#1550 Red States, Where Democracy Goes to Die and Terrible Legislation is Born (Throwback)
Original Air Date: 3–21-2023
Today, we take a look at how GOP-controlled states are subverting democracy with a form of "competitive autocracy" and some of the horrifying legislation these states then pass after they are no longer subject to the opinions of the general public.
Read more#1656 How Far He Will Go: Election lies, intimidation, interference, insurrection
Air Date: 9-17-2024
It's not just the threat of the electoral college handing the presidency to the loser of the popular vote, nor the specter of a repeat of a January 6th-like event hanging over the election - there's also copious lies and disinformation including a new and improved nazi-to-Republican-talking-point-pipeline, and fresh new intimidation and voter suppression tactic experiments underway in the laboratories of democracy.
Read more#1654 Demographics of Democracy: Decoding cohorts of voters that will decide the election
Air Date: 9-10-2024
It's said that we live in a melting pot here in the United States. Perhaps it's more of a salad bar, who knows? In any case, there are a lot of people coming from a lot of different backgrounds, cultures, histories, and geographies all about to vote in a few weeks. Today, we try to understand, at least roughly, how people's backgrounds influence their vote.
Read more#1653 Money-N-Politics: SuperPACS, Crypto, Billionaires, and Public Funding of Elections
Air Date: 9-6-2024
We're living in the world that dark money in politics and Citizen's United built. But since that Supreme Court ruling in 2010, we've invented cryptocurrency that promises to be a brand new source of opacity and financial power built on smoke and mirrors.
Read more#1648 Power Grabs, Elections Optional: The threat of minority rule through election denialism
Air Date: 8-13-2024
Spirits among Kamala Harris supporters, Democrats, and anyone opposing Trumpism are at an all-time high right now. That's both fortuitous and crucial to the upcoming election. By the very nature of Trumpism, this election will be the most flagrantly contested in history with far more Trump loyalists in place ready to throw wrenches in the works wherever they can. Nothing short of an overwhelming victory for the Harris/Waltz ticket is necessary to stave off a constitutional crisis.
Read more#1646 The Kamalanomenon and the Inevitable Misogynoir Backlash of Racism and Sexism
Air Date: 8-2-2024
The Kamala Harris presidential campaign has been on a wild ride since it unexpectedly began less than two weeks ago. Record fundraising, organic enthusiasm not seen since Obama, and the ugly pushback to match.
Read more#1642 A Tumultuous Year of Democracy: Left-Wing victories in the UK, France and Mexico with lessons for the US
Air Date: 7-17-2024
Recent elections in the UK, France and Mexico spanned the spectrum from confirming inevitabilities to completely upending expectations but they each have lessons for politics in the US
Read more#1637 Shifting Populations, Shifting Politics: The European elections show a marginal shift toward the hard right over fears of immigration and scarcity
Air Date: 6-21-2024
The European elections could have been worse but they weren't great. Shifting politics among mainstream parties is legitimizing far-right policies at the same time as people's concerns over immigration is being reflected in a willingness to vote for far-right parties.
Read more#1460 The Growing Threat of Minority Rule (Throwback)
Original Air Date: 12–11-2021
Today we take a look at the many structures of American government that tilt to favor minority rule and conservatism which, in our case, is one and the same. Some structures like the Senate and the filibuster were intentionally designed to give extra weight to the minority while others like gerrymandering and the influence of large-dollar political donors were, well, I suppose they were designed for about the same reason but just in a different way.
Read more#1629 Hitting Where it Hurts in Our Era of Negative Partisanship: Messaging left-wing politics amid cultish politics
Air Date: 5-15-2024
In an age of cultish in-group/out-group politics and media, we seek to find messaging for progressive partisans to achieve electoral success
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