam: Ian Haney López

Thursday, April 28th, 2022   Ian Haney López is the Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Public Law at the University of California, Berkeley. He specializes in race and racism. His focus for the last decade has been on the use of racism in electoral politics, and how to respond. We discuss strategic racism and its antidote: race-class fusion politics.    Strategic racism is a divide and conquer scam by elites that pushes us to hate each other while they rig the system for themselves. Race-cla

Apr 28, 2022 • 48:50

The Cure for Cheap Speech: Rick Hasen

Thursday, April 21st, 2022 Richard Hasen is a nationally recognized expert in election law and campaign finance regulation, and his new book is Cheap Speech: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politics and How to Cure It. We discuss the long-term dangers of cheap speech and ways to improve our information sphere in keeping with the First Amendment. Cheap speech is lower-value speech that finds a way to rise to the top of social media, news outlets, and everyday conversation. This overabundance of mi

Apr 21, 2022 • 45:03

State Houses to the Rescue: David Toscano

Thursday, April 14th, 2022   David J. Toscano served 14 years (2006-20) in the Virginia House of Delegates representing the 57th District. He’s the author of Fighting Political Gridlock: How States Shape Our Nation And Our Lives. We discuss strengthening our democracy at the State level through legislation, meaningful cooperation, and civic engagement in State politics.   States are laboratories for democracy. State Houses make a big difference in people’s lives, from education, criminal justice

Apr 14, 2022 • 44:29

Country First, Community First: Emily Cherniack

Thursday, April 7th, 2022   Emily Cherniack is the founder of New Politics. She believes that politics has the power to change systems. Her organization works with military veterans and alumni of civilian service programs like Americorps with a goal of encouraging more people with civil and military service experience to run for office, all the way from school boards to Congress. We discuss how servant leadership is about doing something greater than yourself because it rests on the backbone of

Apr 7, 2022 • 35:39

Do you want to be on Future Hindsight?

We are running a short, four-minute survey during the month of April, and it’s all about you. We want to learn more about what you think of Future Hindsight, and if there is anything we can do to make it better. Your participation can help us find more people to join our community of change-makers and give even more people the tools they need to be an engaged citizen, especially during this midterm election year.    TAKE THE SURVEY HERE! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScOWRKPFgSkQGKy

Apr 1, 2022 • 1:48

Equal Rights Amendment: Carol Jenkins

Thursday, March 31st, 2022   Carol Jenkins is the President and CEO of the ERA Coalition and the Fund for Women’s Equality, sister organizations dedicated to the adoption of the Equal Rights Amendment. We discuss the current state of the ERA and why this constitutional amendment will address the problems of equality, misogyny, and discrimination.    The Equal Rights Amendment guarantees equality of rights under the law, regardless of sex. The source of sexism, however, derives directly from the

Mar 31, 2022 • 32:46

Secretaries of State: Secretary Jocelyn Benson

Jocelyn Benson is the Secretary of State of Michigan and the author of State Secretaries of State: Guardians of the Democratic Process. We discuss what's at stake this year, why it's vital to pay attention to this November's elections and the primaries this spring, and the role everyday people can play in protecting democracy.   Go to Novo.co/HOPEFUL and get your FREE business banking account   Referees of Democracy Secretaries of State are the referees of democracy. They serve as the chief ele

Mar 24, 2022 • 34:28

Ranked Choice Voting: Nathan Lockwood

Nathan Lockwood is the Executive Director of Rank the Vote, an organization with a vision that the national adoption of ranked choice voting (RCV) could create a political and social culture with elections based on a competition of the best ideas. We discuss how RCV works, the spoiler problem, and the benefits for our democracy.   Go to Shopify.com/hopeful for a FREE fourteen-day trial and get full access to Shopify’s entire suite of features.   Thank you, Native. Get 20% off your first purchas

Mar 17, 2022 • 44:11

Citizen to Candidate: Art Chang

Art Chang was a mayoral candidate in New York City in 2021. We discuss his campaign and the big issues facing the City of New York. He shed light on the eviction crisis, the hurdles to adopting technology in government, and the power of joining and belonging. Technology Is Culture Change Adopting technology solutions equates to culture change, which goes well beyond updating ways of working. Tech startups build things with users as their starting point and then work backward from that. Governmen

Mar 10, 2022 • 39:45

Delivering Good Governance: Danielle Allen

Danielle Allen is a MacArthur Fellow and the James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University. She’s published broadly in democratic theory, political sociology, and the history of political thought, and is widely known for her work on justice and citizenship. Her most recent book is Democracy in the Time of Coronavirus. We discuss the promise of good governance, common purpose, and our moral compass in action.   Democracy Works Good governance bolsters democracy by delivering for

Mar 3, 2022 • 33:57

History of Black Thought: Chris Lebron

Understanding Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter stands as a movement to demand and secure Black humanity. Being a leader-full movement makes it less susceptible to disruption and has de-centered Black patriarchy. Its broad and deep inclusivity has also widened our consciousness beyond historical notions of Blackness. However, the lack of a clear leader also poses challenges in national messaging about the movement.     Love, Equality, and Fairness  Looking back at the history of Black though

Feb 24, 2022 • 41:29

Freedom and Racism: Neil Roberts

Neil Roberts is Professor of Africana Studies and Faculty Affiliate in Political Science and Religion at Williams College. He’s working on a new book titled How To Live Free in an Age of Pessimism. We discuss the legacy of Charles Mills’ scholarship on the racial contract, freedom, and transforming society from the bottom up.   Thanks to Native for supporting Future Hindsight! Get 20% off your first purchase by visiting nativedeo.com/hopeful or using promo code HOPEFUL at checkout.   Racial Cont

Feb 17, 2022 • 35:22

Winning Messages: Anat Shenker-Osorio

Anat Shenker-Osorio is a renowned communications researcher and campaign advisor, the host of Words to Win By, and the Principal of ASO Communications. We discuss how to empower voters, the impact of repetition, and the importance of being clear on what you stand for. Social Proof Is Real The most telling sign that a message is reaching the masses effectively is if the public acts on it. For example, the last national election cycles in 2018 and 2020 saw a large increase in voter turnout. It is

Feb 10, 2022 • 43:37

Understanding Poverty: Mark Rank

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 Chairs American 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

Feb 3, 2022 • 35:37

Public-Private Paradox: Colin Jerolmack

We're revisiting our conversation with Colin Jerolmack, an environmental sociologist and author of Up to Heaven and Down to Hell: Fracking, Freedom, and Community in an American Town. We discuss the public-private paradox and the tragedy of the commons, as well as the undemocratic aspects of American property rights. Public-Private Paradox America has clearly delineated public and private domains: the public domain is regulated, and the private domain is not. A public-private paradox occurs when

Jan 27, 2022 • 31:48

Reproductive Rights Update: Earbuds Podcast Collective

We’re sharing a curated list of podcast recommendations on abortion rights that we put together for our friends at EarBuds Podcast Collective in September 2021. Reproductive rights will be in the news a lot this year because of the Mississippi case before SCOTUS and because of the midterm elections. The 5 episodes we recommend are: Amicus with Dahlia Lithwick – “Abortion, Surveillance, and Vigilantism: An American Story” Fresh Air with Terry Gross – “SCOTUS & The Future of Roe v. Wade” Access: A

Jan 20, 2022 • 16:59

Solidarity and Mutuality: Manuel Pastor

Retaking The Commons In order to repair our current social contract, we must first repair our relationship to the Commons. Our economy currently prioritizes property protection, wealth protection, and disproportionate power, while often disregarding the realities of human life. Social movements can create a sense of mutuality, of what we hold in common, and amass power to retake the Commons. Turning to each other has never been more effective. The Solidarity Economy Solidarity economics is a sys

Dec 30, 2021 • 44:01

Faith and the Social Contract: Rev. Dr. Emma Jordan-Simpson

Faith in the Social Contract As members of a society, we must have an understanding of “we” for the social contract to function. When citizens are put in a position of protecting the state or the economy instead of protecting its people, we all lose out. Faith can help us find a sense of togetherness. If we know who we’re fighting for, the sacrifice makes that much more sense. The pandemic has been a great example of both the wins and losses of living for the greater good. Beloved Community A be

Dec 23, 2021 • 43:57

Technocracy and the Social Contract: Latanya Sweeney

Technology in the Social Contract Increasingly, the design of new technology determines the way our society functions and the way we live. Simple design flaws like the lack of a mute button on Sony Camcorders ended up changing our laws on surveillance. We don’t elect the people that build our global technology landscape. In addition, once the technology is successful in the marketplace, its design is replicated without question. More Equitable Algorithms Algorithms have the power to harm us beyo

Dec 16, 2021 • 41:47

Social Contract and Taxes: Sarah Christopherson

Tax Policy is Where It Starts What do our tax dollars really go towards? The truth is, so much of it is invisible. Tax dollars go towards helping homeowners through mortgage deductions or keeping prices low on your water bill. The money we spend on taxes has the power to shape our social contract, but it’s not always spent correctly. By focusing on tax policy first, we can control which programs and policies are funded and which are not. In this way, taxes are at the root of social change. Tax F

Dec 9, 2021 • 33:58

Exclusions in the Social Contract: Eduardo Porter

Racism Bites Everybody Creating racist policies and ideologies is short-sighted. In the long run, these practices affect everyone, including white people. In 1978, older white voters in California decided they didn’t want their tax dollars going towards the funding of education for children who were increasingly non-white. To reflect this, Prop 13 capped property taxes and essentially led to a defunding of public education in the state, which families of every race and ethnicity rely on. Interse

Dec 2, 2021 • 38:41

Ending Subminimum Wage: Saru Jayaraman

The Legacy of the Subminimum Wage The devaluation of Black lives and women's work is at the heart of the subminimum wage. Until the 1850s, restaurant workers were white men who were unionized and were tipped on top of a living wage. But business owners started hiring women and black people for free, making them rely on tips to make their living. This means that the customer—instead of the employer—is responsible for paying the worker. A century and a half later, the subminimum wage has increased

Nov 25, 2021 • 38:07

Stand Up for Science: Lee McIntyre

Our Responsibility to Defend the Truth Science denialism has existed as long as science has existed. As a part of our social contract, we’re responsible for challenging the spread of misinformation and understanding, especially when it comes to science. If we open ourselves up to these difficult conversations, we can offer up a path into more logical reasoning and avoid a culture where science and truth are rejected. Science Denialism is Dangerous All science denialism relies on a flawed bluepri

Nov 18, 2021 • 43:30

Our Public Health: Michele Goodwin

The Social Contract and Our Bodies The pandemic has given us a glimpse into the ways our health is woven into the social contract. The high number of deaths from COVID are the result of the government’s failure to collaborate with international organizations and with our own state lawmakers. We leaned on essential care workers, many of whom are people of color. And yet, they often lacked PPE, challenging what it really means to be “essential.” The Inequality of Health Racism is a preexisting hea

Nov 11, 2021 • 38:04

Contract for the Climate: Keya Chatterjee

Racial Injustice in the Climate Crisis Economic and racial injustices are at the center of the climate crisis. White communities have largely avoided things like polluting power plants and detrimental pipelines in their neighborhoods. Instead, communities of color have faced that burden. The willingness to sacrifice communities of color has made it easier for governments to tolerate climate chaos. Aiding Youth Activism Successful social movements often start with activism by young people, and in

Nov 4, 2021 • 39:32

A New Social Contract: Minouche Shafik

Architecture of Opportunity We lose talent in our society when we overlook those from poor backgrounds or minority families. For example, Lost Einsteins are children who harness above-average skills, but don’t have a chance to invent and create later in their lives because they lack access to opportunity. John Rawls' Veil of Ignorance provides the template for a just society where the luck of your birth need not be a factor in your life’s outcomes. The Importance of Childcare Our social contract

Oct 28, 2021 • 41:09

The Social Contract - History of a Big Idea: Melissa Lane

The Social Contract The state of nature is a human condition that exists in any space that lacks a civil authority. With the social contract, we're prepared to make a deal with each other in order to live together as best we can and exit the state of nature. Philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau expressed versions of the social contract that influence governments around the world today. Co-Creating Reality We are all co-creators of our community politics and s

Oct 21, 2021 • 42:34

Season 16: The Social Contract

Our all-new season is all about something that we most often hear about in terms of its brokenness: the social contract. We will be asking big questions about how we live together, what we owe each other, what we can ask of governments, and how we can repair what’s broken, renegotiate what never worked, or what’s not working anymore.

