Welcome to The Democracy Group - a network of podcasts about democracy, civic engagement, and civil discourse. In this feed you will find a sampling of episodes from our podcasts in the Democracy Group as well recordings from our events. If you enjoy this podcast, please visit democracygroup.org to find all of our podcast shows, events, topic guides, and newsletter.
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How can podcasting strengthen democracy? In this collaborative panel from The Democracy Group and PBS Student Reporting Labs, student podcasters and journalists discuss civic storytelling, democratic discourse, youth media, and why podcasting creates a powerful space for nuanced political conversation. Hear from student creators producing podcasts about democracy, political identity, art, community, Puerto Rican activism, youth journalism, and the everyday ways democracy shows up in our lives. The panel explores how podcasting lowers barriers to civic engagement, amplifies overlooked voices, and helps young people develop the confidence and skills to participate in public life. Check out the student podcasts: Student episodes from The Democracy Group will publish from May 18th-27th on our network feed. Current and past seasons of On Our Minds. Topics Covered 00:24 – Welcome & introduction to the Democracy Group / PBS Student Reporting Labs collaboration 01:29 – The Democracy Group Podcast Fellowship: mentoring student civic storytellers 02:46 – Meet the student fellows and their podcast projects: Valerie — democracy's origins and political history Savannah — democracy, art, and theater Dawn — politics, social interactions, and political identity 05:18 – PBS Student Reporting Labs' On Our Minds podcast and youth-produced community storytelling 06:45 – Student reporting projects on: Community art spaces in Indiana Public sculpture and identity in New Jersey Puerto Rico, neighborhood change, and displacement 09:32 – Why podcasting matters for democratic discourse today 10:19 – The unique power of audio storytelling and listening beyond appearances 11:37 – How journalism projects changed students' relationships with their communities 14:29 – Youth voices missing from mainstream storytelling 15:32 – Telling overlooked stories through podcasting 16:25 – Puerto Rico, gentrification, activism, and reporting stories from the inside 17:56 – Lessons learned from interviewing, audio storytelling, and creative journalism 19:20 – Democracy, art, rhetoric, and misinformation 20:07 – Theater as civic engagement and democratic participation 22:02 – Why people disengage from democracy — and how podcasting lowers the barrier to entry 24:38 – Puerto Rico, political identity, generational change, and democratic participation 27:24 – Why youth voices deserve deliberate space in civic media 28:43 – The stories student creators still want to tell Audience Q&A 30:14 – How to engage young people who aren't already interested in politics or democracy 31:27 – Creating environments where youth feel heard, safe, and welcome to speak 33:54 – How to inspire college students to engage with politics and civic issues 34:47 – Making political topics more relatable, digestible, and human 36:27 – Advice for students interested in podcasting and civic storytelling 37:22 – What surprised student creators during the production process 37:47 – Interviewing lessons: letting conversations evolve naturally 38:55 – Learning that people want to be listened to 39:56 – Measuring podcast success beyond analytics and downloads 41:08 – How producing podcasts changes the way students think about media 42:14 – Educational impact, career development, and long-term success in youth podcasting 43:42 – Why creating platforms for youth voices matters 45:36 – Podcasting as portfolio-building, networking, and personal development 46:36 – Closing reflections and where to find student episodes Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
This week we bring you a special episode from Amelia Callahan, one of our 2026 Podcast Fellows. She introduces her new podcast, The Separation of Pop and State, which compares political and pop culture moments to show how treating politicians like celebrities can shape their behavior and public discourse. She discusses her hesitation about sharing political opinions publicly and defines “cancel culture” (boycotting/shunning) versus “smear campaigns” (efforts to discredit reputations), arguing the two often overlap through propaganda and bandwagon effects. As a central example, she analyzes the viral “Howard Dean scream” and how ridicule and media framing helped derail his 2004 campaign despite minimal substance. She links similar dynamics to pop culture cases (Ellen DeGeneres, The Chicks, Rebecca Black, Bud Light/Dylan Mulvaney, Taylor Swift) and argues voters must recognize propaganda, fact-check, and base opinions on evidence to strengthen trust, civic engagement, and democracy. 00:00 Democracy Group Intro 00:23 Meet Amelia Callahan 02:31 Why This Podcast Exists 04:39 Politics at the Table 05:45 Cancel Culture Explained 07:48 Smear Campaigns vs Canceling 10:54 Howard Dean Scream Case 18:12 Celebrity Cancelations Compared 23:44 Boycotts and Bandwagons 26:03 Memes as Political Propaganda 32:41 Fact Checking and Civic Trust 35:13 Closing Takeaways Know a student interested in democracy and podcasts? Send them over to our fellowship to apply: https://www.democracygroup.org/fellowship Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
