Celebrate with some of our best episodes from The Democracy Group!

Welcome to the Best of 2023!

2023 has been quite the year, and the podcasts from The Democracy Group have been hard at work to help you understand what’s broken in our democracy and how people are working together to fix it.

To look back on some of the important issues we have covered this year, some of our shows have submitted episodes to be featured here in our best of 2023. We caught up with the hosts and producers to ask them why these episodes stood out from the many others they released this year.

Thank you for being a subscriber to The Democracy Group. We have some big things planned for the new year and will continue bringing you high-quality content about the people who are fixing democracy.

From our entire team, happy holidays and we'll see you in 2024!

‍Listen to the Best of 2023 Episodes

Democracy Works: Tim Miller on why Republicans stuck with Trump

"It is a fantastic conversation — whether you've been following what's happening in Republican politics or not, I think you'll take a lot of important information away from this episode." - Jenna Spinelle, host of Democracy Works.

Future Hindsight: Radical Acts of Justice: Jocelyn Simonson

This episode discusses how certain radical acts of justice — namely court watching, community bail funds, participatory defense, and people's budgets — challenge the legitimacy of the criminal system and form the underpinning of a new collective legal thought.

Let's Find Common Ground: The Abortion Talks: They Found Respect, but not Common Ground

"This show is a little bit different for us because the guests didn't exactly find common ground on this polarizing issue, but they did find respect and friendship, and they truly learned to listen to the other side." - Ashley Milne-Tyte, co-host of Let's Find Common Ground.

Democracy Matters: The tensions between expertise and democracy: An interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci

This episode introduces a conversation with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former chief medical advisor to the president of the United States, about the tensions between expertise and democratic decision-making during the pandemic. He also offers advice for navigating apathy and misinformation during the next major public health crisis.

The Bully Pulpit: Finding Common Ground on the Politics of Climate

The episode touches on political barriers to enacting climate action, climate legislation passed by Congress, and how environmental legislation can help achieve climate justice.

"We brought together opposites — people who don't normally have conversations on common grounds and the result of those discussions was really fascinating." - Kamy Akhavan, producer of The Bully Pulpit.

Village SquareCast: Join or Die: Why you should join a club — and why the fate of America depends on it

This is when you meet a living legend and get the benefit of his thinking on the topic he’s been brilliantly, prophetically right about for more than three decades: the deterioration of our connectedness with each other across almost every demographic and every aspect of our lives—our loss of social capital. Dr. Robert Putnam joins his co-author of "The Upswing: How America Came Together A Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again," Shaylyn Romney Garrett, in this fascinating episode!

When the People Decide: Libraries as civic spaces

"You'll hear from Nancy Kranich who is the former president of the American Library Association. She talks about the important role that libraries play in democracy, especially now when we're facing book bans and other restrictions that threaten the work that libraries do... I think you'll take a lot away from this episode." - Jenna Spinelle, host of When the People Decide.

Democracy in Danger: Black and Blue

This episode visits the topic of law enforcement, how it's said to be among the most undemocratic institutions in America, and the effect this has on communities of color. New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie discusses police brutality, the country's culture of violence, and the shifting ground of radical oppression in American history.

How Do We Fix It?: American Polarization: Political and Personal. Mónica Guzmán

"Monica says that 'Polarization is the problem that eats all other problems, the sludge at the base of everything else.' We wonder, do you agree?" - Richard Davies, co-host of How Do We Fix It?

Talkin' Politics and Religion Without Killin' Each Other: David Brooks - How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen

Sociological observations (and confessions) of New York Mets fans, depression, and American Evangelicalism are just three of many surprising directions this episode went in. Author David Brooks also talks about his new book, "How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen.'

The Great Battlefield: Engaging High School Students in Politics with Jahnavi Rao of New Voters

Political activism, youth engagement in politics, and getting Gen Z to join the fight for democracy — this episode has it all. New Voters Founder Jahnavi Rao talks about her start in politics and what inspired her to kickstart a voter drive, which has now grown into a non-profit, that mobilizes high school students across the country to vote.

Democracy Decoded: Better Choices, Better Elections

"I especially love this episode because it features an interview with Susan Soto Palmer, a Latina activist in Washington's Yakima Valley that I and other CLC attorneys had the privilege of representing in two separate lawsuits — where she's been fighting for the right of her community to have the representation that they deserve on both the local and state levels." - Simone Leeper, host of Democracy Decoded.

Politics is Everything: Liz Cheney on the New Speaker, Ukraine and Israel, and Much More

Center for Politics Professor of Practice and Former United States Representative Liz Cheney joins the team for an exclusive discussion about the challenges facing American politics and democracy, including the reinstatement of new Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, political violence, and U.S. aid to Ukraine and Israel.