Oct 19, 2021 • 3:58

Introducing Some of My Best Friends Are...

Subscribe to Some of My Best Friends Are at http://podcasts.pushkin.fm/futurehindsight This week, we're sharing an episode of Some of My Best Friends Are...  The show is hosted by Khalil Muhammad and Ben Austen, two best friends who grew up together on the South Side of Chicago in the '80s. Khalil is Black; Ben is white. They invite listeners into their conversations about the absurdities and intricacies of race in America. Mixing anecdotes, entertaining storytelling, and thoughtful debate, Some

Oct 7, 2021 • 45:12

Legislating for Change: Jessica González-Rojas

Intersectionality As an Assemblymember, González-Rojas works to address a variety of intersectional issues facing her community, ranging from housing to healthcare. Her prior experience as a reproductive justice advocate has trained her well for intersectional lawmaking, which is often siloed by the political process. This approach serves the people most marginalized and helps create dynamic bills that tackle multiple areas of injustice to help constituents. Excluded Workers’ Rights Excluded wor

Sep 16, 2021 • 34:22

The Power of Voting: Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez

Youth Vote Power Young people wield a lot of power when they vote. A whopping 73% of youth who were registered to vote by NextGen turned out to vote. This type of turnout can change the outcome of an election. Because voting is a habit, investing in youth leads to long-lasting change in the electorate. Letting young people know the power they have can make a tremendous difference. Voting Rights and Immigrants The current battle over immigrants is not just about immigration. It is also about race

Sep 9, 2021 • 37:10

Building Progressive Power: Lala Wu

The Power of State Legislatures State legislatures pass the laws that affect our daily lives. When Democrats won the ‘trifecta’ in Virginia in 2019, they controlled both chambers of the House and the governor’s office. Immediately, they passed voting rights legislation, abolished the death penalty, improved the criminal justice system, abolished no-knock warrants, and more. Purple District Network Sister District identified a gap in resources for legislators from purple districts. The Purple Dis

Sep 2, 2021 • 33:42

Run for Something: Amanda Litman

Helping Diverse First Time Candidates Run Since its founding, Run for Something has helped elect 515 young, local officials across 46 states. A third of those elected officials are between 25 and 30, 10% are between the ages of 18 and 24, a third are women of color, and 11% are LGBTQ. Electing young diverse candidates compounds on itself. After transwoman Danica Roem was elected in 2017, many other trans people decided to run for office. Local and State Races Run for Something focuses on local a

Aug 26, 2021 • 32:20

Electing New York Women: Brette McSweeney

Pro-Choice Democratic Women Eleanor’s Legacy specifically helps pro-choice Democratic candidates for several reasons. First, due to a long-standing Republican majority in the state legislature, New York State had not codified Roe v. Wade protections until 2019. Second, not all Democrats are pro-choice, and Eleanor’s Legacy only supports candidates who are pro-choice. Lastly, clearly stating your values and building your brand always helps in politics. Importance of State and Local Office Control

Aug 19, 2021 • 34:41

Black Women’s Political Power: Glynda Carr

Normalize Black Women’s Leadership Normalizing Black women’s leadership means that it is as plausible to have a Black woman represent a majority-white district as it is to have a white man represent a majority-Black district. Supporting Black women candidates in all districts will allow more qualified, more diverse candidates everywhere. Political Power of Black women Black women are the building blocks of successful political coalitions on any level of government. They were instrumental in Obam

Aug 12, 2021 • 31:47

Electing More Women: Amanda Hunter

Qualifications Women need to highlight their credentials early and often, particularly in economics. Voters do recognize that women understand kitchen table issues and that they mostly shoulder the emotional labor of a family. Effective campaigns use action-oriented language that illustrates how women are effective leaders in a crisis, will be accountable team leaders, and listen to experts and constituents. Finally, women who appear likable are more electable. Addressing Sexism Voters expect wo

Aug 5, 2021 • 35:29

Diverse Women in Politics: Kelly Dittmar

Motivations and Perspectives The goal of promoting women to run for office is not simply to achieve parity in Congress or in State legislatures. Rather, it should be to recognize that women offer a variety of perspectives and lived experiences that men lack. In addition, women have faced more barriers than men to be elected and are generally more motivated to get things done.  Confronting Our Biases Toughness, experience in national security, and negotiating tactics are often thought of as ideal

Jul 29, 2021 • 35:23

The Chicago 7: Mark Levine

Publication of Transcript Levine and the co-editors were outraged by what was happening in the trial and wanted to make sure the general public knew what was going on in that courtroom. They decided to buy the transcripts from the court reporter and edited over 22,000 pages of transcript into a compilation of the most shocking colloquies, which reveal the immense effort put forth by the government to quash dissent against the war in Vietnam and the injustice of Judge Hoffman’s court. About 180,0

Jul 8, 2021 • 52:38

Responsible Drug Use: Dr. Carl L. Hart

American Ideals The Declaration of Independence clearly lists the promises Americans are entitled to: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If people want to use drugs to pursue that happiness, they have a right to do so under the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson himself argued that a government deciding what we are allowed to ingest would be like living under tyranny. Drug prohibition policy, which is based on lies about the negative effects of drug use, would be un-American

Jul 2, 2021 • 33:22

The Punishment Bureaucracy: Alec Karakatsanis

Punishment Bureaucracy The Punishment Bureaucracy defines the array of institutions that powerful members of our society have constructed to enforce their dominance in society. This includes police officers, probation officers, prosecutors, judges, private prisons, companies who profit off prisoners, handcuff and police gear manufacturers, and many others involved in the caging of Americans. Instead of being a justice system, the Punishment Bureaucracy helps maintain the status quo and profits m

Jun 24, 2021 • 33:56

White Collar Crime: Jennifer Taub

White Collar Crime White collar crime, as originally defined by Edwin Sutherland in 1939, are offenses committed by someone of high social status and respectability in the course of their occupation. Today, we tend to define white collar crime by the nature of the offense, instead of the status of the offender. We think of financial crimes such as fraud or embezzlement, which have a devastating impact on huge portions of the country. Precisely because of the high status of white collar criminals

Jun 17, 2021 • 36:37

Abuse and Accountability: Martha Nussbaum

Objectification Pride and greed are vices of domination that are at the root of sexual harassment and assault. Narcissistic gender pride casts women as objects to be used, instead of full human beings. This objectification has made it acceptable to subjugate women. Greed prevents holding the rich and powerful members of society accountable, often making it easier for them to offend repeatedly with impunity. Sexual Assault and Harassment Sexual assault and harassment are abuses of power, most oft

Jun 10, 2021 • 37:18

Coercive Work: Erin Hatton

Non-Traditional Labor Several kinds of non-traditional labor in the US leave Americans vulnerable to coercion at work. Prisoners work during their sentence at reduced or even no wages. Student athletes also work hard in employment-like conditions but do not get remunerated. Workfare workers are forced to do menial labor in order to qualify for welfare. Graduate students also work for their advisors and don’t qualify for minimum wage. Although not technically considered employment in the US, thes

Jun 3, 2021 • 33:30

Understanding Poverty: Mark Rank

Musical Chairs American 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 shortcoming, and if we continue shuffling the opportunities, we will continue having a poverty problem. P

May 27, 2021 • 30:47

Better Peacebuilding: Séverine Autesserre

Ideal Peacebuilding The ideal peacebuilding model is context-specific. It heavily relies on grassroots peacebuilding efforts by the local community to address specific causes of violence. It also relies on outsiders using the traditional top-down approach to connect with government officials, elites, rebel leaders, and other power players. These responses should be led by locals with knowledge and supported by outsiders with resources. Communities must make the decisions that impact themselves,

May 20, 2021 • 39:44

Public-Private Paradox: Colin Jerolmack

Public-Private Paradox: America has clearly delineated public and private domains: the public domain is regulated, and the private domain is not. A public-private paradox occurs when a decision made in the private domain creates issues in the public domain. In the case of fracking, choosing to allow drilling in your land is a private decision. That decision creates many externalities such as overuse of roads, unwanted sights and sounds, contaminated well water for the neighborhood, which harms t

May 12, 2021 • 34:28

Boosting Mental Immunity: Andy Norman

New Socratic Method Socrates used direct questioning to make ancient Athenians reflect critically on their views, which often made people look foolish. The New Socratic Method is a kinder, gentler version that can actually change people’s minds without resentment. Clarifying questions can reveal why ideas are bad without antagonism. The New Socratic Method can be used to strengthen mental immunity and root out bad ideas. Reason’s Fulcrum Reason’s Fulcrum is a key part of the mind’s mental immuni

May 6, 2021 • 34:18

The Erosion of America: Sarah Kendzior

Thanks, HelloFresh! Go to HelloFresh.com/hopeful12 and use code hopeful12 for 12 free meals, including free shipping! The Erosion of America Since the 1980s America has experienced an erosion of government regulations, societal norms, and equality. Trickle-down economics created a massive wealth gap. The Iran-Contra scandal set a new, low accountability standard for the highest levels of government. 24-hour news appeared as the Fairness Doctrine fell. This background, coupled with reality TV an

Apr 29, 2021 • 34:14

America’s Evil Geniuses: Kurt Andersen

Evil Geniuses Influential conservatives have capitalized on a wave of cultural nostalgia after the turbulent 1960s to turn our economy into a version of extreme capitalism. Economists like Milton Friedman, politicians like Ronald Reagan and Mitch McConnell, and CEOs like the Koch Brothers have used money, policy, secrecy, and cultural movements to demonize the federal government and rig our economy for the rich. Together with neoliberalism from the left, the New Deal was replaced by the raw deal

Apr 22, 2021 • 37:28

Season 14 Trailer

We are launching an all-new authors’ season, focusing on books that get into the weeds of America’s most vexing problems. We’ll be talking about everything from criminal justice, philosophy, to economics, labor, and poverty. Our first guest is the legendary Kurt Andersen, on his latest book: Evil Geniuses, The Unmaking of America: A Recent History. He looks under the hood of the movements that powered our continuous shift to the right, starting with a strong yearning for nostalgia. Sarah Kendzio

Apr 17, 2021 • 2:47

Pandemic Podcasting: Laura Joyce Davis

Being a Good Neighbor Solving community problems can begin with a simple, common goal of being a good neighbor. Deep human relationships with people make the hard conversations—where we don’t agree—possible. Finding common ground with different backgrounds can be hard, but focusing on caring for your neighbors strengthens communities and personal relationships alike. Storytelling Personal stories are an incredibly powerful tool for community building. Stories are the ways we make sense of life.

