Future Hindsight

We discuss why the Constitution—the document we've been taught to revere as the very foundation of American democracy—might actually be responsible for the current crisis in government. It might be leading us away from a more perfect union and toward destruction or even secession.    Erwin's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Be informed Get involved Speak out   Erwin Chemerinsky is the Dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law and one of the nation's leading constitutional scholars. His most recent book is No Democracy Lasts Forever: How the Constitution Threatens the United States, which urges us to think about starting over.      Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Read No Democracy Lasts Forever: https://bookshop.org/shop/futurehindsight    Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Erwin Chemerinsky Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss how the Supreme Court's lawlessness is fueled by the conservative grievance mindset where Republicans believe they are victims of laws they don't agree with. The Supreme Court has played an important role in enabling the current administration's actions.    Leah's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Get educated on the Supreme Court! Read Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes   Leah Litman is co-host of the Strict Scrutiny podcast, professor of law at the University of Michigan and former Supreme Court clerk, and the author of Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes.     Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Leah on X:  https://x.com/LeahLitman    Read Lawless: https://bookshop.org/shop/futurehindsight    Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Leah Litman Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss why housing insecurity undermines our democracy. We cover the evolution from Reagan, when homelessness was blamed on the individual, to the increasing recognition that housing is a human right.    Maria's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Be an advocate against criminalization and call your representatives Join the https://housingnothandcuffs.org/ campaign   Maria Foscarinis is the founder of the National Homelessness Law Center and the author of And Housing for All: The Fight to End Homelessness in America.      Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Maria on X:  https://x.com/Mariafoscarinis    Read And Housing for All:  https://bookshop.org/shop/futurehindsight    Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Maria Foscarinis Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss "calling in" as a practice rooted in a human rights framework that can transform how we engage across our divide and potentially be the bridge that helps our democracy survive.   Loretta's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Do an integrity audit: pause and self assess before responding Always focus on the good part of people   Loretta Ross is an activist and an associate professor at Smith College. Loretta has had a long career in the human rights movement and her new book is Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You'd Rather Cancel.     Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Loretta on X:  https://x.com/LorettaJRoss    Read Calling In:  https://bookshop.org/shop/futurehindsight   Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Loretta Ross Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss what it takes to build worker power from scratch and how these efforts can reshape not only our workplaces, but democracy itself.   Jaz's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Organize a union in your workplace Train at Inside Organizer School   Jaz Brisack is a union organizer and cofounder of the Inside Organizer School, as well as the author of Get on the Job and Organize: Standing Up for a Better Workplace and a Better World.     Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Jaz on X:  https://x.com/jazbrisack    Read Get on the Job and Organize:  https://bookshop.org/shop/futurehindsight    Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Jaz Brisack Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss reclaiming the narrative of democracy. Democracy is a tool to deliver on our values in the realm of justice, dignity, fairness, and freedom.    Stacey's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Refuse to pre-capitulate Take action on one issue you care about once a week, every week   Stacey Abrams is an author, political leader, and host of the new podcast Assembly Required. After eleven years in the Georgia House of Representatives, seven as Minority Leader, she was the 2018 Democratic nominee for Governor of Georgia, where she won more votes than any other Democrat in the state's history.    Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Stacey on IG:  https://www.instagram.com/staceyabrams    Listen to Assembly Required:  https://crooked.com/podcast-series/assemblyrequired/    Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Stacey Abrams Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss the growing phenomenon of pregnancy criminalization, examine the path forward in a post-Dobbs world, and consider what a just jurisprudence of pregnancy might look like.   Karen's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Educate yourself at the Pregnancy Justice website: https://www.pregnancyjusticeus.org/our-issues/ Make your voice heard, put pressure on district attorneys who bring cases to criminalize pregnant people.   Karen Thompson is the Legal Director of Pregnancy Justice and leads a team defending the rights of people who face criminalization because of their pregnancies or pregnancy outcomes.     Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Pregnancy Justice on IG:  https://www.instagram.com/pregnancyjust    Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Karen Thompson Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss the history of citizenship schools, their profound importance in the Civil Rights Movement, and the critical lessons they offer for our present moment.   Elaine's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Share the power of voting with your neighbors. Start your own community citizenship schools!   Elaine Weiss is a journalist, speaker, and author of Spell Freedom: The Underground Schools that Built the Civil Rights Movement. She's also the author of The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote, which was a source for the Broadway musical SUFFS.     Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Elaine on X:  https://x.com/efweiss5    Read Our Guests' Books!: https://bookshop.org/shop/futurehindsight    Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Elaine Weiss Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We assess the first 100 days of the Trump administration and what we can expect going forward.   Skye's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Join a dinner for democracy or a coffee for change Resist isolation and say yes to building a future for ourselves.   Skye Perryman is the President and CEO of Democracy Forward, which uses the law to build collective power and advance a bold, vibrant democracy for all people.      Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Skye on IG:  https://www.instagram.com/skyeperryman   Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Skye Perryman Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss what's happening in the AI space to augment human life in this moment, and what the potential intersections are with democracy.   Natalie's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Use AI and lean into it Explore the ways AI can empower you   Natalie Monbiot is a strategist and pioneer in AI and virtual human technologies. She is the Founder of Virtual Human Economy, the co-founder of Hour One, and writes the Augmented Human blog.   Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Natalie on X:  https://x.com/natlikethat   Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Natalie Monbiot Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss rethinking the Constitution as a way to reimagine democracy. In addition, we examine the role of constitutionalism in exporting the principles of democracy as the underpinning of American imperialism.   Aziz's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Join a union or a party formation or a tenants' association in your community Get involved in shaping the terms institutions that serve as meaningful checks    Aziz Rana is professor of law at Boston College and the author of The Constitutional Bind: How Americans Came to Idolize a Document That Fails Them and The Two Faces of American Freedom.     Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Read The Constitutional Bind:  https://bookshop.org/shop/futurehindsight    Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Aziz Rana Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss the Green New Deal and how youth movements like the Sunrise Movement are the secret sauce in getting the federal government to drive the effort to stop the climate crisis.    Aru's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Hold on to a disciplined form of hope Join Sunrise Movement! Sunrisemovement.org/become-a-member   Aru Shiney-Ajay is the executive director of Sunrise Movement, a movement of young people to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process.      Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Aru on X:  https://x.com/aru_shineyajay    Follow Sunrise Movement on X: https://x.com/sunrisemvmt    Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Aru Shiney-Ajay Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss the great reshuffle of land in the last few centuries and the intersection of land, power, and democracy.    Michael's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Support conservation easements Learn about the indigenous communities that have been displaced from the land where you live and finds ways to support reallocation   Michael Albertus is professor of political science at the University of Chicago and the author of five books. His most recent is Land Power: Who Has It, Who Doesn't, and How That Determines the Fate of Societies.      Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Michael on X:  https://x.com/mikealbertus    Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Michael Albertus Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss the anti-democratic and reactionary nihilistic nature of the Christian nationalist movement. Christian nationalism is an ideology that functions as a tool for a leadership driven organization machine that turns mythology into political power.    Katherine's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Mobilize the pro-democracy majority Stop purity testing   Katherine Stewart is the author of Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy. Katherine is an expert on religious nationalism and the assault on American democracy. Her previous book, The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism was awarded first place for Excellence in Nonfiction Books by the Religion News Association and was the basis of the Rob Reiner documentary feature film, God & Country.     Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Katherine on X:  https://x.com/kathsstewart    Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Katherine Stewart Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss mobile voting as the definitive way to make elections more accessible for everyone — especially for Americans with disabilities and overseas citizens — and therefore finally increase turnout in significant numbers.    Bradley's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Sign up and get involved at mobilevoting.org Rally your friends and family to demand change.   Bradley Tusk is the co-founder of the Mobile Voting Movement, the founder and CEO of Tusk Holdings, and previously served many years in public service. He's the author of Vote with Your Phone: Why Mobile Voting Is Our Final Shot at Saving Democracy.     Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Mobile Voting Movement on X:  https://x.com/mobilevoting    Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Bradley Tusk Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss whether executive orders can change the Constitution, the ongoing transformation of executive power, and the true intersection of the Constitution and democracy.   Julie's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Get a pocket Constitution and read it over with a red pen! Think about the kind of democracy you want to live in and decide how the Constitution will get us there.   Julie Suk is the Hon. Deborah A. Batts Distinguished Research Scholar, Professor of Law. She's a legal scholar of constitutional amendment, equality, and feminism in the United States and globally, and the author of two books, We the Women: The Unstoppable Mothers of the Equal Rights Amendment and After Misogyny: How the Law Fails Women and What to Do about It.     Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Julie on X:  https://x.com/JulieCSuk    Sponsor:  Thank you to Lumen! Take the next step to improving your health: go to lumen.me/HOPEFUL to get 20% off your Lumen. Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Julie Suk Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss why joining a club or an association is the glue that binds civic society to democracy. They are the classrooms for our citizenship!   Pete's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Join a club! Re-inhabit the world that you're in, by learning about it.   Pete Davis is a bestselling author of Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing, the founder of the Democracy Policy Network, and the co-director of Join or Die, a film about why you should join a club and why the fate of America depends on it.       Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Pete on X:  https://x.com/PeteDDavis    Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Pete Davis Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss the influence of Karl Marx in American politics and the continued relevance of Marxism today.   Andrew's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Form a reading group to change your collective political consciousness Read something challenging at an intellectual, political, or philosophical level   Andrew Hartman is professor of history at Illinois State University and the author of several books, including A War for the Soul of America: A History of the Culture Wars. His upcoming book is Karl Marx in America.     Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Andrew on X:  https://x.com/HartmanAndrew    Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Andrew Hartman Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss that Americans should prize truth over tribe. A lot of disinformation is hiding behind the First Amendment – using the right to free speech to tell lies. The muddy media and information ecosystem is turning us against our neighbors.   Barb's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Meet people in real life because when we know them it's harder to vilify them  Get accurate election-related information from your secretary of state's office   Barbara McQuade is a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, co-host of the podcast #SistersinLaw, and a professor at the University of Michigan Law School. Her first book is Attack From Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging America. We discuss the dangers of disinformation and how we can defeat it.     Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Barbara on X:  https://x.com/barbmcquade    Read Attack from Within:  https://bookshop.org/p/books/attack-from-within-how-disinformation-is-sabotaging-democracy-and-the-rule-of-law-barbara-mcquade/20068804?aid=11259&ean=9781644213636&listref=books-we-re-reading-in-2024    Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Barbara McQuade Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss how the public interest movements in the 60s and 70s can be a source of inspiration for American democracy and why this movement was a formidable force in influencing public policy that benefits all of us, from traffic safety to the Clean Water Act.    Paul's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Focus on state and local government Make liberal cities and states compelling models for good governance to be replicated across the nation    Paul Sabin is the Randolph W. Townsend, Jr. Professor of History and Professor of American Studies at Yale University and previously served as the founding executive director of the non-profit Environmental Leadership Program. Paul is the author of Public Citizens: The Attack on Big Government and the Remaking of American Liberalism.     Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Paul on X:  https://x.com/paulesabin    Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Paul Sabin Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss what we can all do to say "no" to Project 2025, including getting Democrats to play hardball in local, city, and state offices, and to protect and win elections this year and in the midterms next year.   Ezra's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Organize in your community with like-minded Americans  Use your constituent power to influence the political calculus of your elected representative   Ezra Levin is the Co-Executive Director of Indivisible, which he co-founded with Leah Greenberg in the wake of the 2016 presidential election. He's also the co-author of We Are Indivisible: A Blueprint for Democracy After Trump.     Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on BlueSky:  https://bsky.app/profile/milaatmos.bsky.social    Follow Ezra on BlueSky:  https://bsky.app/profile/ezralevin.bsky.social    Check out Indivisible: https://indivisible.org/    Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Ezra Levin Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss many of our rights that are at risk under the new Trump administration, what our rights actually are–like due process and the 1st amendment, and an action plan for when they come under attack.    Monica's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Know what your rights are and speak up. Talk to your friends and family about DC statehood   Monica Hopkins is the Executive Director of the ACLU of the District of Columbia (ACLU-DC).   Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow the ACLU D.C. on X:  https://x.com/ACLU_DC    Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Monica Hopkins Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss the long history of organizing as a tool for fortifying American democracy, making it more equitable and just. Americans live from the benefits of organizing every day, whether that's women's suffrage or disability rights.  Organizing is the tool for everyday people who are not in positions of power to solve the problems their communities are facing.    Elyssa's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Get clarity on what you're good at and what brings you joy. Organize for the long haul.   Elyssa Feder is the co-founder and executive director of Rising Organizers, which has trained nearly 4,000 activists and held fourteen intensive fellowship cohorts on community organizing skills.      Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Elyssa on X:  https://x.com/elyssafeder    Check out Rising Organizers: https://www.risingorganizers.org/    Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Elyssa Feder Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss the role of political parties in representing your interests and turning those interests into public policies that meaningfully make a difference in your life. Since the 1980s, both major political parties have adopted neoliberal policies, marked by declining responsiveness to major policy areas, and instead prioritizing pro-market and anti-state policies for economic growth and reliance on the private sector.    Didi's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Get engaged on the local level so you can be part of the solution. Support the party builders!   Didi Kuo is a Center Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University and the author of The Great Retreat: How Political Parties Should Behave and Why They Don't.     Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Didi on X:  https://x.com/didikuo1    Read The Great Retreat: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-great-retreat-how-political-parties-should-behave-and-why-they-don-t-didi-kuo/21705105?aid=11259&ean=9780197664193&listref=books-we-re-reading-in-2025&new-list-page=true    Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Didi Kuo Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss why now is the time for a third political party to really take center stage in American democracy.   Maurice's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Organize! Join an organization. Create conditions where people can govern and decide the direction of their country and their democracy   Maurice Mitchell is the National Director of the Working Families Party. He's a nationally recognized social movement strategist, a visionary leader in the Movement for Black Lives, and a community organizer for racial, social, and economic justice.     Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Maurice on X:  https://x.com/MauriceWFP    Check out the Working Families Party: https://workingfamilies.org/    Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Maurice Mitchell Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We're sharing an episode from our friends at Latino USA! In this episode, producer Reynaldo Leaños Jr. travels to southern Arizona where one of the first major concentrations of surveillance towers on the southern border were built, and he looks at what these towers mean today, and for the future of those crossing, and living, there.   The “virtual wall” across the U.S.-Mexico border is made up of things like drones, sensors, cameras and… surveillance towers. Both Democrats and Republicans have supported border technology through the years, but advocates and researchers argue that a virtual wall can be as controversial, and deadly, as a physical wall.     Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Listen to Latino USA:  https://www.latinousa.org/    Sponsors:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Thanks to SelectQuote for supporting Future Hindsight! Go to SelectQuote.com/hopeful now!   Need a gift idea? Head over to Masterclass.com/HOPEFUL for the current offer. Thanks to MasterClass for supporting Future Hindsight!   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Featuring: Latino USA Podcast Host: Mila Atmos Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss how ungoverning is the equivalent of a bull in a china shop. Many institutions will be destroyed, but we don't know which ones and to what extent!   Nancy's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Don't let unpredictability strip you of your agency Vote in local, county, and state elections   Nancy Rosenblum is the Senator Joseph Clark Professor of Ethics in Politics and Government Emerita at Harvard University, and the co-author of Ungoverning: The Attack on the Administrative State and the Politics of Chaos.     Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Nancy on X:  https://x.com/Nlrosenblum    Listen to our previous episode with Nancy:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/episode/the-new-conspiracism-nancy-rosenblum   Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Thanks to SelectQuote for supporting Future Hindsight! Go to SelectQuote.com/hopeful now!   Need a gift idea? Head over to Masterclass.com/HOPEFUL for the current offer. Thanks to MasterClass for supporting Future Hindsight!   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Nancy Rosenblum Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss election integrity and voting machines, the amazing work of election workers, and the logistics of election audits.   Ben's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Talk to your town or county clerk and offer to help. Be a poll worker for a day!   Ben Adida is the Executive Director of Voting Works, the only non-profit voting system vendor in the U.S. Their mission is to make election technology everyone can trust through transparency, simplicity, and demonstrable security.     Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Ben on X:  https://x.com/benadida    Sponsor:  Thanks to SelectQuote for supporting Future Hindsight! Go to SelectQuote.com/hopeful now!   Need a gift idea? Head over to Masterclass.com/HOPEFUL for the current offer. Thanks to MasterClass for supporting Future Hindsight!   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Ben Adida Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss why the American electorate voted the way they did in 2024, the history of various voter suppression tactics, and how we can bounce back from a feeling of post-election civic helplessness.   Michael's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Use your platform! Do the research. Read books. Go deep on what's going on and convey what you've learned.   Michael Waldman is the CEO and President of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law and a constitutional lawyer and writer who is an expert on the presidency and American democracy.     Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Michael on X:  https://x.com/mawaldman    Sponsor:  Need a gift idea? Head over to Masterclass.com/HOPEFUL for the current offer. Thanks to MasterClass for supporting Future Hindsight!   Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Michael Waldman Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss the long history of vigilante democracy in the US and its return in our current politics. The playing field is currently tilted in favor of these vigilante policies, but blue states can level the playing field by playing constitutional hardball. David Noll reminds us that the American people have beat back movements to use vigilante power to enforce a reactionary agenda time and again.   