Two of our Penn State colleagues join us this week to discuss their recent findings on the connection between state-mandated civics tests and voter turnout.

Democracy is sometimes described as "a system where political parties lose elections." That's true but doesn't capture the deeper feelings of grief and grievance associated with political loss. We dive into those emotions this week with Juliet Hooker of Brown University.

Cas Mudde, one of the world's leading experts in the study of populism and far-right politics, joins us this week to discuss the tensions between populism and democracy, and why populism has increased around world in recent years.

This week, we explore the shift of working class union voters from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party.

Penn State professors John Iceland and Eric Silver join us this week to discuss how the discrepancy between social order and social justice impedes political compromise and progress.

This week, we're handing the microphone to Penn State student Joey Picarillo for an interview about the rise and fall of early democracies and what lessons we can learn from them today.

We talk with technology expert Jennifer Pahlka about why government systems seem so bad — and how everyone can contribute to making them better.

Chris Beem talks with former Republican political operative Tim Miller about the party's loyalty to Donald Trump and where it might go in 2024 and beyond.

We're back from summer break and diving into the 2024 election season, Donald Trump's indictments, the spread of election deniers, and more.

We're excited to present an episode from our sister podcast, When the People Decide, about how libraries can be sites of civic engagement and building a new social fabric in America's cities and towns.

This week, we bring you an interview from the Democracy Paradox podcast about the political crisis in Peru and how it fits into the bigger picture of democratic erosion around the world.

We're excited to share and episode from the Village SquareCast, the podcast produced by The Village Square and one of our fellow shows in The Democracy Group podcast network.

This week, we're bringing you an episode from the podcast democracy-ish, hosted by Danielle Moodie and Waj Ali.

On our season finale, we break down some of the biggest stories in politics and democracy over the past few months, including legislative actions in North Carolina and beyond, cases the U.S. Supreme Court is considering, the debt ceiling, and more.

John Della Volpe, director of the Harvard Youth Poll and author of the book "Fight" about Gen Z politics, joins us this week to discuss the events that shaped the generation's political ideology and how they're pushing back against narratives established by previous generations.

This week, we bring you an episode from Think Inclusive, a podcast that builds bridges between families, educators, and disability rights advocates to create a shared understanding of inclusive education and what inclusion looks like in the real world.

Peniel E. Joseph, author of "The Third Reconstruction," joins us this week to discuss how the era from Barack Obama's election to George Floyd's murder compare to the post-Civil War Reconstruction and the Civil Rights Movement.

Barbara F. Walter, author of the bestselling book "How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them" joins us this week to discuss what makes a country vulnerable to civil war and what actions people can take to prevent democratic backsliding.

Against the backdrop of changes in Medicaid policy, we discuss how receiving government benefits like Medicaid impacts political agency, whether it's possible to square federalism and equality, and more.

This week, we bring you an episode from Feet in 2 Worlds and its series Immigrants in a Divided Country, which explores the current political landscape from the perspective of immigrants.

Our guest this week argues that jury service is an important civic duty that could be used to expand democratic action and strengthen civic engagement.

In honor of Civic Learning Week, we explore the promise of civics education to help us move through disagreements about teaching race, gender, and other hot-button issues.

Chris Beem talks with Peter Levine, professor of citizenship and public affairs at Tufts University and author of the book "What Should Do? A Theory of Civic Life"

This week, we discuss how to meet the demands that democracy places on us without sacrificing our own personal mental health in the process.