Apr 15, 2021 • 39:02

Our Unjust SCOTUS: Adam Cohen

Campaign Finance Laws The Supreme Court often operates like a conservative activist group to help the GOP. One of the most egregious ways they've tipped the scales is in campaign finance. Starting with their infamous Buckley ruling in 1976, SCOTUS categorized corporate political donations as free speech. Their 2011 follow-up, Citizens United, removed almost all limitations on political spending, creating a vast increase in campaign spending. Rich Americans and corporations are now free to give a

Apr 8, 2021 • 27:43

Raising White Kids: Jennifer Harvey

Race-Conscious Parenting Race-conscious parenting affirms that we should notice race, and to recognize racism and racial injustice. It rejects colorblindness, which is essentially white silence. Race-conscious parenting embraces multicultural, multiracial communities and encourages children to be active participants in anti-racist engagement. Race-conscious parenting is a commitment to teach about racism and activate for racial justice. Smog of Racism Racism is like smog: it exists whether we no

Mar 24, 2021 • 31:57

Equity in Healthcare: Georges Benjamin, MD

Expanding Access Health insurance is essential to accessing healthcare. The uninsured do not get routine preventive care and, therefore, experience lower health outcomes. We must have a system that includes everyone, whether through private or public sector options. The Affordable Care Act, which was just bolstered by the newly passed American Rescue Plan, goes a long way, but many states still need to expand Medicaid in order to close the insurance gap. COVID in Minority Communities COVID hit m

Mar 18, 2021 • 34:08

Inclusive Excellence: Franklin Gilliam

Inclusive excellence Diverse leadership and promoting inclusive excellence benefits everyone. In fact, it’s critical to success in any organization. Always including women and minorities in a pool of job candidates increases the likelihood in finding the best possible person. This is also especially important in traditionally non-diverse positions or departments, like the IT department. Diverse leaders can both promote new ways of thinking and prevent harmful decisions from being made. Social Mo

Mar 11, 2021 • 32:13

Implicit Teacher Bias: Dr. Walter Gilliam

Implicit Bias in Preschool Teachers In a study to detect implicit bias, preschool teachers were instructed to watch a video of four young children (black and white, boy and girl) and identify potential behavioral issues. By tracking their eyes, the study showed that the teachers watched the black children more closely for behavioral problems than white children. When asked, teachers said they thought they had a gender bias and watched the two boys more closely. In fact, the defining factor was r

Mar 4, 2021 • 35:09

Unapologetically Indigenous: Sarah Pierce and Amy Sazue

Achieving Education Equity Championing Indigenous students to be successful in school systems starts with school curriculums – telling the accurate history of the United States – and leadership that represents the Indigenous Americans they serve. Schools need to create spaces where Indigenous students can be unapologetically Indigenous by building immersion units and hiring Indigenous teachers. Most importantly, Native leaders, educators, and students need to be involved in each step of the proc

Feb 25, 2021 • 33:26

Separation and Supremacy: Laura Briggs

Child Separation Policy’s History The United States has a long history of using child separation to further racial nationalism. The two main groups targeted by these terrorizing policies were African Americans and Native Americans. Enslaved families were routinely split up, and Black families continue to suffer from child separation today thanks to 20th century laws like Suitable Home Rules and other similar legal mechanisms. Children of Indigenous Peoples were forcibly removed and put in boardi

Feb 18, 2021 • 36:37

Unions & Racial Justice: Tamara Lee

Colorblind Organizing US unions traditionally operate on a 'colorblind' approach to organizing, but focusing on class issues alone often fails to acknowledge that class is also racially coded. Unions need to combat racial disparities and inequality within its own membership and leadership. Diverse leadership brings lived experience to decision-making and problem-solving that can work against racist and classist discrimination. Union Innovation Innovation in organizing helps better serve union me

Feb 11, 2021 • 34:51

State-Sponsored Segregation: Richard Rothstein

Government Created Segregation The US government codified overt segregation in housing policy at the beginning of the 20th century. The New Deal created the Federal Housing Administration, which required all new public or government-backed housing developments to be segregated. Zoning laws and plans around the country segregrated urban areas that were already integrated, and relegated African-Americans to less desirable areas. The government sought to solve the housing crisis after WWII by under

Feb 4, 2021 • 35:09

Ending The Filibuster: Eli Zupnick

What is the Filibuster? In the Senate, a bill passes if it receives more than half of the vote. To bring a vote to the floor, the Majority Leader asks Senate members if anyone has any objections before moving to a simple majority vote. If any member objects, the filibuster comes into play. The filibuster forces a debate on the bill. A ‘cloture’ vote must be taken to end this debate and move forward with the original vote. This cloture vote requires 60 votes, significantly more than is needed to

Feb 2, 2021 • 53:51

Critical Race Theory: Mari Matsuda

Critical Race Theory Critical Race Theory is a theory of justice designed to respond to the endemic racism in America’s legal system. It places intersectional anti-racism at the center of analysis of law, politics, and power. It examines the origins of the idea of race and seeks to understand how institutions continue to perpetuate racism today. Although slavery and the genocide of Indigenous people have ceased, these past practices continue to inform our institutional systems and create injusti

Jan 28, 2021 • 36:39

White Too Long: Robert P. Jones, Ph.D.

The Lost Cause Before and during the Civil War, Southern Baptist leaders argued that slavery was just and the slaveholding South represented the pinicle of human civilization. After the South lost, they began to espouse the idea of the Lost Cause—that the war on Earth may be lost, but God would ultimately redeem the South with the Second Coming. This idea became widespread throughout the South, and can still be seen today in Confederate Monuments like the one in Richmond, VA which reads “God Wil

Jan 21, 2021 • 32:51

Surveillance Capitalism: Shoshana Zuboff

Surveillance Capitalism Surveillance Capitalism is the dominant economic logic in our world today. It claims private human experience for the marketplace and turns it into a commodity. Vast amounts of personal data are necessary -- often harvested without our knowledge or consent –- in order to predict future behavior. Surveillance capitalists create certainties for companies by modifying people's behavior. Instrumentarian Power Instrumentarianism seeks to modify, predict, monetize, and control

Jan 8, 2021 • 45:14

Fixing Public Schools: Ted Dintersmith

Innovation in the Classroom Classroom innovation stems from teachers and students working together to pursue subjects that excite students to learn. Examples include allowing students to design robots and make documentaries about local landmarks. In the age of Zoom learning, keeping students engaged by letting them solve community problems or pursue independent learning goals will achieve much more than endless worksheets and standardized test prep. Standards V. Standardized Tests Implementing a

Dec 22, 2020 • 32:04

Reimagining Higher Education: Leon Botstein

Democracy and Education Democracy and education are inextricably linked. A democracy can only work when voters have an open mind, the ability to think critically, and are tolerant of others and their beliefs. A good education should be designed to cultivate these instincts, and the result should be we well-rounded citizens who respect each other, engage in healthy public discourse, and are able to think critically to uncover lies and bad ideas. Education should prepare all citizens to properly p

Dec 17, 2020 • 34:47

Ending the Counter-Revolution: Bernard Harcourt

Counterrevolution Since 9/11 and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, US warfare has focused on counterinsurgency. America now uses this counterrevolutionary playbook to govern domestically. Counterrevolutionary theory identifies a passive majority in all populations and a small insurgency. The first step is to brutally eliminate the rebellion, and then win over the passive majority. Using counterrevolutionary measures necessitates creating an internal enemy—for instance, Muslims, immigrants, minor

Dec 10, 2020 • 38:13

Reimagining Law Enforcement: Norm Stamper

Community Policing The future of public safety is community police partnership. Stamper suggests a plebiscite in which neighborhoods elect representatives to work side by side with the police department. These citizens would be involved in every single aspect of modern policing from setting policy, crafting procedures, selecting new police officers, developing the curriculum for police academy training, and partnering with those best equipped to deal with substance abuse, homelessness, and menta

Dec 3, 2020 • 38:02

The Precarity of Taxi Work: Veena Dubal

Proposition 22 Prop 22, the most expensive California ballot initiative in history, carves out app-based gig economy workers as a new employee class that lacks the benefits and protections that other workers in California get. Prop 22 also makes it more difficult for drivers and delivery workers to unionize. Uber, Lyft, Doordash, and other app-based services threatened their workers with lack of flexibility and job loss. They also spent more than $200M to persuade voters. The passage of Prop 22

Nov 24, 2020 • 36:44

The Future of Antitrust: Zephyr Teachout

Monopolies are Anti-Democratic A monopoly is a company that has the power to set the terms of interactions, from the pricing of consumer goods to interactions with suppliers and resolving disputes. The most insidious and anti-democratic example is private arbitration, a judicial system where the parties to the suit pay the judges. Large companies force employees and even customers to litigate all grievances through arbitration courts, making a mockery of justice and infringing upon our civil rig

Nov 20, 2020 • 36:31

A Keynesian Future: Zach Carter

Keynes's Goals Keynes concerned himself with his day's most significant problems: WWI and WWII, the rise of fascism and revolution, and the Great Depression in the United States. He believed that assuaging fears about an uncertain future was most important, and that a more equal society would also be more secure from deflation, deprivation, and dictatorship. He aimed for policies that would grapple with crisis and uncertainty. Economics as Politics Keynes firmly believed that economics was an ex

Nov 13, 2020 • 33:29

Season 12 Trailer

This is a thought-provoking season of visionary and practical ideas to reimagine our future in a post pandemic and post trump world. We cover everything from needing to be civically engaged all the time, which is to say in between elections, education, policing our communities, and having the courage to think big when it comes to rebuilding our economy.

