Meet the newest members of The Democracy Group

We're super excited to officially welcome three amazing shows to our network of incredible organizations and podcasts: Bad Watchdog, The Politics Guys, and RCV Clips! We strongly believe that these new shows will enrich the network’s diverse array of programming with unique perspectives on democracy, governance, political misconduct and the electoral system.

Bad Watchdog is an investigative series by the Project on Government Oversight. Hosted by Maren Machles, the show offers a critical examination of the pattern of misconduct at the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General — the watchdog tasked with overseeing the most powerful law enforcement agency in the country.

Bad Watchdog was nominated for the 2024 Ambies’ Best Politics or Opinion Podcast and is on the shortlist for the 2024 New York Festivals Radio Awards.

The Politics Guys is an independent, bipartisan, ideologically diverse American politics. It’s hosted by a rotating team that includes two political scientists, a left-wing law professor, a conservative practicing attorney, and a former Trump administration official, the show brings listeners evidence-based discussions of American politics and policy from multiple perspectives.

The Politics Guys is the longest-running podcast in The Democracy Group with more than 800 episodes released since its launch in February 2015.

RCV Clips is a monthly podcast produced by the Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center. Ranked choice voting (RCV) is an election method in which voters rank candidates for an office in order of their preference. RCV could redirect the focus on negative campaigning and steer the focus back to platforms and each candidate's qualifications for implementing those platforms.

The Round Table: Having A Touch Of Humanity Can Get You A Long Way

On the topic of exciting news, our fall 2023 podcast fellows Sean Schrader and KJ Mauwong were recently featured in an episode by The Round Table, a Next Generation Politics podcast. If you remember, we recently featured the amazing team behind The Round Table in our January 29 newsletter — A cross-partisan podcast tells Gen Z's stories.

This episode shines a light on Sean and KJ's dedication to community building and collective action. It's definitely a must-listen for me! What's more, upon the completion of their fellowship last semester, Sean and KJ both introduced the inaugural episode of their podcasts: A Scoop of Inspiration and The Afakasi Podcast. Give them a listen!

Listen Now

This is Jessie Nguyen, The Democracy Group's Community Manager. Here are some of my favorite podcasts this week, check them out!

The Politics Guys: Israel, Johnson’s Foreign Aid, Uri Berliner, the 1st Amendment

Israel's attack on Iran and Syria, Uri Berliner's suspension from NPR, and the U.S.’s blocking of Palestinian United Nations membership in the Security Council — this episode discusses last week's top headlines and their implications on global democracy and newsroom ethics. I thought there were persuasive points from both sides and I honestly can't recommend this episode enough.

Sustainable Planet: Why We Buy So Much Stuff

Sustainable Planet is a brand-new podcast by one of The Politics Guys' hosts Michael Baranowski. Alongside Kimberly Weir, the podcast draws from the experiences of two political scientists and examines environmental issues and ways we can promote a more sustainable life. This episode takes a look at overconsumption in the U.S. and across the globe and how consumerism, if not addressed through policies, could destroy the world we're living in. Honestly, I'd give the show a listen just because of its adorable logo!

Democracy Works: Democracy Is The Sum Of Us

Author Heather McGhee joins this episode in discussing her newest book, The Sum of Us. Both the book and the episode touch on the link between inequality in our democracy and inequality in our economy and how one can affect the other. The conversation also discusses McGhee's notion of a zero-sum mentality, where sharing resources was seen as a loss, thus why towns and cities destroy public properties like swimming pools instead of integrating racially.

FEATURED EXPERTS

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Politics in Question: Rep. Chip Roy on Is the House broken?

Representative Chip Roy is an attorney and conservative politician serving his third term in Congress representing Texas's 21st Congressional District — which includes South Austin, North San Antonio, and the Texas Hill Country. Previously, he served as First Assistant Attorney General of Texas under Ken Paxton, Chief of Staff to Senator Ted Cruz, senior advisor to Texas Governor Rick Perry, and as a federal prosecutor. Before the public sector, he worked for nearly three years as an investment banking analyst.

Future Hindsight: Danielle Allen on Power Sharing Liberalism

‍Danielle Allen is a classicist and political scientist. She is 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. Allen has also authored critically acclaimed books like Justice by Means of Democracy and A Political Economy of Justice and writes a column on constitutional democracy for The Washington Post. Outside of the university, she is the founder and president of Partners In Democracy, a powerhouse organization working to drive democracy renovation nationally by working at the state level, state-by-state.