David's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Get involved in local politics Resistance works and there are a lot of opportunities to resist authoritarianism    David Noll is the co-author of Vigilante Nation: How State-Sponsored Terror Threatens Our Democracy. He's also the Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Development and a professor of law at Rutgers Law School, as well as an academic fellow of the National Institute for Civil Justice.     Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow David on X:  https://x.com/davidlnoll    Sponsor:  Need a gift idea? Head over to Masterclass.com/HOPEFUL for the current offer. Thanks to MasterClass for supporting Future Hindsight!   Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: David Noll Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss the intersection of feminism and democracy and discover how the egalitarian underpinnings of feminism are fundamental to an equal society. Abortion bans illustrate this well. “Any time there's a conflict between the Constitution and someone's personal bodily autonomy and the subject of rights under the law, that is anti-democratic.”    Nicole's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Start small, engaging directly in your community Maintain hope and optimism and believe that you're going where you want to go   Dr. C. Nicole Mason is the founder and president of Future Forward Women, a project at the New York Women's Foundation.     Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Nicole on X:  https://x.com/cnicolemason     Sponsor:  Thanks to Shopify for supporting Future Hindsight! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Dr. C Nicole Mason Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss the importance of shifting our mindset to one that is infused with hope. Positive change comes when we choose hope. Though nobody can fix it all, we can all do something and make an impact. Sharon reminds us that if something is worth doing for everyone, it's worth doing for one person.    Sharon's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Choose hope. Get involved in an issue that is important to you because your actions do matter.   Sharon McMahon is the creator of “Sharon Says So” and host of the “Here's Where it Gets Interesting” podcast. She's also the author of The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement.     Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Sharon on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/sharonsaysso/    Sponsor:  Thanks to Shopify for supporting Future Hindsight! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Sharon McMahon Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss why American democracy should not treat the Latinx community as a monolith, what actually matters to this community, and how the strength of their engagement in U.S. democracy will play out in this year's presidential election.   Maria Teresa's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  VOTE! Share your excitement to vote with everyone you know, especially young people.   Maria Teresa Kumar is the President and CEO of Voto Latino, a civic engagement organization focused on educating and empowering a new generation of Latinx voters, as well as creating a more robust and inclusive democracy.     Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Maria Teresa on X:  https://x.com/MariaTeresa    Sponsor:  Thanks to Shopify for supporting Future Hindsight! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Maria Teresa Kumar Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss the purpose of fascist education, the political nature of universities in defending democracy, and the dangers of America's powerful exceptionalist narrative.   Jason's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Stand up in solidarity with those who are political targets Understand other people's perspectives because that gives them the voice in a democracy   Jason Stanley is the Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy at Yale University and the author of seven books. His most recent is Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future.   Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Sponsor:  Thanks to Shopify for supporting Future Hindsight! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Jason Stanley Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss the necessary policies that make a family friendly economy possible, such as investments in child care, elder care, and paid family leave. Such investments ought to be considered basic infrastructure, which contribute to the economy.   Sondra's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Talk to your friends and family who are having challenges around caregiving. Vote for candidates who support child care and paid family leave, and hold them accountable after elections.   Sondra Goldschein is the Executive Director of the Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy, which focuses on building grassroots support for family-friendly policies. The organization also runs a political action committee that focuses on electing candidates who support paid family and medical leave and affordable elder and childcare. Follow Sondra on X:  https://x.com/SGoldschein    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Be the Spark!:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Sponsor:  Thanks to Shopify for supporting Future Hindsight! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Sondra Goldschein Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

Future Hindsight is a finalist in the 2024 Signal Awards and we need your help to win the gold!    We're being recognized in the Activism, Public Service, & Social Impact category for our episode on Policing Equity and Justice with Dr. Phillip Atiba Solomon.    Public voting is open until Oct 17th, 2024 and every vote counts. Go to this link to vote for Future Hindsight now:  https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2024/individual-episodes/general/activism-public-service-social-impact   You can also vote for us by following us on Instagram @FutureHindsightPod and clicking the link in our bio there!  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/