Nov 9, 2020 • 2:59

Lasting Civic Engagement: Maria Yuan

Civic Engagement Online and In-Person Technology can make participating in democracy easier than ever before because it’s scalable and makes it possible for everyone’s voices to be heard. However, civic engagement must also be done with human connection and in person, like in community conversations, town halls, and organizing. IssueVoter uses its online platform to motivate users to perform civic engagement in the real world. Thirty percent of IssueVoter users say the platform is the reason the

Nov 6, 2020 • 30:09

October Surprise: Devlin Barrett

October Surprise The term ‘October Surprise’ refers to a type of dirty trick that comes so late in the election calendar that a candidate does not have the time or space to respond, and voters don’t have the time to consider what it might mean. Comey’s letter to Congress a mere 11 days before Election Day 2016, announcing a renewed investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails, is one of the most significant October Surprises on record. Trump contracting COVID-19 in October does not fit the descr

Oct 30, 2020 • 38:38

Building Authoritarian Power: Nathan Stoltzfus

Legitimacy Hitler is one of the early modern autocrats for whom legitimacy was crucial to his claim to power. He recognized the importance of including the people and representing himself as presenting the will of the people. Being legitimately elected provided Hitler with a mandate to propagate Nazi ideology within Germany and beyond, and build a popular mass movement. Hitler’s example continues to serve as a model in fascist politics today. Popularity Hitler enjoyed immense popularity, which h

Oct 16, 2020 • 33:46

Building Power Online: Alice Marwick

Hashtag Activism Black Lives Matter is the epitome of ‘hashtag activism.’ #BLM is a native social media activist movement that started on the internet and builds support for itself there. #BLM combines traditional protest with online activism, allowing people to express support on social media without necessarily going to a protest. This has proven to reveal wide-spread support for #BLM, amplifying and mainstreaming the group’s cause. Low overhead actions like retweets, Instagram stories, and Fa

Oct 9, 2020 • 29:06

Digital Labor Organizing: Jess Kutch

Democracy at Work Our work lives are an important place to practice democracy. Union members learn negotiation and problem solving skills to determine wages and working conditions. They have a voice when voting on a contract. The decline in union participation coincides with the decline in American civic life. Promoting more workplace democracy also increases civic engagement in America. Digital Labor Organizing Coworker.org offers digital tools to help non-union workers mobilize around the coun

Oct 2, 2020 • 33:26

Civics Club: Adam Cohen

Wondering what being a member of our Civics Club is like on Patreon? Well, here’s a free look at our bonus content from our talk this week with Adam Cohen! Each week we take time to ask our guests personal questions about their involvement with democracy, why they’re so engaged, and maybe even who inspired them. The questions change every week, so make sure to join The Civics Club so you never miss another round of bonus questions.

Sep 26, 2020 • 6:18

Supreme Inequality: Adam Cohen

Supreme Court’s Agenda Although we are taught to believe the Supreme Court is a neutral institution whose primary concern is justice, it is actually an extremely powerful legal body with its own agenda. For the last 50 years, that agenda has been staunchly conservative. Instead of functioning as a check on executive and legislative powers, it operates as its own power building machine, often making decisions that favor itself or the conservative lawmakers who put a majority of the justices in po

Sep 25, 2020 • 32:59

Decolonizing America: Nick Tilsen

Self-Determination Self-determination empowers those who are most affected to be in the driver’s seat of policy-making decisions. For example, if an oil company wants to run a pipeline through Indigenous land, Indigenous communities themselves would decide based on their values and the impact on their families, water, air, and land. NDN collective works to restore self-determination through three pillars: defense, development, and decolonization. Decolonization European colonization was a system

Sep 18, 2020 • 31:52

Building Civic Power: K. Sabeel Rahman

Civic Power Civic power puts communities most impacted by legislative decisions in the drivers’ seat of making public policy. Community members get to have a say in areas like policing, zoning, education, taxation, voting rights, and more. Participatory budgeting creates a structure of representative decision making that is responsive and reflective of the affected communities. This form of civic power exists around the world and can be replicated in the United States on a large scale. Radical D

Sep 11, 2020 • 27:22

State Capture: Alex Hertel-Fernandez

Capturing State Legislatures State capture refers to the idea that a set of organizations, businesses, and movements can capture a political office and dictate its agenda, decisions, and resource allocation to benefit their interests. Capturing state legislatures is especially effective because state governments – as opposed to the federal government – have control over significant aspects of our daily lives: taxes, minimum wage, health insurance, and administering elections.  The Troika Three p

Sep 4, 2020 • 35:16

Organized Power: Theda Skocpol and Caroline Tervo

Political Learning In response to the elections of Obama and Trump, grassroots political movements sprung up on the right and the left. Members of these groups demonstrated an eagerness to learn about and understand local and state politics, which is where they are most actively engaged. After the 2016 election, Resist groups used many of the Tea Party movement’s tactics, like writing to law makers, running local candidates, and knocking on doors to get out the vote. Impact on Politics Grassroot

Aug 28, 2020 • 33:31

Energizing Local Politics: Drew Kromer

Building Precincts Precincts are critical to building local and regional party power. Kromer started Davidson’s Democratic party precinct with only four other people. Once established, they gained political legitimacy as well as access to state and county voter databases. This allowed them to organize and knock on doors, inform their constituents about the candidates who are running, and get out the vote. As a result, Davidson had a higher voter turnout rate than other local towns. Politics Flow

Aug 21, 2020 • 31:04

Politics is for Power: Eitan D. Hersh

Politics Begins with Service Political power starts with service to others. For instance, Russian immigrant and Boston resident Naakh Vysoky began his political career by helping his fellow Russian immigrants gain citizenship and keep their government benefits. He also advocated on their behalf in Washington. Members of his community recognized his leadership and initiative, and began to follow his lead politically. They voted according to his recommendations. By building a voting bloc, Naakh cr

Aug 14, 2020 • 31:28

Introducing the Future Hindsight Civics Club

Introducing the Civics Club! Signup at www.patreon.com/futurehindsight today! By supporting Future Hindsight, you're helping this independent podcast deliver the information you need every week to stay civically engaged. You'll also get bonus content, transcripts, early access to the show, and personal access Future Hindsight team—all for the price of a latte per month. We look forward to your support, and thanks again for listening!

Aug 7, 2020 • 1:23

Sexual Citizens: Jennifer S. Hirsch & Shamus Khan

Sexual Citizenship The concept of sexual citizenship asserts that people have the right to sexual self-determination, including young people. Recognizing young people’s sexual citizenship prepares them to both say no and yes, as well as to be able to hear other people when they do or don’t want to have sex. It also recognizes their fundamental humanity. Establishing sexual citizenship and autonomy for young people is a critical step in preventing campus sexual assault and promoting relationships

Jul 23, 2020 • 35:11

Surveillance Capitalism: Shoshana Zuboff

Surveillance Capitalism Surveillance Capitalism is the dominant economic logic in our world today. It claims private human experience for the marketplace and turns it into a commodity. Vast amounts of personal data are necessary -- often harvested without our knowledge or consent –- in order to predict future behavior. Surveillance capitalists create certainties for companies by modifying people's behavior. Instrumentarian Power Instrumentarianism seeks to modify, predict, monetize, and control

Jul 17, 2020 • 42:46

Canvassing with Love: David Fleischer

After listening to this episode, try deep canvassing yourself! Click HERE to read the step-by-step guide. We'd love to compare notes and see how you did. After you've canvassed, tell us about your experience by leaving a message at (929) 262-0752. Thank you! Deep Canvassing Deep canvassing was developed to better understand voters in response to California’s Prop 8 legislation, which outlawed gay marriage. Sharing personal stories and active listening techniques establish common ground, even a

Jul 10, 2020 • 30:00

Deconstructing the Alt-Right: Alexandra Minna Stern

Culture Informs Politics The Alt-Right believes politics is downstream from culture. They operate in this meta-political sphere where changing American politics must start with changing culture, discourse, and language. The internet allowed the Alt-Right’s ideology to proliferate through memes, in online communities, and finally into mainstream culture. After the 2016 election collapsed the timing between culture and politics, the internet continues to serve as a platform to disseminate their cu

Jul 3, 2020 • 31:15

The Roots of Conservative Media: Nicole Hemmer

Conservative media activism Beginning with the America First Movement, conservative political activists also became conservative media figures. In addition to writing conservative books and hosting radio or television programs, these activists also created civic organizations and worked on political campaigns from Eisenhower to Goldwater and Reagan. Media is an important part of their political activism, and not a separate, objective endeavor. Politics of Ideas Conservatives believe political ch

Jun 26, 2020 • 32:12

Political Communication Ethics: Peter Loge

Ethical Communication Ethical communication involves respect and civil discourse. Taking time to listen to other sides and treating lawmakers with civility are key to a healthy democratic process. Respecting procedures that bolster the institutions of democracy and working together can help us achieve a better America. The truth is click bait The truth is not boring. We can be clever about presenting truth and facts. Presenting the truth in a click bait format—with catchy headlines, good photos,

Jun 19, 2020 • 29:14

Fact-Checking for Truth: Jon Z. Greenberg

Who Gets Fact-Checked? PolitiFact finds statements of “fact” by American politicians that can be verified and are highly visible, or pertinent, to a current national conversation. This is the reason why high-ranking officials such as Members of Congress, Senators, Cabinet members, and the President are at the top of the list. The President gets checked a lot—and fails nearly 70% of the time!  The Fact-Checking Process PolitiFact looks for evidence to support that a statement is accurate or less

Jun 12, 2020 • 29:01

The New Conspiracism: Nancy Rosenblum

Conspiracism A functional conspiracy theory uses facts and rational arguments to prove that things are not as they seem. Conspiracism is a conspiracy without the theory. Conspiracism takes the form of a bold assertion without any evidence, even fake evidence, to back it up. It’s an assault on common sense. Prominent examples are “climate change is a hoax!” and “the election is rigged!” Conspiracy claims spread quickly because they require no explanation and are impossible to counter. Moreover, t

Jun 5, 2020 • 30:06

The Risks of Fake News: Travis I. Trammell & Elisabeth Paté-Cornell

Viral Model Trammell created a viral disease model to mimic how fake news spreads. People must come in to contact with the fake information in order to be infected, just as with a virus. The more people are exposed, the more it spreads. The research shows that individuals who claim to be online for more than 10 hours a day are more susceptible to fake news. Flattening the curve of false information requires countermeasures on multiple fronts. Counter Measures Fake news is likely here to stay, bu

May 29, 2020 • 28:14

The Truth Sandwich: George Lakoff

Truth sandwich George Lakoff invented a construct called the Truth Sandwich in order to effectively frame the truth and negate a lie. In it, true statements act as "bread," and the lie is the "filling." A truth sandwich always starts with the truth because framing first is an advantage. Next, indicate the lie and state that it is a lie. Return immediately to the truth. The truth must always be repeated more than the lie.  Simply negating a lie without first stating the truth helps liars because

May 22, 2020 • 25:14

Post-Truth: Lee C. McIntyre

Post-Truth Post-truth is the political subordination of reality. It is not a failing of knowledge, but one of politics. Authoritarians use post-truth to corrupt our faith in the truth. The end goal is not to make citizens believe lies, but to make them so cynical and uncertain, they think they can never know the truth. Once this control over the information stream is achieved, leaders begin to have direct control over the populace. Post-truth marks the beginning of the descent into fascism for t