This week we bring you a special episode from Savannah Patterson-Case, one of our 2026 Podcast Fellows. Patterson introduces the show's focus on how art and democracy intersect, arguing that art fosters empathy, dialogue, and challenges power, which can make it a target through cuts and political attacks. She launches the season's focus on theater, defining democracy as participation rooted in values like fairness, tolerance, compromise, trust, and inclusion, and tracing theater and democracy to ancient Athens, where performance offered catharsis and an outlet for the politically excluded. She highlights political works such as The Laramie Project, citing dialogue, audience impact, and reported legislative influence, and examines attacks on theater through the New Deal Federal Theatre Project's rise and dismantling amid Red Scare pressures, alongside concerns about access, commercialization, rhetoric, and entertainment-driven politics. 00:00 Special Episode Intro 00:23 Democracy Meets Art 02:28 Why Theater Matters 04:25 Defining Democracy 06:28 Theater Roots in Athens 08:20 The Laramie Project 10:36 When Theater Gets Targeted 13:06 Access and Defunding 14:43 Is Democracy Theater 16:16 Pitfalls of Performance Politics Know a student interested in democracy and podcasts? Send them over to our fellowship to apply: https://www.democracygroup.org/fellowship Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
This week we bring you a special episode from Valerie Pastrana, one of our 2026 Podcast Fellows, who explores ancient Athens as the first democracy, asking where democracy came from, who invented it, and how democratic it really was. Valerie explains that “democracy” (demos + kratos) emerged in late sixth-century BCE Athens but applied only to active male citizens—adult, free, Athenian-born men who completed military training—excluding many residents. Against a backdrop of aristocratic conflict, coups, and crisis, Cleisthenes introduced reforms around 508 BCE to curb elite domination, including a Council of 500 selected by lottery (sortition). The Assembly (ecclesia) met about 40 times a year on the Pynx, with up to 6,000 citizens voting on major decisions and practicing ostracism. Courts (dikasteria) used large citizen juries chosen daily by lottery, with paid jurors and one-day trials. The episode ends with reflection questions and previews a Roman-focused next episode. 00:00 Network Introduction 00:23 Ancient Athens Setup 00:49 What Democracy Means 01:13 Who Counted as People 01:40 Athens Before Reforms 02:25 Cleisthenes Revolution 02:44 Council of 500 Lottery 03:21 Assembly on the Pynx 04:36 Courts and Juries 05:27 Agora Thoughts Reflection Know a student interested in democracy and podcasts? Send them over to our fellowship to apply: https://www.democracygroup.org/fellowship Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
This week we bring you a special episode from Isaac Mederson, one of our 2026 Podcast Fellows, who examines youth voting participation and its impact on recent U.S. elections, noting that 18–29 turnout lags far behind older voters (48% in 2020 vs. 71.9% for 65+, and about 43% in 2024 vs. 71.7% for 65+). He argues 2024 outcomes reflected overall participation declines and comparatively weaker Democratic turnout, including among infrequent voters and youth, as Harris won only 54% of the youth vote versus Biden's 60%+ in prior winning Democratic races and a much smaller margin than in 2020. Mederson links youth disengagement to low trust in government, perceived lack of responsiveness, and social-media-driven information ecosystems, featuring an interview with Dr. Mark Meadorson on shifts from broadcast/cable news to social platforms and concerns about journalists confronting misinformation. He concludes that improving youth turnout requires substantive responsiveness to youth issues and encourages civic action like voting, contacting representatives, and organizing. 00:00 Democracy Group Intro 00:23 Podcast Premise Setup 00:45 Youth Turnout Numbers 01:36 2024 Drop And Impact 03:23 Youth Shift Rightward 04:11 Youth Engagement Paradox 06:02 Trust In Government 08:07 Social Media Influence 10:50 Guest Media Landscape 15:09 Do Youth Watch Cable 20:05 Misinformation Debate 23:48 Solutions And Call To Act 27:41 Final Sign Off Know a student interested in democracy and podcasts? Send them over to our fellowship to apply: https://www.democracygroup.org/fellowship Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
This week we bring you a special episode from J'Mariana Douglas, one of our 2026 Podcast Fellows, exploring why politics feels increasingly personal, controversial, and complicated. Drawing on Naomi Cahn's Red Families vs. Blue Families, Douglas explains how party labels function like teams and shape reactions to hot-button issues such as abortion, gun control, and climate change, especially when linked to morality. Gen Z is highlighted through student perspectives: one recounts a family conflict over deportation following Trump's second inauguration and stricter immigration enforcement, and another describes avoiding conversations across political differences as even basic shared facts feel disputed. Douglas argues that withdrawing from dialogue threatens a system built on free speech and collaboration, and that Gen Z's trend-driven subcultures and social-media immersion accelerate politics becoming identity. 00:00 Democracy Group Intro 00:23 Meet The Social Equation 00:29 Why Politics Feels Personal 01:03 Parties Morality And Polarization 02:54 Why Gen Z Stands Out 03:00 Student Story Immigration Divide 04:33 Avoiding Political Conversations 06:07 The Social Equation Explained 06:30 Team Colors Thought Experiment 07:23 Gen Z Trends Subcultures Identity 08:48 Social Media Makes Politics Identity 09:49 Wrap Up And Next Episode Know a student interested in democracy and podcasts? Send them over to our fellowship to apply: https://www.democracygroup.org/fellowship Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Imagine getting a call from the President to tell you he wants you to be the head of the IRS. That happened to Danny Werfel. Listen to how he explains the mission of the IRS. Enjoying the show? Subscribe to hear the rest of Good Government Show's episodes!
