American Dream on Caffeine

Sharing fake news may seem harmless because you're merely clicking a “share” button. But it's deeper than that. Think about how many times an article is shared — or how many times people who see that article actually fact-check it.A lot of people make decisions in their day-to-day life based on what they know. But what if what they know is actually based on fiction, not fact (a.k.a. Fake News)? Here's an example for context:At the beginning of the pandemic, tons of fake news stories about how to treat or prevent coronavirus circulated around the internet. These fake news stories suggested things like injecting yourself with disinfectant, drinking bleach, or ingesting chloroquine phosphate. This led to the death of at least one man who died after taking chloroquine phosphate. Thankfully there's something we can do to curb the impacts of and to prevent the spread of fake news. Check out S2E6 for tips.Resources are available in our show memo. Follow us on Instagram @americandreamoncaffeineHave questions about our government or its systems, laws, or policies? Send an email to americandreamoncaffeine@gmail.com or call (260) MY-DREAMFor those of you who would rather watch and listen, check us out on YouTube

Climate change is actually a really big and kind of complex issue that affects all of us every single day. In S2E5, we cover:What climate change isWhy it's a political issueWhat our political leaders are doing about itHow you can make your voice heard on the issueHit play to get the deets.Learn more about climate change in this episode's Show Memo.Follow us on Instagram @americandreamoncaffeineHave questions about our government or its systems, laws, or policies? Send an email to americandreamoncaffeine@gmail.com or call (260) MY-DREAMFor those of you who would rather watch and listen, check us out on YouTube

Supreme Court decisions change the ways are laws work. Although these changes may seem small — like changes to a tax code or to a specific element of criminal procedure — these small changes add up to big differences in how our rights work in the real world. The Supreme Court term runs from October through early July; the Court hears cases from October through April, and all decisions must be made on those cases by early July. So we thought we'd give you a heads up on U.S. Supreme Court cases we've been following (so you don't have to). Find out more in S2E4.Additional topics we covered in this episode: We are a Top 30 US Government podcast! Find the full list here.Learn more about the Supreme Court Term and its proceduresBrowse the Supreme Court CalendarCheck out the Supreme Court blogFind more info on the cases we covered in this episode's Show Memo. Follow us on Instagram @americandreamoncaffeineHave questions about our government or its systems, laws, or policies? Send an email to americandreamoncaffeine@gmail.com or call (260) MY-DREAMFor those of you who would rather watch and listen, check us out on YouTube

Sick of dodging potholes on your daily commute? Good news. It's not a fate you have to accept forever. There IS something you can do to change it. That's because the quality of the roads you drive on is controlled at the state and local levels, like lots of decisions that affect our daily lives. And our state and local politicians make these decisions based on what we the people vote for in local elections — from how your tax dollars are spent to the hours of operation at your child's favorite park. Think adding a stop sign to a specific block in your neighborhood will make it more safe? Hate when your paper straw dissolves into your morning coffee? These are all things you CAN control with some good, old-fashioned participation, because participation means representation. Creating change doesn't have to be a big and lofty goal that eats up all of your time. It's as simple as paying attention to what goes on in your community. Find easy ways you can get involved by hitting play on S2E3. Check out our Show Memo to find resources you can use to get involved in your community.Additional topics covered in this episode:Learn about federalism and the overall scope of federal power, a.k.a. enumerated powersGet the statistics on voter turnout rates Follow us on Instagram @americandreamoncaffeineHave questions about our government or its systems, laws, or policies? Send an email to americandreamoncaffeine@gmail.com or call (260) MY-DREAMFor those of you who would rather watch and listen, check us out on YouTube

There are more than 44 million documented immigrants in the United States of America. That means this community represents nearly 14 percent of our country's population. And whether you know it or not, both documented and undocumented immigrants provide our country with several positive benefits, from contributing to our economy to adding new perspectives to the melting pot our country was built on. Tune in to S2E2 to hear real stories from real people affected by our country's immigration policies and how our immigration systems altered the trajectory of their lives. We won't lie; their stories are heart-wrenching...but they're stories that NEED to be heard. S2E2 of the American Dream on Caffeine podcast also covers: How U.S. immigration policies workThe government agencies that enforce U.S. immigration policiesWays everyone is impacted by U.S. immigration policiesWhy it's important to create a welcoming community for refugees and asylum seekersThe importance of DACA and the Dream ActHow to support immigrants in your communityAlso mentioned in the podcast: Miry's List — provides refugee families with necesities to get started in their new lives1951 Coffee Company — non-profit coffee org that provides refugees & asylees job training, employment, and community supportCheck out the S2E2 Show Memo Follow us on Instagram @americandreamoncaffeineHave questions about our government or its systems, laws, or policies? Send an email to americandreamoncaffeine@gmail.com or call (260) MY-DREAMFor those of you who would rather watch and listen, check us out on YouTube