May 15, 2020 • 29:40

Authoritarianism Under COVID-19: Thomas O. Melia

COVID & Authoritarianism COVID-19 has created an excuse for authoritarians around the world to consolidate power. Repressive regimes such as China have jailed political prisoners, and citizen journalists reporting on the pandemic have disappeared. Russia clamped down on free reporting to protect powerful warlords. Free speech is under attack in the U.S., as was the case when Captain Brett Crozier was fired for expressing concern about COVID-19 onboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, a Navy nuclear p

May 8, 2020 • 24:15

Civic Engagement, Social Distancing, and Democracy Reform

Recently, Mila sat down with other podcast hosts from our podcast network The Democracy Group, to discuss the impact COVID-19 is having on our democracy, vulnerable populations, and more. “COVID, the pandemic … has really brought to bear not just the inequities and the inequalities, but also the necessity to have a much more active sense of democracy as a verb — democracy as an action that we can all be part of.” — Juleyka Lantigua-Williams, 70 Million Host: Richard Davies, Co-host, How Do We Fi

May 4, 2020 • 37:29

ExxonMobil’s Dirty Secret: Geoffrey Supran

ExxonMobil’s Knowledge Beginning in 1959, ExxonMobil became scientifically aware of the dangers of human-caused climate change. By the 1970s-80s, they had a detailed, precise understanding of climate change. Their peer-reviewed and well-respected internal research gave them access to government meetings and academic conferences. In turn, knowledge about the status of the science and policies helped guide and inform business decisions. Internal memos show that in response to the scientific eviden

May 1, 2020 • 29:23

Ending the Nuclear Era: Fred Pearce

Legacy of Secrecy Nuclear technology has a long history of secrecy, cover-up, and deceit from military officials and government leaders, starting with the creation of nuclear weapons. Secrecy has hampered scientists in conducting rigorous research and data collection. They are often faced with studying the effects of radiation after an accident, which means they lack baseline data for comparison. This is most notable in Chernobyl, where the surrounding exclusion zone is now teeming with wildlife

Apr 24, 2020 • 29:09

Our Radioactive Ocean: Ken Buesseler

The Pacific Ocean is Safe After the Fukushima reactor accident, radiation leaked into the Pacific Ocean, sparking global worry. In the months after the accident, levels were high, but not high enough to cause marine life die-off. For the last five years, all fish caught off Japan has been below the radiation thresholds for consumption. Radioactive cesium levels have been low since 2014, and levels of radiation off the California coast are lower today than they were in the 1960s when the US deton

Apr 17, 2020 • 30:12

A Renewable Future: Mark Z. Jacobson

Nuclear Power is Impractical Building nuclear power plants is extremely costly and time-consuming; projects are often plagued by cost overruns and construction delays. Between permitting, planning, and construction, it takes 10-19 years for a plant to become operational. To meet our climate goals, we need to transition 80% of our energy to carbon-free solutions by 2030. From a logistical standpoint, nuclear cannot become our carbon-free energy source because it will arrive too late. In addition,

Apr 10, 2020 • 27:04

COVID-19 Special Edition

Stephen Pimpare is a nationally recognized expert on poverty and U.S. social policy. Hedebunks the idea that COVID is the great equalizer, and explains why immediate cash transfers are critical to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on the poor. Joe Huston is Managing Director of GiveDirectly, the first and largest non-profit organization that gives cash directly to people in poverty. He shares how they are reaching the needy and providing thousands with critical funds right now. Maria Foscarin

Apr 9, 2020 • 29:16

A Nuclear Future: Joshua Goldstein

Green Power Nuclear energy offers large amounts of power, produces no carbon dioxide, uses a comparatively small amount of land, and runs around the clock. Although nuclear power produces hazardous waste, the amount of material and risk to civilians is small. The risk is hugely outweighed by the risk posed by climate change. According to Goldstein, nuclear power represents the best source of carbon-free energy available to us as we transition from fossil fuels. In the span of one decade, Sweden

Apr 3, 2020 • 29:07

Criminalizing Ecocide: Jojo Mehta

What is Ecocide? The crime of ecocide is the "extensive loss, damage, or destruction of ecosystems such that their inhabitants can no longer enjoy life peacefully." Ecocide happens on a large scale; examples include the ravaging of the Brazilian rainforest, the consequences of widespread fracking, and toxic erosion from strip-mining. Corporations perpetrate almost all ecocide and millions of people are devasted by ecocide's effects every year. Currently, there is no legal pathway to compel corpo

Mar 27, 2020 • 30:13

Climate Policy Failures: Leah Stokes

Fighting for Climate Policy Dismantling the energy system is crucial to breaking the energy crisis. Implementing clean energy policies is the most effective way to change our current energy system and undo the playbook of the fossil fuel and utility industries. Citizens need to demand legislators to support green policies because a policy problem can only be fought with policy solutions. Mass public pressure, such as the youth protests led by Greta Thunberg, can disrupt the status quo and compel

Mar 20, 2020 • 32:32

Climate Justice: Julian Brave NoiseCat

Climate Justice Many low-income communities bear the brunt of industrial pollution or the harshest consequences of climate change. In order to address global warming in a meaningful way, we must also address systemic inequality. The Green New Deal offers a solution to both: transitioning to clean energy while also ensuring low-income communities get the funding they need, and blue-collar workers get good-paying jobs. Promoting Policy Climate Change is a global collective problem, and individual

Mar 13, 2020 • 28:06

Writing Climate Policy: Jerry Taylor

Carbon Tax The climate crisis is a global collective problem that requires a collective global solution. Robust and bipartisan public policy must be at the center of any effort. Taylor argues that we can harness capitalism to mitigate global warming, and proposes a combination of legislation together with a carbon tax on producers. Taxing carbon at $45 a ton creates serious incentives for cities, corporations, and individuals to cut emissions. A carbon tax is a swift fix because it can pass more

Mar 6, 2020 • 30:35

The Actual Cost of Fast Fashion: Jussara Lee

Use Your Purchasing Power Corporations only care about their bottom-line, so boycotting stores you don’t believe in does make a difference. Taking responsibility for your purchases is one of the most powerful non-violent tools available. Naysayers argue that individual actions have no effect, but these actions reverberate and impact the decisions of others. Recently, clothes giant H&M found itself with a $4.3B surplus, thanks in large part to changing consumer demands. As purchasers become more

Feb 28, 2020 • 27:09

The Future of Food: Lenore Newman

Sustainable Food Supply We can create a sustainable food supply for future populations with technology and a change in diet. We cannot feed the world the way we feed North America because 40% of the world’s arable land is currently used for food production. Most of that land is used to feed the animals that we then eat ourselves. Animal protein takes 10 times the amount of resources to grow than plant protein. We could reduce beef consumption by 70% if we replace hamburgers with artificial meats

Feb 21, 2020 • 31:08

A Call to Arms: Bill McKibben

Nonviolent Social Movement Through non-violent social movements, we can demand meaningful change in the political and economic calculus for polluters. Climate strikes, extinction rebellions, and concerted efforts to stop devastating environmental policies have inspired a new generation of activists. The successful opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline showed that people could stand up to oil companies, and win. By stopping or delaying new fossil fuel projects, renewables have a better chance to

Feb 14, 2020 • 30:07

Towards a Sustainable Future: Katherine Richardson

The UN’s Sustainable Development Agenda The United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda for 2030 lists 17 goals designed to improve human well-being, while also managing the Earth’s resources for the future. We have been moving further from completing our environmental goals every year because well-being comes at the expense of the global environment. The sustainable development goals are a set of tools to maximize human well-being and minimize the negative effects of increased development. Fo

Feb 7, 2020 • 29:33

The End of Welfare: Kathryn Edin (Rebroadcast)

The end of welfare Welfare ceased being guaranteed after reform in 1996. Although the safety net for the working class was strengthened through tax credits, the safety net for those who are jobless disappeared. In its current state, the welfare system is overwhelming and underfunded. States are given block grants that they can spend at their discretion. For example, Louisiana spends its money on anti-abortion clinics. As a result, over the course of a year, about 3.5 million children live in hou

Jan 31, 2020 • 27:48

Democracy and Freedom: Season Round Up

Empowering citizens Many Americans are unsure of how their government works. Civic education is the manual for democracy, which Civics 101 offers in the form of a popular podcast. Over the last hundred years, the United States became more democratic through the activism and litigation of concerned and well-educated citizens. Still, some unfairness in our system prevails. One important holdover from the institution of slavery is the Electoral College, which was originally designed to grant outsiz

Jan 25, 2020 • 28:48

Ending Urban Violence: Thomas Abt

Focus on Violence First Abt’s central thesis for solving violence in urban areas is fairly straightforward: focus on the violence—and not other factors—first. Exposure to violence may be the central mechanism that keeps poor children poor because it inhibits their ability to escape poverty. Violence occupies the brain with lifelong repercussions. Studies have shown elevated rates of cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses based on childhood trauma. Trauma also impacts the ability to sleep, fo

Jan 18, 2020 • 31:45

The Meritocracy Trap: Daniel Markovits

The Cost of Human Capital Meritocracy gives the illusion that we are all equally competing at a level playing field. The reality is that the elite is able to purchase better education, which means they are more qualified when it comes to college admissions and high-income jobs. By heavily investing in education and training, elites build human capital within themselves. They become superordinate workers who are paid enormous wages. The flip side is that human capital enslaves us because we have

Jan 11, 2020 • 39:07

Bipartisan Civil Discourse: Michael Baranowski

Agreeing on the basic fundamentals The need for positive, bipartisan discourse is acute. In today’s politically charged environment, it's important to disagree in a constructive and civil way. The first step in good-faith dialogue is to start by finding fundamental policies or values you both agree on and build on them. In fact, most Americans hold the same ideals, but value them differently. Mike and his conservative co-host Jay both value justice and freedom, though to different degrees. Since

Jan 4, 2020 • 31:05

Protecting Free Speech: Suzanne Nossel

The First Amendment The First Amendment protects four types of freedom of expression: freedom of speech, belief, assembly, and the ability to petition the government for a redress of grievances. It states that “Congress shall make no law” to infringe on these four freedoms. Over time, “Congress” has been extended to include the executive branch, as well as state and local governments. The court’s view of the First Amendment is extremely broad, which means that America protects more speech than a

Dec 28, 2019 • 32:32

Practical Equality: Robert L. Tsai

Law as a Framework Equality creates a framework for how we should treat others, and how we should expect to be treated by others. The institution of laws enforces the rules of equality within that framework. Law helps shape the conversations in public life and in politics about what can, and cannot, be done when dealing with more abstract concepts like fairness, freedom, and equality. Law also acts as dispute resolution when we see our intangible values being infringed upon. It helps create comp

Dec 21, 2019 • 28:36

Deliberative Democracy: Jane Suiter and David Farrell of the Irish Citizens’ Assembly

Citizens’ forum The Irish Citizens’ Assembly was formed in response to the severe social and economic crisis caused by the global financial meltdown of 2008. A group of political scientists, led by Jane Suiter and David Farrell, advocated for citizens to be included in debates about the necessary political reforms to address the failures of the executive. Deliberative mini publics innovate democracy by engaging citizens in constructive dialogue about the issues facing society. While many in parl

