Building and sustaining a democracy is hard work. It’s not glamorous and often goes unnoticed in the daily news cycle. On the Democracy Works podcast, we talk to people who are out there making it happen and discuss why that work is so important. We aim to rise above partisan bickering and hot takes on the news to have informed, intelligent, and thought-provoking discussions about issues related to democracy.
The show features interviews with leading experts by Jenna Spinelle and commentary and opinion from hosts Michael Berkman and Christopher Beem from the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State and Candis Watts Smith of Duke University. It's a collaborative project between The McCourtney Institute and WPSU.
Democracy Works won the Circle of Excellence Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education in 2020 and the People's Choice Podcast Award in the Government and Organizations category in 2018.
For more information and additional episodes, visit democracyworkspodcast.com or subscribe to Democracy Works wherever you listen to podcasts.
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The work of election administrators has never been glamorous, but now it's downright dangerous in some places. Jessica Huseman from Votebeat joins us this week to discuss what's happening and how we can support the people doing the hard work of democracy this election season. -
The Democratic Party saw surges in grassroots activism after the 2016 election, after George Floyd's murder, and most recently after the Dobbs decision. However, the party seems to be sticking to the same old playbook of fundraising emails and text messages, rather than building long-term organizational power. Our guests this week explore why that is and what we can do about it. -
Judge Jeffrey Sutton argues that state constitutions can serve an important role in carrying out the vision for "laboratories of democracy" and providing nuance that the federal constitution cannot. -
Democracy Works host Chris Beem joins the Future Hindsight podcast to discuss his new book, "The Seven Democratic Virtues: What You Can Do to Overcome Tribalism and Save Our Democracy." -
Penn State's Christopher Ali, a leading scholar on the politics of Internet access, join us this week for a conversation about rural broadband and digital divides. -
Don Moynihan of Georgetown University joins us this week to discuss the Inflation Reduction Act, Schedule F, and how policy implementation is democracy in action. -
Democracy Works is back after its summer break and catch up on what's happened to American democracy while the show was on hiatus. -
In our last episode before summer break, Michael, Chris, Candis and Jenna reflect on what we've learned this year on the show and look ahead to what the summer will hold for American democracy. -
This week, we explore the question of whether requiring every American to vote would change our fractured political landscape and strengthen our sense of civic duty. -
Legislators and parent groups are asking school districts across the country are removing books from school library shelves — often before they've even read them. This week, we explore what's happening and what it means for free speech and public education in our democracy.