The First Amendment protects the freedom of speech, religion, and press. It also protects the right to peacefully protest and to petition the government. But what does that really mean? Can you say whatever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want? No, it doesn't. And knowing the difference between what counts as free speech and what doesn't can help to protect your First Amendment rights whenever you exercise them. In S2E1, we cover exactly what this means, as it relates to organizing a protest. But let's start with the basics: There are many forms of free speech, including political, religious, advertising, obscene, offensive, etc. And some types are more protected than others. It's also important to know that the most protected type of speech is political speech. The federal government and individual states are also able to enforce what's known as "time, place, and manner restrictions" to free speech. But the amount of restrictions the government can put in place depends on how protected the type of speech is that's being used. How does this translate to protests? Well, the government can put a restriction on the time you host the event. They can also put limitations on where you can hold it. They can impose noise level limitations, cap the number of protesters that can attend, and even restrict the size or placement of physical signs used during the event. But — there are limitations to how many restrictions they can put into place. We go more into detail about this in this episode.We also cover frequently asked questions about protesting, including:First Amendment basicsDo you need a permit to organize a protest?Where do you file for a permit to organize a protest, if necessary?Where's the safest place to host a protest?Can you record police during a protest?What are the reasons you can be detained by police at a protest?What should you do if you're detained by police at a protest?What do you do if your rights are violated during a protest?Find resources for protesters in our Show Memo: What constitutes free speech, as outlined by the First AmendmentWhat you need to know about audio recordings taken during a protestACLU recommendations on how to protect your rights as a protesterElectronic Frontier Foundation recommendations regarding police searches Follow us on Instagram @americandreamoncaffeineHave questions about our government or its systems, laws, or policies? Send an email to americandreamoncaffeine@gmail.com or call (260) MY-DREAMFor those of you who would rather watch and listen, check us out on YouTube

After an election, people start to experience what's known as voter fatigue. This is just a fancy way of saying people stop paying attention to politics because they're tired of being inundated with election noise like political ads, news, rallies — you name it. We get it. Staying up-to-date on the news is stressful, especially in today's climate. But even though the election is over, the politicians and laws we voted for are only at the beginning of their journey. Our civic duty starts with voting; it doesn't end there. During the pandemic, so many of us hoped and begged for change — a better country, a better future. And staying engaged is how we keep the people we elected into office accountable for the promises they made to us. So, here's why you shouldn't tune out just yet. This is when all of those people tell us exactly how they'll keep those promises. Not only will we have a new president in 2021, but we'll have a new congress, new governors, and new legislatures. And the beginning of the new year is when they tell us their top priorities and how they plan to acheive their goals. If you don't like what you see or hear, don't worry; we cover how you can make sure the issues you care about are seen and heard in S1E6. Find additional resources in our Show Memo. Follow us on Instagram @americandreamoncaffeineHave questions about our government or its systems, laws, or policies? Send an email to americandreamoncaffeine@gmail.com or call (260) MY-DREAMFor those of you who would rather watch and listen, check us out on YouTube

The United States of America is one of the only countries in the world that uses a system like the Electoral College to choose its fearless leader. So, how do democracies in other countries elect their leader? Nearly 70 percent of them leave it up to voters to choose (a.k.a. the national popular vote).But regardless of what other countries do, it's the system we use to count our votes in America right now. If we want to change aspects of it or get rid of it altogether—like most things it life—it's easier said than done. But, it is possible, and the only way to do it is by understanding how it works.Since we already covered the basics of the Electoral College, we spent S1E5 answering some of our listeners' questions about how it works.Tune in to find out: Why most states use a Winner-Take-All System to count electoral votesThe difference between a Winner-Take-All System and the Congressional District MethodWhy the Congressional District Method isn't a better alternative to a Winner-Take-All SystemAn alternative to the ways we count votes now—National Popular Vote Interstate CompactWhy some states have more sway than othersWhat the heck a swing state isWhy swing states are so important to every presidential election Follow us on Instagram @americandreamoncaffeineHave questions about our government or its systems, laws, or policies? Send an email to americandreamoncaffeine@gmail.com or call (260) MY-DREAMFor those of you who would rather watch and listen, check us out on YouTube