Dec 14, 2019 • 30:14

Responsible Statecraft: Stephen Wertheim

Responsible Statecraft Responsible statecraft should derive from serious consideration of the public interest, with robust public debate and a strong role for Congress. The Quincy Institute believes that democratizing US foreign policy to include diverse points of view from minority, immigrant, and outsider communities – in addition to foreign policy experts – will lead to more vigorous diplomacy and less military intervention. Responsible statecraft would also require Congress to take its war-m

Dec 7, 2019 • 27:56

Keeping Government Accountable: David Greising

Investigations Get Results Since 1957, BGA investigations have uncovered corruption and unfair practices throughout Chicago and the state of Illinois. A recent investigation of police shootings in predominantly African-American neighborhoods of Cook County found that of 113 shootings over seven years, none led to disciplinary action. After the findings were published, a state law was enacted requiring an investigation each time a police officer discharges their weapon. BGA also investigated and

Nov 30, 2019 • 26:01

Powering American Democracy: Seth Flaxman

Technology for Democracy Democracy Works remedies some of the most pervasive and mundane reasons we don’t vote. TurboVote is a tool that enables online voter registration, sends out election day reminders, and even provides absentee ballots. Those mailed-in ballots are then tracked by the Ballot Scout initiative. The Voting Information Project produces the polling place and ballot data that is then used by Google and get-out-the-vote drives. By using current technology to take the hassle of voti

Nov 23, 2019 • 27:18

Protecting our Elections: Marcia Johnson-Blanco

Protecting our Elections Most Americans take for granted that our elections will be free and fair. However, this would not be the case without the rigorous efforts of dedicated non-profits, citizens, and volunteers. Organizations like the Lawyers’ Committee work year-round to protect our elections from internal interference using a variety of tools such as a voter hotline (866-OUR-VOTE), digital outreach, physical field programs, and litigation when states enact unfair or discriminatory voting p

Nov 16, 2019 • 27:48

Podcasting for Democracy: Civics 101

Civic education for all Many Americans are unsure of how their government works. Civic education is the manual for democracy, and Civics 101 offers it in the form of a popular podcast. Civic learning is a unifier that promotes democratic ideas and a more connected populace. In fact, listeners of the podcast span across the ideological spectrum, equally motivated to learn all about how they can utilize our democracy. Civics 101 also produces classroom materials for a growing number of high school

Nov 9, 2019 • 28:35

Reimagining Civic Learning: Louise Dubé

High-quality civic education Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor founded iCivics in 2009 because she believed that the practice of democracy must be taught and learned anew by each generation. High-quality civic education starts at an early age and teaches how the US system works. The curriculum includes the basics, such as the Constitution and the Bill of Rights; how to think about the complex challenges that face any government by examining past Supreme Court cases; fostering well-inform

Nov 2, 2019 • 28:00

Of the People, By the People: Mila Atmos

We Are Our Government In our representative democracy, every citizen of the United States is ultimately a part of the government. One of our civic responsibilities is to be informed about how our elected representatives are working for us and how our tax dollars are being spent. We have the power to hold our representatives accountable when there is corruption or injustice. Our government is of the people, by the people, and we must participate in our society through civic engagement, community

Oct 26, 2019 • 10:32

The Sustaining Power of Passion: Mila Atmos

Passion Informs Engagement Creating a stronger community and society comes through a continuous commitment to civic engagement. Passion about certain issues can motivate and sustain a lifetime habit of being involved. In addition, participating in community life and initiatives are essential for staying engaged. Working together and joining forces with other people yields the best results to shape a society that reflects our values. It is one of the most treasured gifts we can leave to future ge

Oct 19, 2019 • 5:34

The Three Dimensions of Freedom: Billy Bragg

Loss of Agency One of the most important factors in a healthy democracy is the sense of agency. When citizens in a democracy feel they have some agency over their lives, whether it is economic, social, or political, they will work together to create a better future for themselves, their families, and their society. When this sense is taken from them by outside variables such as market forces, they lose this sense of collectivism, and become less likely to work together. This division leaves an o

Oct 12, 2019 • 43:19

The Power of Civic Engagement: Mila Atmos

Engagement and Representation There are a multitude of ways to become an engaged citizen. Often people think of civic engagement as an overwhelming and high-level concept. In reality, civic engagement can be performed on any level, from lowering the speed limit on your street and participating in a protest, to joining a local advisory council or parent-teacher organization. The important part of civic engagement is not what we do, but that we actually do something to make our voices heard. We ca

Oct 4, 2019 • 6:00

The Time for Civic Engagement is Now: Mila Atmos

Since the 2016 election, it has become increasingly imperative that we participate in our democracy as citizens. There are many ways to be civically engaged beyond voting and running for office, from being mindful about civic actions to passionately advocating for an issue. Our society and our social contract are only as strong as those participating in them, and the more you can get involved —- and inspire others to do the same -— the more our democracy represents us. Find out more: Mila Atmos

Sep 28, 2019 • 6:29

The Blueprint for American Democracy: Ezra Levin

Democracy Reform When American democracy was conceived, the US was comprised of 13 states on the Eastern Seaboard, with a population of just over 2.5 million. The 18th and 19th century version of our democracy was meant for a smaller, less populous, and overwhelmingly whiter nation than the America we live in today. In order to preserve and strengthen our democracy for the future, we must engage in progressive reforms. One example is removing outdated and arbitrary procedures like the filibuster

Sep 14, 2019 • 32:23

The Ethics of Big Data: Matthew L. Jones

Fourth Amendment The Fourth amendment protects people from unlawful searches and seizures. For example, in the 1970s the Supreme Court ruled that a warrant is necessary in order to listen in on telephone conversations, but not to collect the phone numbers. This is the precedent that allows for big data to collect a vast amount of information about people on the internet. Further, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has determined that the legal analysis for the Fourth amendment is the sa

Sep 7, 2019 • 38:05

Achieving Tolerable Climate: Jonathan Lamontagne

Tolerable climate and economic conditions Lamontagne’s study defines tolerable economic conditions as follows: the present value of abatement costs would not exceed 3% of gross world product and climate damages would not exceed 2% of gross world product. Current gross world product is estimated to be$80trillion, so 3% of that would be $2.4 trillion. Although this a large dollar amount, it would be a reasonable investment as a percentage of gross world product. Tolerable climate is defined as l

Aug 31, 2019 • 25:18

The Crisis in Higher Education: Liz Willen

Education Inequity There is a college completion crisis and access crisis in America: black adults are only two thirds as likely to hold college degrees as whites, and the highest achieving students from the wealthiest families are three times as likely to enroll in a highly selective college as similar students from poor families.Low achievers from high income familieshave a higher chanceof graduating from college thanhighachieving students from low income families. Community College Community

Aug 24, 2019 • 24:47

The Economics of Health: James Knickman

Social Determinants Good health is the product of access to quality medical care and sound public health policy. Effective policies that improve health outcomes include the Earned Income Tax Credit, supportive housing, and access to good public education. Per capita spending on medical care and social services in America and in European countries is about the same, but the US spends much more on medical care, while Europe spends more on social services. Europeans have longer life expectancy and

Aug 17, 2019 • 27:03

Eradicating Cash Bail: Robin Steinberg

The price of freedom Cash bail was initially conceived as a way to incentivize the accused to come to court at their appointed court dates. As the criminal legal system expanded during the tough-on-crime years, cash bail was set at amounts that low income people could not afford. Even though they had yet to be convicted of a crime, they were forced to go to jail because they could not afford bail. One way to get out is to plead guilty to a small offense so that they can go home, but that adds si

Aug 10, 2019 • 28:51

The Human Rights of Women: Lynn Paltrow

The human rights of women The health needs of half of our population – women – include maternal and reproductive health. Equal rights mean that women can access the health care they need. Until we take into account the capacity for pregnancy, women will never achieve equality. The very survival of our species depends on meeting these needs. Fetal Personhood Since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, anti-abortion activists have sought to establish fetuses, fertilized eggs, and embryos as separate en

Aug 3, 2019 • 33:07

Gender Parity: Melissa Mark-Viverito

Gender equity in government It’s a disservice to our communities and our democracy when the voices of women are missing in government. Women have a right for government to reflect their needs. The actual, lived experiences and perspectives of women in leadership positions enrich and inform our budgets, public policy, and legislation in ways that would not be possible in their absence. A prime example is reproductive rights. When women are at the table, onerous legislation against reproductive ri

Jul 27, 2019 • 25:38

Trailer: Probable Futures

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Jul 20, 2019 • 4:40

Census 2020: Ashley Allison (Rebroadcast)

Census data supports communities Government and businesses rely on census data to provide the necessary services that make healthy and vibrant communities possible. The data reveals how many grocery stores, pharmacies, hospitals, or schools are needed, and even influence public transportation routes and budgets. An accurate and fair count will ensure that adequate resources are allocated. Undercounting and the citizenship question Asking whether the census participant is a citizen could decrease

Jul 13, 2019 • 21:09

Micah White

The crisis of our time People have very little political power beyond voting on election day. Current governing structures are incapable of changing the world and solving the big problems that we face, such as the climate crisis. The solution is to form a social movement – perhaps through revolution – that can make good decisions and achieve its goals, such as win elections, take sovereignty, and maintain power. A notable example is the Five Star Movement in Italy, which directs policy and takes

Jun 29, 2019 • 25:35

Dave Archambault II

Financial risk and social cost Engaging in early and constructive dialogue between indigenous communities and corporations is crucial for success. Big companies involved in infrastructure projects that affect indigenous lands have the resources for careful research and negotiation to mitigate potential financial risks and social costs. Educating both indigenous people and corporations about each other’s interests protects indigenous rights and values, and increases the chances of fruitful negoti

Jun 22, 2019 • 28:54

Bearing Witness

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Jun 15, 2019 • 3:47

Jackie Zammuto

See it, film it, change it Video documentation of injustice and systemic abuse can be a powerful tool for holding offenders accountable. The key is to present and disseminate the video effectively and strategically so that it is seen by the people who are moved to effect change. When the footage of an incident captures enough detail, it can be used as evidence in a court of law and positively affect the outcome of the trial. Think before sharing After recording human rights abuse, take the time

Jun 15, 2019 • 23:38

Alan Yarborough and Bill Steverson

Enhance understanding The purpose of civil discourse is to enhance understanding, not to change minds. It’s always helpful to have a diversity of ideas, understand different perspectives, and potentially learn flaws in our own thinking. The pursuit of understanding is in and of itself a worthy endeavor. Civil discourse curriculum The five-week curriculum on civil discourse for the Episcopal Church is designed to facilitate productive conversations about society’s important issues. The curriculum

Jun 8, 2019 • 25:44

María Urbina

Grassroots power Grassroots movements believe that change starts on the local level. Indivisible started with sharing a Google doc guide to empower everyday people to now having over 4,000 groups throughout the country. Indivisible’s website features information that demystifies Congress and turns everyone into the insiders that they should be. Candidates who are in regular community with the grassroots become better at making a case for bringing voters along to join them in their vision. Speak

Jun 1, 2019 • 23:23

Bradford Fitch

Meet your Member of Congress If a lawmaker has not yet made a firm decision on an issue, an in-person meeting has a ninety-four percent efficacy rate as an advocacy strategy. It’s important for constituents to connect a personal story to pertinent information of how proposed legislation will impact the local community. This is what the lawmaker wants to know. Showing up at town hall meetings is also an effective way to share the needs and concerns of the community to the member of Congress. Cong

May 25, 2019 • 23:48

Julianne Hoffenberg

Effective advocacy The Gathering excels at bringing coalitions together with a common agenda; rapid and urgent response to crisis situations in communities; organizing, like marching in protest to Washington, D.C., from New York; and advocacy for criminal justice reform bills with members of Congress. In addition, it works with incarcerated youth through cultural education and non-violence training, and facilitates dialogue between communities and formerly incarcerated people. Kingian nonviolenc

May 18, 2019 • 23:44

L.A. Kauffman

1963 March on Washington The 1963 March on Washington was the first mass protest in America. Due to the anxiety around such a massive group descending on Washington, the March was carefully planned from the top down by both the organizers and the Kennedy administration. The route was mapped out to march by the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial, away from the White House and the Capitol. All the signs were made by one entity and bore uniform messages. Women’s March The Women’s Marches of 2

May 11, 2019 • 25:04

Trailer: The Power of Protest?