We discuss the deep impact of Project 2025 policies on the American people, even if only 10-15% were implemented. Well beyond abortion bans and no-fault divorces, Project 2025 would adversely affect democracy. It would be easier for big money to influence election outcomes, for disinformation and misinformation to spread, and for foreign actors to meddle in elections.   Matt's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Look at what's going on around you and take action at the local level Join a mutual aid group in your community   Matt Cohen is a senior staff writer covering elections, voting rights, and threats to democracy at Democracy Docket, the leading digital news platform dedicated to information, analysis, and opinion about voting rights and elections in the courts. Follow Matt on X:  https://x.com/Matt_D_Cohen    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Be the Spark!:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Listen to Skye Perryman's Episode: https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/courts-for-democracy-skye-perryman    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Sponsor:  Thanks to Shopify for supporting Future Hindsight! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Matt Cohen Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

This is a recording of a live event of the American Voter Project at the Eric H. Holder Jr. Initiative for Civil and Political Rights. We discuss the long history of voter suppression, voting rights, the electoral college, the Supreme Court, and democracy.   General Holder' and Michael's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Vote! Engage in a major social movement   Eric H. Holder, Jr. serves as Chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. He served in the Obama Administration as the 82nd Attorney General of the United States from February 2009 to April 2015, the third longest-serving Attorney General in U.S. history and the first African American to hold that office.   Michael Waldman is president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. A nonpartisan law and policy institute that focuses on improving systems of democracy and justice, the Brennan Center is a leading national voice on voting rights, money in politics, criminal justice reform, and constitutional law.  Follow General Holder on X:  https://x.com/EricHolder    Follow Michael Waldman on X:  https://x.com/mawaldman    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Be the Spark!:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Sponsor:  Thanks to Shopify for supporting Future Hindsight! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight      Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Attorney General Eric Holder & Michael Waldman Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss deepening our understanding of the climate crisis, the urgent need for decarbonization, and our role in speaking truth about phasing out fossil fuels.    Genevieve's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Call your elected representatives and demand policies to phase out fossil fuels. If extreme weather comes up in conversation, connect the dots to climate change and say: “We really need to phase out fossil fuels so we can halt global heating.”    Genevieve Guenther is the founding director of End Climate Silence and affiliate faculty at The New School. Her most recent book is The Language of Climate Politics: Fossil-Fuel Propaganda and How to Fight It. Follow Genevieve on X:  https://x.com/DoctorVive   Read The Language of Climate Politics:  https://bookshop.org/shop/futurehindsight   Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Be the Spark!:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Sponsor:  Thanks to Shopify for supporting Future Hindsight! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey!  http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard    Take the Democracy Group's Listener Survey! https://www.democracygroup.org/survey   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight    Read the transcript here:   https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/end-climate-silence-genevieve-guenther  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Genevieve Guenther Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss the power and the promise of public schools, the universal rejection of book bans by parents across the country, and an inclusive vision for democracy.   Their civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Have a conversation with people with whom you disagree Remain open-minded.   Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Schneider are co-hosts of the education podcast Have You Heard. Their new book is The Education Wars: A Citizen's Guide and Defense Manual.    Follow Jennifer on X:  https://x.com/BisforBerkshire    Follow Jack on X:  https://x.com/edu_historian    Read The Education Wars:  https://bookshop.org/shop/futurehindsight   Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Sponsor:  Thanks to Shopify for supporting Future Hindsight! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey!  http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard    Take the Democracy Group's Listener Survey! https://www.democracygroup.org/survey   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight    Check out the Future Hindsight website!  www.futurehindsight.com   Read the transcript here:   https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/everybody-benefits-from-public-schools-jennifer-berkshire-and-jack-schneider  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Jennifer Berkshire & Jack Schneider  Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss how ballot measures give voters the opportunity to take power and agency. It is about citizens putting issues that are important to their communities, gathering signatures, and then putting them on the ballot directly to effect policy change.   Her civic action toolkit recommendations are:   1. Voting is the starting line, not the finish line. 2. Hold your elected officials accountable after elections by reaching out to them about the issues that matter to you, and making sure they are keeping their promises.   Chris Melody Fields Figueredo is the Executive Director of The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, which works to strengthen American democracy using ballot initiatives.  Follow Chris on X:  https://x.com/fieldsy    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Sponsor:  Thanks to Shopify for supporting Future Hindsight! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey!  http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard    Take the Democracy Group's Listener Survey! https://www.democracygroup.org/survey   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight    Check out the Future Hindsight website!  