This panel explores three major threats to democracy: Erosion of the rule of law Loss of experienced public servants Rising hyper-partisanship Panelists share firsthand insights and respond to questions from fellowship participants about public service, media, and civic engagement. Speakers Brandon Stover – Network Manager, The Democracy Group Jenna Spinelli – Moderator, Founder of The Democracy Group Simone Leeper – Host of Democracy Decoded David Martin – Host of The Good Government Show David Beckemeyer – Host of Outrage Overload Fellowship Participants (Q&A) Key Moments 00:00 – Introduction Overview of the fellowship and panel purpose 01:08 – Simone: Threats to the Rule of Law Executive overreach Pressure on judicial independence Election system concerns 06:42 – David Martin: Public Service Crisis Loss of experienced civil servants Institutional knowledge drain Fear and silence within agencies 12:11 – David Beckemeyer: Hyper-Partisanship Polarization as a root cause Psychological blind spots Citizens becoming “combatants” 16:53 – Q&A Begins 17:00 – Staying vs. Leaving Government Ethical dilemmas for public servants Personal trade-offs 21:59 – Young People in Politics Encouragement to pursue public service Importance of new leadership 24:21 – Media's Role in Democracy Amplifying underreported stories Creating nuanced conversations 29:09 – Fellow Reflections Inspiration and challenges Desire for deeper, more balanced dialogue Links The Democracy Group Podcast Fellowship Democracy Decoded The Good Government Show Outrage Overload Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Imagine getting a call from the President to tell you he wants you to be the head of the IRS. That happened to Danny Werfel. Listen to how he explains the mission of the IRS. Enjoying the show? Subscribe to hear the rest of Good Government Show's episodes!
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Enjoying the show? Subscribe to hear the rest of An Honorable Profession episodes!
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In this episode, Jesse Nguyen of the Democracy Group speaks with Paul Oshinski, research manager at More in Common, about their extensive study titled 'Beyond MAGA.' The study, which included over 18,000 survey responses and 13 focus groups, aimed to understand the nuances within the Trump voter base. They discuss the segmentation of Trump voters into four distinct groups, their attitudes towards Trump's policies, and their views on key issues like immigration and democracy. The episode also touches upon the surprising demographic diversity within Trump's coalition and the role of economic concerns in shaping voter preferences. Lastly, upcoming webinar details are provided for those interested in a deeper dive into the study's findings.00:00 Introduction 00:49 Research Manager's Role and Survey Details02:11 Inspiration and Process Behind the Study03:27 Segmentation of Trump Voters04:50 Reluctant Right and Immigration Views09:06 Diversity in Trump's Coalition14:37 Views on DEI and Critical Race Theory17:36 Concluding Thoughts and Webinar InformationTo learn more about each of the featured podcasts, visit the Shows page at democracygroup.org/shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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This week we bring you a special episode from Aleena Khan, one of our 2025 Podcast Fellows.In this special episode from the Democracy Group Network, Aleena introduces her podcast 'Into the Woodland,' where she discusses the local government and events in The Woodlands, Texas. She explores the unique Woodlands Township government system, established in 2010, and details the roles of its Board of Directors and various advisory committees. Aleena also sheds light on the nine distinct villages within the Woodlands, each with their own village associations that host events and advocate for community change. Listeners are encouraged to participate in township meetings and access resources available on the township's website. 00:00 Introduction to the Democracy Group Network 00:23 Welcome to Into the Woodland 00:37 Understanding the Woodlands Township Government 01:06 The Role of Committees and Villages 01:47 Conclusion and FarewellKnow a student interested in democracy and podcasts? Send them over to our fellowship to apply: https://www.democracygroup.org/fellowship Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
This week we bring you a special episode from Shae Himmelberger & Joseph Strassman, one of our 2025 Podcast Fellows teams. In this special episode, we dive into a candid conversation with Dr. Chris Beam, a research professor at Penn State focusing on political theory and social ethics. The episode covers Dr. Beam's academic background, his thoughts on the evolving relationship between Christian theology and democracy, and the rise of Christian nationalism in America. The discussion also delves into political dynamics, the economic focus of progressive politics, and the challenges faced by both the Democratic and Republican parties. Dr. Beam provides insights on how the U.S. political and cultural landscape has shifted over the years, the role of religion in shaping political ideologies, and the potential for progressive movements to regain their footing amidst current challenges. 00:00 Introduction to the Democracy Group Network 00:23 Guest Introduction and Background 02:20 Christian Theology and Democracy 05:02 Christian Nationalism and Its Implications 07:36 The Role of Religion in American Politics 23:04 Progressive Politics and Economic Issues 31:44 Future of Progressive Politics 41:30 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsKnow a student interested in democracy and podcasts? Send them over to our fellowship to apply: https://www.democracygroup.org/fellowship Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
This week we bring you a special episode from Tenzin Jamyang, one of our 2025 Podcast Fellows.In this special episode of 'Democracy Reflected,' we sit down with Eric Pereira, Community Affairs Fellow at the Office of Council Member Shekar Krishnan, representing New York City's 25th City Council District. Eric discusses his role in connecting with constituents, addressing local issues, and the importance of representation in diverse neighborhoods like Jackson Heights and Elmhurst. He sheds light on the daily challenges and successes of ensuring that the voices of underrepresented communities are heard and their needs met. Eric shares how his team's linguistic diversity aids in building trust, the impact of legislative efforts on community advocacy, and his journey into public service inspired by his background. This episode highlights the real-world effects of effective local governance and offers insights into how young people can get involved in public service. 00:00 Introduction to the Democracy Group Network00:23 Meet Eric Pereira: Community Affairs Fellow01:42 The Importance of Representation in Local Government04:40 Challenges and Barriers in Political Spaces07:48 Building Trust and Effective Communication09:31 Future of Representation and Civic Engagement23:06 Personal Journey and Inspiration for Public Service24:36 Encouraging Youth Participation in Public Service27:49 Final Thoughts and EncouragementKnow a student interested in democracy and podcasts? Send them over to our fellowship to apply: https://www.democracygroup.org/fellowship Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
This week we bring you a special episode from Annalise Huang, one of our 2025 Podcast Fellows.The episode features an in-depth conversation with Kayla Pilgrim, a 19-year-old founder of Civic Success, about her journey in civic engagement, the motivations behind her work, and the innovative ways her organization is inspiring young people to participate in civic life. Kayla discusses the challenges and opportunities of modernizing civic engagement, the impact of social media, the barriers young people face, and the importance of sustained, meaningful involvement. The episode concludes with practical advice for young listeners looking to get involved in their communities. 00:00 Introduction to the Democracy Group Network 00:23 Welcome to Civically Thinking 01:19 Meet Kayla Pilgrim: A Young Civic Leader 02:40 Kayla's Journey into Civic Engagement 05:20 The Civic Success Project 10:01 Challenges and Innovations in Civic Engagement 14:44 The Role of Social Media in Civic Engagement 17:58 Personal Challenges and Staying Engaged 23:36 Advice for Young People on Getting Involved 26:13 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsKnow a student interested in democracy and podcasts? Send them over to our fellowship to apply: https://www.democracygroup.org/fellowship Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
We continue our Best of 2025 episodes with an episode from The Context podcast.Enjoying the show? Subscribe to hear the rest of The Context's episodes!
We continue our Best of 2025 episodes with an episode from the Village SquareCast podcast.Enjoying the show? Subscribe to hear the rest of Village SquareCast episodes!
We continue our Best of 2025 episodes with an episode from the Future Hindsight podcast, hosted by Mila Atmos.Enjoying the show? Subscribe to hear the rest of Future Hindsight's episodes!
We continue our Best of 2025 episodes with an episode from the New Faces of Democracy podcast, hosted by Nancy Bynum.Enjoying the show? Subscribe to hear the rest of New Faces of Democracy episodes!
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