Our new season examines the power of protest and other civic action. Guests include activists who protest and advocates who don’t, from Brad Fitch of the Congressional Management Foundation and Jackie Zammuto of WITNESS to Micah White, co-founder of Occupy Wall Street, and more.

May 4, 2019 • 1:58

Democracy Works: David Frum

This is a bonus episode from the Democracy Works podcast, which examines what it means to live in a democracy. Host Jenna Spinelle interviews David Frum, the author of Trumpocracy: The Corruption of the American Republic. He discusses how we can use the tools of civic engagement to build the democracy we want for ourselves and for future generations. David Frum is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of Trumpocracy: The Corruption of the American Republic. In 2001 and 2002, he was a spe

Apr 27, 2019 • 43:06

Beto O'Rourke (Rebroadcast)

Rebuilding democracy from the ground up We need representatives who truly represent the people by directly engaging with and listening to their constituents. Removing the power of political action committees (PACs), special interests, and corporations is vital to getting our democracy back and making sure that elected government is responsive to the interests and concerns of human beings. Work together and set aside differences Achieving bipartisan collaboration comes through putting the small d

Apr 20, 2019 • 27:43

Season Round Up: Poverty

Revisit some of the highlights of this season that gave us so much insight into poverty in America, added to our discourse, and helped us revise our thinking.

Apr 13, 2019 • 8:50

Kathryn Edin

The end of welfare Welfare ceased being guaranteed after reform in 1996. Although the safety net for the working class was strengthened through tax credits, the safety net for those who are jobless disappeared. In its current state, the welfare system is overwhelming and underfunded. States are given block grants that they can spend at their discretion. For example, Louisiana spends its money on anti-abortion clinics. As a result, over the course of a year, about 3.5 million children live in hou

Apr 6, 2019 • 27:48

Stephen Pimpare

Poverty is widespread Hardship in America is common. In all of rich democracies, we have the highest rates of poverty among the elderly and also among children. In fact, the majority of Americans will be poor for a significant period of time over the course of their lives: 62% percent will have their income at the bottom 20 percent for a year or more in their adult life, and 42% percent have income for a year or more at the bottom 10 percent of the distribution. About 21% of children live in fam

Mar 30, 2019 • 26:01

Gail Joseph

Invest in early learning Because the foundation for all of life’s successes -- whether academic, social, or emotional -- is laid in the first five years of life, it is critically important to invest in early learning. This is especially true for children from low income homes, who often do not have access to high quality early learning programs. As early as kindergarten, underprivileged children can be as much as 1.5 years behind the average child and it is very difficult for them to catch up. H

Mar 23, 2019 • 24:07

Dan Weissmann

Picking an insurance plan is nearly impossible Although it is no surprise that picking an insurance plan is complicated, it turns out it is nearly impossible. A study by George Loewenstein at Carnegie Mellon reveals that a majority of Americans will choose a suboptimal plan. With access to a full analysis of all the costs and regulations, 80% of us can make a sound decision. Insurance companies drive up costs Insurance companies are not motivated to keep costs down because they can pass them on

Mar 16, 2019 • 25:21

Maria Foscarinis

The housing crisis started with a policy decision The leading cause was cutbacks to federal funding for housing for poor people starting with the Reagan administration. In 1978, the federal government was funding about over 300,000 new units of affordable housing each year. In 1983, that number had decreased to under 3,000 each year. Currently, only one in four poor people who qualify for federal housing assistance actually receives it. Working men and women who do not earn enough to pay for hou

Mar 9, 2019 • 24:54

Max Kenner

Max Kenner is the founder and executive director of the Bard Prison Initiative, a college that is spread across six interconnected prisons in New York State. We discuss the enduring value of the liberal arts, the immense power of an education on reducing recidivism, and the critical importance of deep investments in human beings. Education must be high quality The students at BPI have a drive to learn that reflects their awareness of the stakes of their education for the future. Thanks to the hi

Mar 2, 2019 • 22:24

Stephen Bright

Stephen Bright served as the director of the Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta, and is currently a lecturer at Yale Law School, as well as professor of practice at Georgia State College of Law. We discuss the death penalty in the United States and its relationship to poverty, race, and disadvantage. Poverty and Competent Representation The Supreme Court only decided in 1932 that a person in a death penalty case had a right to a lawyer. However, the government has competing interests wh

Feb 23, 2019 • 23:05

Ross Morales Rocketto

Ross Morales Rocketto is co-founder of Run For Something, an organization that supports diverse, young progressives running for state and local office. We discuss which candidates win, why building a bench of local and state politicians is important, and how an increase of candidates leads to better voter turnout. The Importance of State and Local Office Eighty percent of the laws that are passed in this country are passed at the state and local level, which include the big issues of the day, su

Feb 16, 2019 • 24:02

Season 5 Trailer: Ross Morales Rocketto

"Telling these types of stories, showing people that it's not just white dudes who are lawyers, who have a lot of money, that can do this type of work is one of the most effective ways for us to try to show folks they can do it too." Ross Morales Rocketto, co-founder and chief program officer of Run For Something, kicks off the new season with a conversation about diverse, young candidates for state and local office. Tune in on February 16 for Season 5 of Future Hindsight!

Feb 7, 2019 • 1:21

Ted Dintersmith

Human Potential Education should be a path for children to develop into self-directed, self-supporting, skill-equipped young adults. This may or may not include a college education, but will require high levels of critical thinking skills. Creativity and innovation will be an integral part of any job in the future. Standardized Tests and College Readiness The norm today is to teach what is easy to test, such as narrow arithmetic, instead of what’s important to learn. This turns the purpose of ed

Nov 17, 2018 • 24:16

Ben Theodore

Local Politics The impact of individual and group efforts can be decisive in local political races, such as in the elections for a judge, a district leader, or in the State Assembly. Having one-on-one conversations about what is happening in our own community is powerful because we discuss the policy choices that directly affect our lives. Get Involved! Citizens are the players in politics. They have the opportunity and the responsibility to determine who is elected into office. When citizens ar

Nov 10, 2018 • 23:17

Robert P. Jones, Ph.D.

Voting People broadly agree that voter turnout should be higher and that voting should be easier, for example by making Election Day a holiday. Although everyone over age 30 is convinced that voting is a fundamental way to create change, only half of young people agree. Surprisingly, a quarter of Americans are unsure about the most fundamental requirement to be eligible for voting: you have to be a citizen. Demographic Changes America is no longer a majority white Christian country. However, the

Nov 3, 2018 • 23:37

Max Feldman

The Powers of Voting Voting is our civic duty and our opportunity to participate in our democracy. We can hold our leaders accountable and also express what we believe this country can and should be. Voting means a lot to people in traditionally disenfranchised communities because it serves as an important expression of who we are as citizens. If it weren’t powerful, nobody would try to suppress our right to vote. Voter Suppression Strict voter ID laws, voter roll purges, early voting cutbacks,

Oct 27, 2018 • 24:21

Cristóbal Alex

Political Power The proactive strategy of Latino Victory to build power through elections is a recipe for success. They focus on grooming and training candidates who represent their community’s values, empowering Latino voters, and developing a pipeline of Latino donors. The proof is in the pudding: great Latino candidates are exploding Latino turnout. Demographics Latinos represent 18% of the U.S. population and natural-born Latinos are the fastest part of demographic growth. Half of them live

Oct 20, 2018 • 23:11

Phil Polakoff

Phil Polakoff is a physician with a distinguished career in public health and clinical medicine, the CEO of A Healthier We, and a consulting professor at Stanford University of Medicine. We discuss how an emphasis on prevention coupled with innovations in healthcare access and delivery can help us share greater health and equity for all Americans. Demand Better Healthcare Policies We need a more efficient and effective health delivery system that encompasses all of us. Follow political candidate

Oct 13, 2018 • 22:12

Ashley Allison

Census data supports communities Government and businesses rely on census data to provide the necessary services that make healthy and vibrant communities possible. The data reveals how many grocery stores, pharmacies, hospitals, or schools are needed, and even influence public transportation routes and budgets. An accurate and fair count will ensure that adequate resources are allocated. Undercounting and the citizenship question Asking whether the census participant is a citizen could decrease

Oct 6, 2018 • 21:32

Esther de Rothschild and Aicha Cherif

The power of love and relational organizing When people realize that their vote matters personally to others, they are more likely to show up and exercise this right. Ineligible voters, such as teenagers or formerly incarcerated people, can make an impact on elections by drawing attention to how election results concern them and move their network of eligible voters to show up at the polls. Amendment 4 There are over 1.4 million people who are disenfranchised for life in the US, most of them fo

Sep 29, 2018 • 24:32

Brian Miller

Brian Miller is the Executive Director of Nonprofit VOTE, an organization that partners with other nonprofits to integrate voter engagement into their ongoing activities. We discuss the importance of promoting voter registration to achieve full representation in excluded communities, and the benefits of a non-partisan, in person approach to do so. Nonvoting feedback loop The main reason people don’t vote is that nobody has reached out to them and asked them to vote. Furthermore, most non-voters

Sep 22, 2018 • 23:19

Season 4 Trailer: Brian Miller

A sneak peek of the first episode of Season 4: Brian Miller makes a case for registering and voting. National Voter Registration Day is on September 25, 2018.