www.futurehindsight.com   Read the transcript here:   https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/people-power-on-the-ballot-chris-melody-fields-figueredo  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Chris Melody Fields Figueredo Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss how two parties alone cannot represent the diversity of views in American society, how fusion voting could solve for better representation, and who exactly should get engaged in our civic lives.   His civic action toolkit recommendations are:  1. Support political parties and reforms that create more choices. 2. Be a good neighbor and participate in a local meeting.   Lee Drutman is Senior Fellow in the Political Reform program at New America, co-host of the Politics in Question podcast (a fellow Democracy Group podcast!), and author of Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America.  Follow Lee on X:  https://x.com/leedrutman    Read Lee's Paper:  https://protectdemocracy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/The-Case-for-Multiparty-Presidentialism.pdf   Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Sponsor:  Thanks to Shopify for supporting Future Hindsight! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey!  http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard    Take the Democracy Group's Listener Survey! https://www.democracygroup.org/survey   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight    Check out the Future Hindsight website!  www.futurehindsight.com   Read the transcript here:   https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/break-up-the-two-party-system-lee-drutman  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Lee Drutman Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss what it takes for citizens to take action and run for elected office. Wendy ran as a Democrat in Utah because she wanted to give voters a viable, different choice. She knew it was going to be difficult to win as a first time candidate, but she ran so hard that she left a body mark in the wall. She lost by a mere 78 votes.   Her civic action toolkit recommendations are:  1. Vote and encourage other people to vote 2. Work or volunteer for a candidate during an election year   Wendy Davis is a former candidate for Utah House of Representatives and the author of The Fight You Don't See – an honest memoir about her campaign.  Follow Wendy on X:  https://x.com/wendydavisutah    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Sponsor:  Thanks to Shopify for supporting Future Hindsight! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey!  http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard    Take the Democracy Group's Listener Survey! https://www.democracygroup.org/survey   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight    Check out the Future Hindsight website!  www.futurehindsight.com   Read the transcript here:   https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/what-is-it-like-to-run-for-office-wendy-davis  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Wendy Davis Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

Joe Spielberger is the policy counsel for the Effective and Accountable Government team at the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), where he advocates in Congress and the executive branch to strengthen whistleblower rights, protect a merit based civil service, and promote government ethics and transparency. We discuss how government can be transparent and accountable to us, the People.    All Americans need to be confident that federal employees are hired based on their qualifications and not because of their partisan political ideology. In retaliation to the whistleblower on Trump's phone call with Ukrainian president Zelensky, Trump signed Schedule F, an executive order that could have allowed a complete purge of the civil service of nonpartisan career civil servants. Because whistleblower retaliation is rampant, protecting whistleblowers and civil servants is one of the best ways to protect the public from harm. The Supreme Court does not have a binding code of ethics because the Supreme Court refuses to adopt one. However, Congress has clear and direct mechanisms to hold the Supreme Court accountable and can pass legislation that would implement a binding code of ethics.  Follow Joe on X:  https://x.com/jdspielberger    Follow Project on Government Oversight on X:  https://x.com/POGOwatchdog    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Sponsor:  Thanks to Shopify for supporting Future Hindsight! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey!  http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard    Take the Democracy Group's Listener Survey! https://www.democracygroup.org/survey   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight    Check out the Future Hindsight website!  www.futurehindsight.com   Read the transcript here:   https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/protect-whistleblowers-joe-spielberger  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guest: Joe Spielberger Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

Daniel Alvarenga is a journalist who covers issues pertaining to immigration, racial equity, and Latinx cultures – with a special emphasis on Central America and its diasporas. He's also the English language podcast host of Humo: Murder and Silence in El Salvador. We discuss the intersection of foreign policy, immigration policy, and democracy.   US foreign interference in Central America has had a huge impact on destabilizing the region. During the civil war in El Salvador between 1980 and 1992, the US contributed $1 billion in military aid. This destabilization is one reason Central Americans migrate to the United States, which in turn creates problems in the US. For example, MS-13 was started by Salvadoran children who moved to Los Angeles. In response, the US government has deported many of them back to El Salvador where the cycle of violence continues. El Salvador has the largest number of murders and disappearances in the world.    Listen to Humo:  https://sonoromedia.com/podcasts/humo    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Sponsor:  Thanks to Shopify for supporting Future Hindsight! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey!  http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard    Take the Democracy Group's Listener Survey! https://www.democracygroup.org/survey   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight    Check out the Future Hindsight website!  www.futurehindsight.com   Read the transcript here:   https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/us-influence-in-central-america-daniel-alvarenga  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Daniel Alvarenga Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