The Electoral College is a group of people known as "electors," who get together every four years to select the next president. Now, some of you may be asking yourself, "But I thought we the people vote for the president?" And the best answer to that questions is: kind of.That's because each party has a group of electors. And when votes are counted in a state, the party that wins the most votes in that state sends their chosen electors to the national Electoral College. Although electors are expected to vote for the candidate that won the popular vote in their state, most states don't require electors to do so.Electors who don't vote as pledged are known as faithless electors. So, happens to electors who vote against the candidates they pledge to vote for? Only 33 states, plus D.C., require electors to vote as pledged — and only a few of those states penalize electoras for acting "faithlessly." So, why do we use a system like this to choose our country's fearless leader? You'll have to tune in to S1E4 to find out. Download our Show Memo to learn more about the Electoral College or to easily share what you learned after listening to S1E4 on social media. Follow us on Instagram @americandreamoncaffeineHave questions about our government or its systems, laws, or policies? Send an email to americandreamoncaffeine@gmail.com or call (260) MY-DREAMFor those of you who would rather watch and listen, check us out on YouTube

After Ruth Bader Ginsburg's passing, the Supreme Court and its open seat have been getting a lot of media attention — and for good reason. But to understand the gravity of what it all means and how this open seat can affect our daily lives, we must first understand the basics of what the Supreme Court does. And that's exactly what we cover in S1E3 of the American Dream on Caffeine podcast. We also break down everything we cover into easy-to-understand graphics, downloadable at nocreamnosugar.org:Find out what the Supreme Court Does — Supreme Court BasicsGet the scoop on the Supreme Court drama between Senators — Supreme Court History Follow us on Instagram @americandreamoncaffeineHave questions about our government or its systems, laws, or policies?Send an email to americandreamoncaffeine@gmail.com or call (260) MY-DREAMFor those of you who would rather watch and listen, check us out on YouTube

We spoke to a few people who don't think voting is worth their time. Some of you might even relate to what they had to say because they have valid concerns:Caller 1: I'm honestly not really bought in. I feel that neither the Republican or Democractic parties resonate with my morals or fully exemplify what I want in the world. And smaller parities will never get enough votes to win, so what's the point? Caller 2: My majority of voters in my state don't share the same political views as me. So what's the point of me voting if their side always wins? Caller 3: How can one vote out of a million votes make any type of difference? The truth is that the laws and policies we vote on affect our daily lives, workplaces, and communities whether we like it or not. But that can sometimes be hard to see when we don't have all the information. And not having the information ISN'T anyone's fault. The government and how it works is complicated—but it doesn't have to be. The systems we have now are the ones American citizens just like you put into place throughout our country's history by voting. So, if you want to find out how you can use voting to create the country you want to live in, tune in to S1E2 to learn more about the voting systems we have in place and possible alternatives. And we break down everything we covered into social media graphics that make it easy to understand (and share). Download them at nocreamnosugar.org:Find out more about the voting system we use now: First-Past-The-Post votingLearn about a possible alternative to FPTP voting: Rank-Choice VotingUnderstand the reasons you should vote (even if you don't want to)See where presidential candidates can get public funding (made possible by our tax dollars) Follow us on Instagram @americandreamoncaffeineHave questions about our government or its systems, laws, or policies? Send an email to americandreamoncaffeine@gmail.com or call (260) MY-DREAMFor those of you who would rather watch and listen, check us out on YouTube

It's so awesome that so many people are talking about voting right now! But what's not so awesome is that many of those conversations are based on speculation, conspiracies, bullying, or emotions. You've seen it all, heard it all. And we're sure you're as sick of seeing it as we are. You never asked to be inundated with politcal ads, conspiracy theories, or viewpoints from people you knew in high school or cousins you don't like. That's why we want to give you information—based on facts, not feelings—you can actually use to vote. Download this easy-to-share resource at nocreamnosugar.org: Need-to-know Voting Info (PDF)The resource above includes info on how to:Check if you're registered to voteRegister to voteFind mail-in and absentee voting rulesRequest a mail-in or absentee ballotLocate your polling placeFind early voting dates in your area Follow us on Instagram @americandreamoncaffeineHave questions about our government or its systems, laws, or policies? Send an email to americandreamoncaffeine@gmail.com or call (260) MY-DREAMFor those of you who would rather watch and listen, check us out on YouTube