Sep 15, 2018 • 1:00

Pam Elam and Namita Luthra

Pam Elam and Namita Luthra serve on the Board of Directors of the Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony Fund. Their Monumental Women campaign will bring the first statue commemorating real women to New York City’s Central Park in 2020. We discuss the importance of honoring women and their contributions to society in public spaces. Rethink history to shape the future Women and people of color have been largely left out of our nation’s narrative, instilling the impression that they made no s

Aug 25, 2018 • 22:57

Michael Faye

Michael Faye is the president and co-founder of GiveDirectly, an organization that sends cash directly to people living in extreme poverty. We discuss why we should use cash as a new benchmark for international aid, unpack false assumptions about decision-making, and examine the benefits of universal basic income. Prioritizing individual needs is effective Humans largely make creative and wise decisions for themselves and their families. Despite a common belief to the contrary, the poor are good

Aug 18, 2018 • 23:28

Maria Yuan

Maria Yuan is the founder of Issue Voter, an organization whose mission is to make civic engagement accessible, efficient, and impactful. We talk about the importance of being informed on the bills before Congress, communicating your priorities and opinions to your representative, and understanding whether your rep is truly representing you. Our voice matters One of the benefits of living in a democracy is making our voices heard. In fact, representatives keep track of constituent contact in ord

Aug 11, 2018 • 24:43

Rachel Leyland and Dr. Kendra Abel

Rachel Leyland and Kendra Abel are public school teachers in Oklahoma City who participated in the walkout in April of 2018. We discuss how the walkout shed light on the problems caused by chronic underfunding of public education, the power of standing together to demand change, and the importance of supporting pro-education candidates for office. Support for Public Education Bolsters Democracy Chronic underfunding and continued cuts to public education have grave consequences. In Oklahoma, teac

Aug 4, 2018 • 25:43

Scott Warren

Scott Warren is the CEO and co-founder of Generation Citizen, an organization that works to ensure students in the United States receive an effective civics education. We talk about the unique power of political action to bring about change and the need to teach our youngest generations how to be active participants in our democracy. Political action is still king All of the important issues that affect our daily lives touch the government in some way. Politics is a powerful agent for systemic c

Jul 28, 2018 • 25:35

Brent Wilkes

Brent Wilkes is the former CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and a lifelong advocate for Latino rights. We discuss what fair and comprehensive immigration could be, the positive impact of immigrant labor in the US economy, and how we can demand sound immigration policy at the ballot box. Our economy depends on immigrant labor Immigrants are doing some of the hardest jobs in America for the lowest amount of pay, such as producing food, building houses, and providing care

Jul 21, 2018 • 24:56

Mark Hetfield

Mark Hetfield is the President and CEO of HIAS, the oldest refugee assistance organization in operation. We discuss our humanitarian obligations to refugees, the tremendous benefits that they bring to American society, and bust the misconceptions about the current refugee situation in the US. Taking refugees is an act of humanity: Refugees have escaped persecution, their country, their homes, and their jobs in order to survive. The Refugee Convention of 1951 is an international law that requires

Jul 14, 2018 • 26:54

Paul Lagunes

Paul Lagunes is a Columbia University political scientist whose scholarship focuses on corruption in the Americas. His current book project is Corruption and Oversight: Insights from Field Experiments. We define corruption, discuss how it relates to democracy, and learn that voting is a tool to fight against it. Corruption is a contingent behavior In a world of multiple equilibriums, the rules of the game differ from place to place, thus it may be rational to engage in corruption in certain cont

Jul 7, 2018 • 25:42

Ian Bremmer

Raise consciousness: Globalists have been willing to stand by while many people were left behind. Elites need to acknowledge their complicity in order to reverse the increasing division between us and them, as well as make clear to people in power that the current version of globalism is not acceptable. More experiments are necessary: The only effective way to tackle global issues is to start experimenting around possible solutions, each of us in the ways that we can. There are already many inte

May 26, 2018 • 32:12

Shafi Goldwasser

Shafi Goldwasser is an award-winning mathematician and computer scientist and the Director of the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing at UC Berkeley. Her most notable work is in cryptography and zero knowledge proof. We discuss the promise of cryptography to make our society more secure.  Data privacy and you:  Cryptography is the field that deals with the privacy and correctness of how our information is used. It makes our data more secure, with a range of tools such as encryption, aut

May 19, 2018 • 33:22

Jennifer March

Jennifer March is the Executive Director of the Citizen’s Committee for Children of New York. This non-profit and nonpartisan child advocacy organization combines public policy research and data analysis with citizen action. We discuss family homelessness, juvenile justice, and the power of effective advocacy. Growing up poor likely leads to long term damaging outcomes: Every child should be guaranteed a prosperous environment with proper access to health care, housing, education, and safe livin

May 12, 2018 • 27:57

Beto O'Rourke

Democratic Congressman Beto O’Rourke represents his hometown, El Paso, TX. Currently a Candidate for US Senate, he is running a people-powered campaign, visiting every single county in Texas and listening to the needs and concerns of the state’s constituents. We talk about how to rebuild our democracy, the necessity of bipartisanship, and how big money corrodes our political process. Rebuilding democracy from the ground up: We need representatives who truly represent the people by directly engag

May 5, 2018 • 27:13

Ruth Milkman

Ruth Milkman is a sociologist of labor and labor movements, and Distinguished Professor of Sociology at the CUNY Graduate Center and at the Joseph S. Murphy Institute for Worker Education and Labor Studies. We examine the role of unions for workers, the main factors of de-unionization, and the potential leadership by millennials in this space. It’s safer to speak up as a group: The purpose of unions is to give workers a collective voice in relation to their employers. They also negotiate contrac

Apr 28, 2018 • 31:01

Robert Hammond

Robert Hammond is the executive director and co-founder of Friends of the High Line, which was the driving force behind turning an abandoned elevated railroad in New York City into a public park. We discuss the essential role of a city’s public open spaces and how exhilarating it is to pursue your dreams. Parks are at the intersection of social issues: Parks have a role in our social issues from economic injustice to education and the environment. A city’s true ingredient is people, and parks al

Apr 21, 2018 • 27:57

Nick Ehrmann

Nick Ehrmann is the founder and president of Blue Engine, which was borne from the discovery that the strongest predictor of college completion is sustained academic rigor in high school coursework. The organization re-imagines the classroom in order to teach students how to master core academic skills and be truly ready for college. Prepare for success College readiness is defined by the ability to persist and complete degrees. We need to equip students with skills and habits of mind that allow

Apr 14, 2018 • 25:07

Tyler Ruzich

Tyler Ruzich is a 17-year old Republican candidate for governor of Kansas, one of eight teens in the race this year. We discuss what it means to be a Republican of the next generation, why it’s important to get involved now, and what young people can do to become more engaged. Young people offer fresh perspectives: We can make better decisions when we are well informed and more educated. Young people bring ideas and perspectives that may not have been considered before. They’re eager to do somet

Apr 7, 2018 • 22:45

Season 2 Trailer

A sneak peek of our next episode: civic engagement requires no minimum age. Tyler Ruzich, 17-year old Kansan, shows us how.

Mar 31, 2018 • 0:56

Ai-Jen Poo

In the 8th and last episode of Season 1, we discuss the elder boom, and the increasing importance of home care and domestic work in our society. Award-winning activist Ai-Jen Poo, a leading advocate for domestic workers’ rights and family care, discusses the challenges of the elder boom. She lays out how home care can help us face the coming demographic change and the ways in which we can engage to demand a new Caring infrastructure. The Care Crisis is Here: Baby boomers are aging at a rate of 1

Mar 10, 2018 • 21:29

Andrea Miller (Part 2)

Andrea Miller is the president of the National Institute for Reproductive Health. We talk about the broad support among men for Roe vs. Wade, the Hyde Amendment, and the two most damaging misconceptions about abortions. This interview belongs to a two-part episode in which we discuss the importance of reproductive rights and why we should engage with this issue for the general welfare of our communities. Listen to the first part here. Men Are Supportive: There is no huge gender gap in attitudes

Mar 6, 2018 • 20:29

Andrea Miller (Part 1)

Andrea Miller is the president of the National Institute for Reproductive Health. We talk about the impact that reproductive legislation has in society and how it’s historically been affected by safety and public health concerns.  This interview belongs to a two-part episode in which we discuss the importance of reproductive rights and why we should engage with this issue for the general welfare of our communities. Listen to the second part here. Learn the Facts: Polls show that 80% of the publi

Mar 3, 2018 • 24:46

Joe Hartigan

Joe Hartigan has cracked the code on how to effect change. He is a retired NYC Fire Department lieutenant and community activist since 1995. His passion, dedication, and consistency over many years brought about ferry service for the residents of Rockaway, Queens. Every community would benefit from a fervent advocate like Joe. We can become advocates for our communities by focusing on specific issues, joining forces, and staying persistent. Show Up: Showing up and pushing the point helps you to

Feb 24, 2018 • 25:54

Roland Augustine

Roland Augustine is an art dealer, tireless activist, and active member at the Bard College Prison Initiative. We discuss the necessity of finding new ways of activism for social justice in our daily lives. Be an Advocate: Civic engagement means becoming an advocate for social equality and social justice. It can begin at the most basic level such as your town or school. You can give hands-on support and/or money to a cause that is important to you. Consistent and rigorous advocacy creates more k

Feb 17, 2018 • 23:44

James Doty

James R. Doty, MD, is a neurosurgeon and clinical professor at Stanford University. He shows us how to shape our own lives and of those around us by reframing, practicing compassion, and living with an open heart. Reframe Negative talk dominates our narrative. What we tell ourselves manifests in our lives. Positive talk is based on kindness towards oneself.     Practice Compassion When you change the way you look at the world, then the world changes the way it interacts with you. Accepting the r

Feb 10, 2018 • 28:00

Richard Betts

Richard K. Betts, Ph.D, is the Director of the Saltzmann Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University. We talk about how we can be meaningful stakeholders in foreign policy by voting and supporting political movements. Vote & Support We must use our power to vote and support political movements in order to activate fundamental change in our world. Be an active volunteer in an organization Historically, the United States has been a country of joiners in various organizations to promo

Feb 3, 2018 • 29:49

Matt Kalmans

Matt Kalmans is the CEO and co-founder of Applecart, a strategic political consultancy and lab. We discuss the power of voting, how social pressure can influence our actions, and the ways in which science and technology can help us understand our political behavior.  Human communication is the strongest tool for high civic engagement Most decisions we make on a day-to-day basis are based on what our friends and co-workers tell us. Real life conversations are deeply influental in our political be

Jan 27, 2018 • 28:46

Bernard Harcourt

Bernard Harcourt is an author, lawyer, and critical theorist. In our conversation, we discover that civic engagement is a learned skill, the power of collective action, and the importance of remembering our truths and values. Voting is a learned skill  A study showed that children who experienced the voting process or political conversations with their parents showed more civic engagement. It's a skill that can be learned and should be promoted. Children and young people should learn that they c

Jan 20, 2018 • 22:49

Premier Trailer

A sneak peak of the first episode of Future Hindsight — Bernard Harcourt discusses why and how civic engagement matters.

Jan 18, 2018 • 1:29

Future Hindsight Trailer

The Future Hindsight podcast launched on January 20, 2018. Join us for our premier episode where we interview Bernard Harcourt to speak about civic engagement and The Holder Initiative.

Jan 8, 2018 • 1:03