Barbara McQuade is a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, co-host of the podcast #SistersinLaw, and a professor at the University of Michigan Law School. Her first book is Attack From Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging America. We discuss the dangers of disinformation and how we can defeat it.   Democracy depends on truth, and as Americans we should prize truth over tribe. A lot of disinformation is hiding behind the First Amendment – telling lies as a right to free speech. We are overrun with disinformation. One of the strategies is to exhaust us by constantly pumping false claims into the media ecosphere, so that we become cynical or disengage. That is fertile ground for would-be authoritarian regimes. For example, in response to the big lie that the 2020 election was stolen, a number of states have passed laws making it more difficult to vote. Defending truth is vitally important when it is under attack.  Follow Barbara on X:  https://x.com/BarbMcQuade    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Sponsor:  Thanks to Shopify for supporting Future Hindsight! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey!  http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard    Take the Democracy Group's Listener Survey! https://www.democracygroup.org/survey   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight    Check out the Future Hindsight website!  www.futurehindsight.com   Read the transcript here:   https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/disinformation-is-sabotaging-america-barbara-mcquade  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Barbara McQuade Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

Daria Dawson is the Executive Director of America Votes, which coordinates more than 400 partners to engage and mobilize voters for elections up and down the ballot across the country. We discuss why 2024 is - yet again - the most important election of our lifetimes.    The biggest threat to American democracy is fascism and thus the most important issue in this election is preserving our democracy. Of course, democracy and protecting democracy is a process and never just one election. The top priority for America Votes this year is electing leaders who are committed to protecting the foundations of our democratic system, so that our voices can continue to be heard and counted. Every vote matters. Elections have been won or lost on the margins, so it's imperative that everyone turns out to vote. Follow Daria on X:  https://twitter.com/DariaCharlei    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow America Votes on X:  https://twitter.com/AmericaVotes    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Sponsor:  Thanks to Shopify for supporting Future Hindsight! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey!  http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard    Take the Democracy Group's Listener Survey! https://www.democracygroup.org/survey   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight    Check out the Future Hindsight website!  www.futurehindsight.com   Read the transcript here:   https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/protecting-democracy-daria-dawson  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Daria Dawson Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

Alissa Quart is the executive director of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project and the author of Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream. We discuss what it really means to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps in America, “the land of the self-made.”   Humans are biologically wired to be interdependent. In fact, achievement is often accompanied with isolation and loneliness. Alissa reminds us that “People who are fighting for democracy shouldn't be leaning into their own self made myth, but instead they should be trying to dispel the myth entirely.” The counter narrative to the self-made myth is that being in community and mutual solidarity feels better than being an individualist. Follow Alissa on X:  https://twitter.com/lisquart    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Sponsor:  Thanks to Shopify for supporting Future Hindsight! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey!  http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard    Take the Democracy Group's Listener Survey! https://www.democracygroup.org/survey   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight    Check out the Future Hindsight website!  www.futurehindsight.com   Read the transcript here:   https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/give-up-the-bootstrapping-myth-alissa-quart  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Alissa Quart Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

A.J. Jacobs is a journalist and author. His most recent book is The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution's Original Meaning. We discuss how the Founding Fathers prized humility, experimentation, and a willingness to change their own minds.    The heart of our democracy is for the community to come together and cooperate. One example is to advocate for democratic reforms, which are nonpartisan. Being apathetic or cynical helps the slide into autocracy. Resisting the allure of quick, hot takes and practicing slower thinking are also crucial to democracy. The founding fathers were deeply invested in balance, especially when it comes to the power of a president being balanced by Congress. A.J. reminds us that everyday citizens can control whether the sun is rising or setting on democracy.    Follow A.J. on X:  https://x.com/ajjacobs    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Sponsor:  Thanks to Shopify for supporting Future Hindsight! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey!  http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard    Take the Democracy Group's Listener Survey! https://www.democracygroup.org/survey   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight    Check out the Future Hindsight website!  www.futurehindsight.com   Read the transcript here:   https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/living-constitutionally-aj-jacobs  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: A.J. Jacobs Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis