Podcasts about inclusive democracy

  Join us for a profound conversation with Christopher Punongbayan, Executive Director of California ChangeLawyers, as he shares his compelling journey from navigating generational trauma and Asian American history to spearheading efforts for social justice and civil rights. Discover how ChangeLawyers is empowering the next generation of public interest lawyers, fostering community empowerment, and addressing critical issues such as defending DEI initiatives and striving for an inclusive democracy. This episode delves into the essential role of resilience, mindfulness, and overcoming self-doubt in driving lasting systemic change. Learn how to effectively invest in change makers and create a meaningful legacy by understanding your own narrative and committing to a more equitable future. Key Takeaways: Generational trauma: breaking the cycle and becoming good ancestors to those who follow us. Civil rights & immigration: fighting for civil rights to protect diverse and marginalized communities. Inclusive Democracy: working to create a more equitable justice system through grants, scholarships, and advocacy. DEI advocacy: using strong advocacy to overcome the current attacks on DEI. Taking action: recognizing the power of individual actions to drive social change. Resilience and growth: Embracing resilience and mindfulness as an antidote to despair. Overcoming self-doubt: strategies for overcoming imposter syndrome and internalized racism. Legacy and impact: creating a positive legacy for future generations. Connect with us: Connect with Christopher Punongbayan at https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-punongbayan415/ and https://changelawyers.org/. Buy your tickets to California ChangeLawyer's 35th anniversary celebration on April 10, 2025 at https://changelawyers.org/events/raise-the-bar-2025/.  Follow Samorn on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/samornselim/. Get a copy of Samorn's book, “Belonging: Self Love Lessons From A Workaholic Depressed Insomniac Lawyer” at https://tinyurl.com/2dk5hr2f.  Get weekly career tips by signing up for our advice column at www.careerunicorns.com.  Schedule a free 30-minute build your dream career consult by sending a message at www.careerunicorns.com. 

SERMON BY MARY KATHERINE MORN, GUEST MINISTER AT ALL SOULS UNITARIAN CHURCH FEBRUARY 16TH, 2025 AMIDST OPPRESSION AND UNCERTAINTY, A VISION FOR JUSTICE AND RESILIENCE EMERGES. FROM THE EMBATTLED STREETS OF BURMA TO COMMUNITIES RESISTING TYRANNY ACROSS THE GLOBE, PEOPLE ARE DEFYING SYSTEMS THAT SEEK TO ERASE THEIR DIGNITY. WOMEN WHO HAVE ENDURED DECADES OF VIOLENCE STILL GATHER IN PURSUIT OF DEMOCRACY. REFUGEES STRETCH THEIR ARMS ACROSS BORDERS FOR LIFESAVING AID. ACTIVISTS IN THE U.S. AND BEYOND STAND TOGETHER AGAINST FORCES THAT DENY THEIR VERY EXISTENCE. LOVE ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH-POWER IS NEEDED, TOO. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN LOVE AND POWER MOVE AS ONE?

In 2015, Crossroads Church, a majority-White evangelical megachurch based in Cincinnati, Ohio, launched a new program to address racial division and racism. In this episode, Hahrie Han discusses her new book Undivided: The Quest for Racial Solidarity in an American Church, which tells the story of this program and its participants, many of whom changed their thinking, behavior, and relationships after taking part. The impact of Crossroads's Undivided program demonstrates some of the elements of successful antiracist organizing —or organizing in general. These elements include sustained commitment, building relationships across difference, and empowering people to find their own solutions. Hahrie Han is the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Professor of Political Science, the inaugural director of the SNF Agora Institute, and the director of the P3 research lab at Johns Hopkins University. An elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, she has published four previous books. She was named a 2022 Social Innovation Thought Leader of the Year by the World Economic Forum's Schwab Foundation. She has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The New Republic, among other national publications. The daughter of Korean immigrants, she lives in Baltimore, Maryland. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/669326/undivided-by-hahrie-han/

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins Tad Devine (Chief Strategist, Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign) and Steve Grand (Republican political consultant) to discuss the 2024 presidential election results and which issues mattered the most for Democrats and Republicans and third party voters. In partnership with the USC Capital Campus and USC Price Center for Inclusive Democracy.   Featuring: · Tad Devine: President, Devine Mulvey Longabaugh Media; Chief Strategist, Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign · Steve Grand: Republican political consultant; Cofounder and President of Wilson Grand Communications · Bob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

The fallout intensifies from the racist jokes and remarks at Donald Trump's “closing argument” rally at Madison Square Garden yesterday. The former president packed the Garden to show his strong support even in the bastion of liberalism that is New York City, but there's been a fierce backlash online and in the media. Former president Trump essentially recreated his national convention by filling the arena with adoring followers and having many of the same guest speakers. But one of them, a comedian, referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage” and also disparaged Blacks and Jews. Other speakers also made demeaning remarks about various ethnic groups, immigrants and Kamala Harris herself. The Trump campaign has disavowed the most offensive remarks and said it wasn't aware of them in advance, but they were loaded into and read from the event teleprompter. There's been an uproar online, and prominent Puerto Rican Americans are blasting Trump. For more on this, KCBS Radio anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart, along with KCBS Insider Doug Sovern, were joined by political sociologist Mindy Romero, founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at USC, which is based in Sacramento. This is The State of California.

The focus is squarely on seven battleground states that will decide this Presidential election, which remains a tossup and probably will be for the next two months. Polling shows Vice President Kamala Harris with a narrow lead over former President Donald Trump nationally, and in many but not all of those swing states, but they're all within the margin of error and could swing either way. That means that turnout, ground game, voter registration and mobilization will once again determine who wins, just as was the case in 2016 and 2020, with such a closely divided electorate. So both campaigns are working hard to identify low propensity voters and get them on their side, which makes a new study from USC's Center for Inclusive Democracy all the more interesting. It takes a look at just who votes and who doesn't, in nine states, including the seven major swing states plus Texas and Florida. For more on this, KCBS Political Reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Mindy Romero, Founder and Director of the Center, and the lead author of this study.

The Kamala Harris campaign announced that in the 36 hours since President Biden dropped out of the presidential race, it had raised a record-breaking $100 million dollars. Republicans have numbers to match: after his conviction in May on fraud charges, Donald Trump's campaign hauled in $141 million. But how will this money be used by the campaigns? As part of our Doing Democracy series examining how our political system works, we talk to experts and operatives about what the 2024 presidential election ground game might look like this cycle – is targeting voters the same game it used to be? And we'll hear from you: How will you participate in November? Vote? Volunteer? Donate? All of the above? Guests: Yasmin Radjy, Executive Director, Swing Left and Vote Forward Mindy Romero, founder and director, Center for Inclusive Democracy, formerly the California Civic Engagement Project Teddy Goff, co-founder and managing partner, Precision Strategies. Goff was the digital director for the 2012 Obama campaign; in 2008, Goff managed the Obama campaign state digital efforts. Tim Miller, host, The Bulwark. Miller was previously senior advisor to the Our Principles PAC. He served as the 2016 communications director for Jeb Bush, and is a former spokesman for the Republican National Committee. He is the author of “Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell.”

Former President Donald Trump had his first meeting with a probation officer today, to help the court determine what the sentence should be for his 34 felony convictions. Meanwhile, a spate of new surveys shows a neck-and-neck race between Mr. Trump and President Biden, with some of the polls suggesting those guilty verdicts may be hurting Trump a little bit.  If they are hurting Trump and helping Biden, it's not by much, but in a race as close as this one, even a small movement at the margins could end up making a difference. But how reliable is polling in 2024, and should we be paying much attention to the surveys five months before the presidential election?  For more, KCBS Radio anchors Bret Burkhart and Patti Reising, along with KCBS insider Doug Sover, were joined by political sociologist Mindy Romero, Director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California. 

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins education experts, Pedro Noguera, Macke Raymond, and Dr. Darline Robles, for a conversation on education reform and policy. They discuss the politics of public education, the role of parental rights, why some public schools are failing, what makes some charter schools successful when others struggle, whether or not taxpayer funds should be used to provide vouchers to parents who send students to private schools or home school, and which educational reforms should be supported, studied, or rejected. In partnership with USC Rossier School of Education, USC Price Center for Inclusive Democracy, USC Political Union (a Bridge USA chapter), and USC Political Student Assembly.   Featuring: Pedro Noguera: Dean, USC Rossier School of EducationMargaret “Macke” Raymond: Director, Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford UniversityDr. Darline P. Robles: Professor of Clinical Education, USC Rossier School of Education; USC Associate Dean for Equity and Community Engagement; Former Superintendent, Los Angeles County Office of EducationBob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC DornsifeAdditional InformationThe Bully Pulpit PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins education experts, Pedro Noguera, Macke Raymond, and Dr. Darline Robles, for a conversation on education reform and policy. They discuss the politics of public education, the role of parental rights, why some public schools are failing, what makes some charter schools successful when others struggle, whether or not taxpayer funds should be used to provide vouchers to parents who send students to private schools or home school, and which educational reforms should be supported, studied, or rejected. In partnership with USC Rossier School of Education, USC Price Center for Inclusive Democracy, USC Political Union (a Bridge USA chapter), and USC Political Student Assembly.   Featuring:  Pedro Noguera: Dean, USC Rossier School of Education Margaret “Macke” Raymond: Director, Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University Dr. Darline P. Robles: Professor of Clinical Education, USC Rossier School of Education; USC Associate Dean for Equity and Community Engagement; Former Superintendent, Los Angeles County Office of Education Bob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins education experts, Pedro Noguera, Macke Raymond, and Dr. Darline Robles, for a conversation on education reform and policy. They discuss the politics of public education, the role of parental rights, why some public schools are failing, what makes some charter schools successful when others struggle, whether or not taxpayer funds should be used to provide vouchers to parents who send students to private schools or home school, and which educational reforms should be supported, studied, or rejected. In partnership with USC Rossier School of Education, USC Price Center for Inclusive Democracy, USC Political Union (a Bridge USA chapter), and USC Political Student Assembly.   Featuring:  Pedro Noguera: Dean, USC Rossier School of Education Margaret “Macke” Raymond: Director, Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University Dr. Darline P. Robles: Professor of Clinical Education, USC Rossier School of Education; USC Associate Dean for Equity and Community Engagement; Former Superintendent, Los Angeles County Office of Education Bob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

Throughout history, the rules and practices of American democracy have contradicted the nation's democratic ideals. Kimberlé Crenshaw has dedicated her career to developing inclusive legal frameworks to address some of our greatest democratic problems. As one of the foundational thinkers of Critical Race Theory, she sets the record straight on what the project is—and what it isn't. Kimberlé Crenshaw is the Co-founder and Executive Director of the African American Policy Forum and the founder and Executive Director of the Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies at Columbia Law School. She serves on the legal faculty at both UCLA and Columbia University. She is one of the most cited scholars in legal history. Links: https://www.aapf.org/intersectionality-matters https://www.aapf.org/shn-book

Election Day is over, and the votes are being tallied. And while we don't know what the final voter turnout numbers will be, we do know that most people don't vote in primaries. Primary elections aren't sexy. They never turn out as many voters as a November general election because most people are motivated by national stuff, like presidential races.  But the issues on a primary ballot, especially locally, are perhaps more consequential to people's everyday lives. Today, we talk with Mindy Romero, founder and director of USC's Center for Inclusive Democracy, about the consequences of low primary turnouts, and how to get more people to vote. Links: Episode transcript California primary results This episode was produced by Ellie Prickett-Morgan and Maria Esquinca, edited by Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.

On this episode of the Maddy Report: Valley Views Edition, Mark Keppler is joined by Mindy Romero, the Director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the Price School of Public Policy in USC; and Dean Bonner, an Associate Survey Director and Research Fellow at the PPIC.

Dr. Mindy Romero, founder of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California, talks with Jess about current election science and what we can expect to see during the 2024 election cycle.

What to know as the “Super Tuesday” primary approaches. New workshops and programs are training people from underrepresented communities for a future in public office. Ten-year-old Sacramento hip hop princess “Boss Tootie.” ‘Super Tuesday' Countdown California is likely to play a more impactful role in the 2024 election as our state's primary has been moved up to Tuesday, March 5– also known as “Super Tuesday.” Ballots will be sent out next month and voting starts soon after, but there is concern over voter enthusiasm and participation. Joining us to discuss what we all need to know as the primary approaches are Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation, and Mindy Romero, founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy. Getting Underrepresented Communities to Run for Office A number of new workshops and programs around the Sacramento region are working to train people from underrepresented and diverse communities for positions in public office. CapRadio's Sacramento Government Reporter Kristin Lam sheds light on why three of these groups - Nueva Epoca, Stonewall Democrats of Greater Sacramento, and New Leaders Council Sacramento - were formed, and also introduces some of the program participants looking to shape civic policy in the future. Sacramento Hip Hop Princess ‘Boss Tootie' A Sacramento father and daughter have teamed up in a creative way that is bringing joy to others. Boss Tootie is a 10-year-old “hip hop princess” as she likes to call herself. After watching her father Rinn Zee record songs, she decided to join the studio with her own voice and message. The fourth grader has created singles and music videos to entertain and inspire a young audience. And like many artists, she pulls from her own life. Boss Tootie is African American and Hmong. Her latest single embraces her Hmong roots, and last summer she performed at Juneteenth celebrations in Sacramento. Boss Tootie and her father Rinn Zee join Insight about how this all began.

Kathay Feng is Common Cause's Vice President of Programs. With more than two decades of experience as a voting and civil rights lawyer, Feng is most known for her leadership in redistricting and representation to champion community-centered campaigns to increase public participation, challenge gerrymanders through litigation, and secure fundamental reforms through ballot initiatives and legislative advocacy. www.CommonCause.Org

In San Francisco for the APEC conference, President Biden is going on the offensive against former President Trump, lashing out at him over immigration. Meanwhile, things have gotten ugly in Congress, where former Speaker Kevin McCarthy stands accused of assaulting one of the men who helped take away his gavel. And that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to a deteriorating sense of civility in American life right now, with a Senate hearing almost turning into a brawling fistfight yesterday, a second congressional hearing turning nasty, and anger and confrontation on college campuses over the war between Israel and Hamas. Tensions are running high in a society that seems more polarized than ever. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Bret Burkhart and Patti Reising and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with political sociologist Mindy Romero, founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at USC's Price School of Public Policy. She's also the president of the board of California Common Cause.

Join the Election Nerds Judge Travis Francis and Dean Oliver Quinn for a special two-part episode with Ryan Haygood, President & CEO of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice and civil rights attorney. Sharing his experience working with the Legal Defense Fund and NAACP, Haygood reflects on his tenure at the organization and the efforts being made to uphold our nation's ideals for a more inclusive democracy. New Jersey Institute for Social Justice (NJISJ) publications about voting rights: Jury of Our Peers: Why New Jersey Must Allow People with Criminal Convictions to Serve on Juries New Jersey Needs a #NJVRANow Our Vote, Our Power: Lifting Up Democracy's Voices in the Garden State --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eagleton-institute/message

With news of a possible indictment against former President Trump, the political and legal ramifications affecting the 2024 presidential election are about to be a wild ride. Our political universe is about to be turned upside down if an indictment is forthcoming. Yet, with the legal implications and maneuvering unclear, it is likely that the political effects of such developments will be even more consequential. Today we wanted to turn to possible “effects” of such an indictment in California and on the state's roughly 22 million registered voters in California.  To discuss further, Patti Reising and Brett Burkhart spoke with Mindy Romero, Professor and Director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California and Professor McCuan, Professor of Political Science at Sonoma State University.  

USC Center for Inclusive Democracy director Mindy Romero and Voters of Tomorrow director Santiago Mayer discuss youth turnout in the 2022 elections and the future of representative government. 

Joe spoke with Jessica Taylor, Senate and Governors Editor for The Cook Political Report on the outstanding midterm races still to be called, Mindy Romero, founder and director of the USC Center for Inclusive Democracy on voter turnout. Plus our politics panel, Bloomberg Politics Contributors Jeanne Sheehan Zaino & Rick Davis on Kevin McCarthy's complicated path to becoming Speaker of the House, Trump dragging down the GOP, voter turnout and if the pollsters got it right. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're less than two weeks until Election Day, and today we continue our special edition of the State of California taking a closer look at the issues at hand for the midterms. KCBS Political reporter Doug Sovern assembled a special roundtable of guests at the Top of the Mark, the historic bar high atop Nob Hill, at the Mark Hopkins Hotel, for an extended conversation to break down the key issues Doug's guests are political sociologist Mindy Romero, Director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the USC Price School of Public Policy, veteran California Republican campaign consultant Mike Madrid, one of the co-founders of the Lincoln Project, and Carla Marinucci, longtime political writer, formerly with Politico and the San Francisco Chronicle. 

Less than two weeks before Election Day, we've got a special edition of the State of California, with more on the way. KCBS political reporter Doug Souvern has assembled a special roundtable of guests to break down the midterm elections and the key issues. This round table includes political sociologist Mindy Romero, Director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the USC Price School of Public Policy, veteran California Republican campaign consultant Mike Madrid, one of the co-founders of the Lincoln Project, and Carla Marinucci, longtime politcal writer, formerly with Politico and the San Francisco Chronicle.

The State Attorney General is launching an investigation into that recording of a racist conversation among three members of the Los Angeles City Council.  This, as President Biden arrives in Los Angeles. He is among the many elected officials demanding those council members resign their seats This controversy continues to dominate the political headlines, and its fallout could extend to changing the way LA draws its districts. There's already a proposal to expand that City Council beyond its current 15 seats, and there's growing momentum for having an independent commission draw the district boundaries in Los Angeles.  It's done statewide and in many California counties, including San Francisco. The scandal is exposing just how racially charged LA politics can be, and how those in power use their offices to consolidate that power. For more, KCBS Radio's Doug Sovern, Patti Reising, and Bret Burkhart are joined by Mindy Romero, a political sociologist who is Director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the USC Price School of Public Policy. Their research focuses on political behavior among communities of color in California.

Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang together with dozens of other Democratic and Republican politicians announced on Wednesday that they're launching Forward, a new political party designed to appeal to centrists. But historically, third political parties have gained little traction in the United States. We'll talk about why and what could be different this time. And we'll hear from you: Would you support a third political party? What would it stand for? Guests: Eric Schickler, co-director, Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley Mindy Romero, founder and director, Center for Inclusive Democracy, formerly the California Civic Engagement Project - a non-partisan research center at the University of Southern California Tina Nguyen, national correspondent and founding partner, Puck

Updated at 11:36 a.m. HIV prevention setbacks during the pandemic. Latest COVID-19 research and vaccine recommendations. Voting trends for the 2022 Primary. Jazz pianist Michael Wolff's autobiography “On That Note.”  Today's Guests Dr. Monica Gandhi, Infectious Diseases doctor, Director of the UCSF Center for AIDS Research and the Medical Director of the HIV Clinic at SFGH ("Ward 86"), discusses the setbacks to the HIV epidemic during the pandemic, as well as the latest COVID-19 research and recommendations for second boosters, pediatric vaccinations, and hybrid immunity. Mindy Romero, Director of the USC Center for Inclusive Democracy, discusses voting trends and consequences of underrepresentation for the 2022 Primary.   CapRadio Jazz Music Director Gary Vercelli shares his interview with pianist Michael Wolff who published his autobiography “On That Note.”   Correction: Dr. Monica Gandhi's title was unclear in a previous version of this article. It has been updated.

A gunman killed his three daughters and another person before turning the gun on himself at a church in the Sacramento area on Monday night. Law enforcement officials say there was a temporary restraining order against him, which meant he shouldn't have had access to a gun. Crime has become a key concern for many California voters ahead of this year's election season. Earlier in the pandemic, the country saw an unprecedented spike in murders, but the story has become a little more complicated, and the political debate doesn't necessarily reflect the data.  Guest: Marisa Lagos, KQED Political Correspondent  From March 12th onwards, California students can go to school without their masks, if local districts allow it. The state announced Monday it's shifting from requiring masks, to recommending them.  Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQED The state's Employment Development Department has announced it's going to drastically expand language support for the at least 7 million Californians whose first language isn't English. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report  The gap in voter turnout between white and Black Californians continues to grow, according to new research published Monday by the Center for Inclusive Democracy at USC. This after a historic year for voter turnout in 2020. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED 

Suryakant Waghmore and Hugo Gorringe will discuss their recent edited volume on civility in India Suryakant Waghmore and Hugo Gorringe will discuss their recent edited volume on civility in India. Democracy and its success can very often be reduced to political institutions and procedures, but democracy has socio-cultural meanings and has always carried with it the possibility that the majority might tyrannize minorities. The vote for Brexit in Britain and the presidential election of Donald Trump in the USA arguably signify growing solidarity on racial and ethnic lines in these western democracies. Indeed, in democracies across the world issues of social and economic inequalities are increasingly framed along ethno-cultural lines, and India provides no postcolonial exception to this generalisation. Collective identities in democracies in an age of information revolution and hyper-globalisation need not be cosmopolitan and can privilege cultural majoritarianism, simultaneously constructing a fear of minority cultures and numbers. Such fears mobilized on cultural grounds through democratic processes and procedures could bring many projects of subaltern emancipation into conflict with majoritarian sensibilities. While democracy as a global project has significant achievements over the last century, present developments and past experiences highlight the universal problems of achieving trust and greater civility. In this talk we engage with the central concept of civility and offer an insight into the contributions of the volume.

Center Fellow Gloria Molina is joined by Antonio Villaraigosa, 41st Mayor of Los Angeles, strategist Cesar Martinez, and USC Professor Mindy Romero to discuss the growing impact of Latino voters and assess how political parties are reaching them, in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.Featuring:Gloria Molina - Fall 2021 Fellow, Center for the Political Future; Former LA County Supervisor and CA AssemblymemberCesar Martinez - Media strategist for Jeb Bush, George W. Bush, John McCain, and Mitt Romney's presidential campaignsMindy Romero - Founder and Director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy; Research Assistant Professor at USC Price School of Public PolicyAntonio Villaraigosa - 41st Mayor of Los Angeles; Partner and Co-Chair, Mercury Public AffairsAdditional InformationThe Bully Pulpit PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

Center Fellow Gloria Molina is joined by Antonio Villaraigosa, 41st Mayor of Los Angeles, strategist Cesar Martinez, and USC Professor Mindy Romero to discuss the growing impact of Latino voters and assess how political parties are reaching them, in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Featuring: Gloria Molina - Fall 2021 Fellow, Center for the Political Future; Former LA County Supervisor and CA Assemblymember Cesar Martinez - Media strategist for Jeb Bush, George W. Bush, John McCain, and Mitt Romney's presidential campaigns Mindy Romero - Founder and Director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy; Research Assistant Professor at USC Price School of Public Policy Antonio Villaraigosa - 41st Mayor of Los Angeles; Partner and Co-Chair, Mercury Public Affairs

Center Fellow Gloria Molina is joined by Antonio Villaraigosa, 41st Mayor of Los Angeles, strategist Cesar Martinez, and USC Professor Mindy Romero to discuss the growing impact of Latino voters and assess how political parties are reaching them, in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Featuring: Gloria Molina - Fall 2021 Fellow, Center for the Political Future; Former LA County Supervisor and CA Assemblymember Cesar Martinez - Media strategist for Jeb Bush, George W. Bush, John McCain, and Mitt Romney's presidential campaigns Mindy Romero - Founder and Director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy; Research Assistant Professor at USC Price School of Public Policy Antonio Villaraigosa - 41st Mayor of Los Angeles; Partner and Co-Chair, Mercury Public Affairs

This week Hal is joined by Dr. Mindy Romero, the Director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the USC Price School,  Assemblyman Miguel Santiago and LAUSD redistricting commission vice chair Andrea Ambriz.

Gov. Gavin Newsom defeats the recall election. CapRadio Political Reporter Nicole Nixon shares last night's victory speech, Republican political consultant Luis Alvarado expands on what's next. Political Data Inc. breaks down the ballot returns. USC Center for Inclusive Democracy explains voter engagement. And longtime political journalist Ken Rudin discusses what this means for the 2022 Midterm elections. Today's Guests CapRadio Political Reporter Nicole Nixon shares last night's victory speech from Gov. Gavin Newsom.  Luis Alvarado, former press secretary for the California Republican Party and Republican political consultant, expands on what's next for conservatives.  Paul Mitchell, Vice President of Political Data Inc., breaks down ballot returns.  Mindy Romero, political sociologist and director of the USC Center for Inclusive Democracy, discusses voter participation.  Ken Rudin, host of the Political Junkie podcast, on what this recall election result means for national politics and the 2022 Midterm elections.

Today on Insight, we're looking at California's gubernatorial recall election, we hear from Sacramento County voters, discuss voter participation, and tune into the national implications of the results. Today's Guests CapRadio reporters Sarah Mizes-Tan and Chris Nichols join us from vote centers in Sacramento and Yolo Counties to bring us the latest on their reporting on the recall and what voter activity looks like on Election Day Paul Mitchell, Vice President of Political Data Inc. on the recall ballot tracker.  Mindy Romero, political sociologist and director of the USC Center for Inclusive Democracy, to discuss voter participation.  Ken Rudin, host of the Political Junkie podcast, on the national implications of the gubernatorial recall election. 

Democratic State Assemblymember Kevin McCarty explains California's record-spending on education in the state budget. Founder and Director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at USC Mindy Romero and political strategist Paul Mitchell discuss the impact tepid voter turnout could have on the upcoming governor recall election, and we learn more about how local venues are creating their own COVID-19 safety protocols as the delta variant continues to spread. Today's Guests Democratic State Assemblymember Kevin McCarty explains California's record-spending on education in the state budget Founder and Director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, Mindy Romero, and Vice President of Political Data Inc. and political strategist, Paul Mitchell, discuss the impact tepid voter turnout could have on the upcoming governor recall election with a record number of registered voters CapRadio Interim News Anchor Ed Fletcher checks in with Sacramento businesses that are creating their own COVID-19 protocols in the face of the delta variant

The political climate has been heating up in California and it's only the middle of 2021. Over the weekend a fight broke out at a Town Hall in Orange county held by Democratic Rep. Katie Porter. This week, conservative lightning rods Georiga Rep. Margorie Taylor Greene along with Florida's Matt Gaetz will bring their "America First" tour to California, also in Orange County. To discuss all of this, KCBS Radio's Doug Sovern spoke with Mindy Romero, political sociologist and founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does democracy have to do with hunger? For this episode, we spoke with Susannah Morgan, CEO of Oregon Food Bank, and Portland community leader Liban Satu on why building an inclusive democracy is an important step to ending hunger. 

Career diplomat and NDI Director for Women, Gender and Democracy Sandra Pepera joined host Alyse Nelson on the podcast to discuss her career building inclusive, resilient democracy. Sandra reflected on the need to focus on creating systems that push for culture change to really secure lasting impact when it comes to greater gender equity and representation in politics around the world. She and Alyse discussed the ways that we need to support not only women leaders as individuals, but also ensure we’re valuing the elements that elevated them to leadership so that others can follow in their footsteps.Sandra shared her perspective on the increasing, targeted violence against women in politics around the world, and what she sees as the priorities for Biden’s Administration with regard to gender equity around the world. Listen in!To learn more about Vital Voices, visit www.vitalvoices.org. This series is inspired by our book, Vital Voices: 100 Women using their Power to Empower, edited by Alyse Nelson with art by Gayle Kabaker, published by Assouline. Host: Alyse Nelson. Executive Producer: Lizzie Kubo Kirschenbaum. Producer and Editor: Sofiyat IbrahimMusic: Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod. Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/?keywords=deliberate+thought.Artist: http://incompetech.com/ 

KCBS Radio news anchors Jeff Bell and Patti Reising and KCBS Radio political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Political Sociologist Mindy Romero of Sacramento, the founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy. They discussed the record voter turnout for the presidential election and if this participation level is here to stay.

Listen to the full radio report here, first aired October 7, 2020: https://kpfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/California-Election-Mechanics-reporter-ariel-boone.mp3 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { var media = $('#audio-345019-43'); media.on('canplay', function (ev) { this.currentTime = 0; }); });   By Ariel Boone (@arielboone), KPFA elections reporter SACRAMENTO, CA – “Do not wait. If you can vote early, please vote early this year.” That was the primary message of Sam Mahood, press secretary for California Secretary of State Alex Padilla. Mahood declined to spell out any scenarios where the state would be overwhelmed by an influx of mail-in ballots this year — 72 percent of ballots in California's presidential primary in March were returned by mail, after all — but this will be an election unlike any other in state history, with record-breaking numbers of registered voters, new election systems rolled out, and a pandemic to manage. “Just given everything with COVID, we know there's going to be a bigger strain on resources for everyone and on polling locations,” Mahood says. “We really say November 3, as much as it's Election Day, it's really the last date to vote, is how we want people to look at it this year.” California now has 21 million active registered voters — a record. The secretary of state says that number includes 83% of eligible adults. Alameda County Registrar of Voters Tim Dupuis says the county currently has 940,000 registered voters, and could hit 1 million by election day.  Dupuis told KPFA that along with voter registration, poll worker recruitment has spiked. The county needs 1,700 volunteer election workers to staff voting centers from October 31 through November 3, and 4,800 people signed up. It has a reserve of 3,000 extra volunteers. “We've never been in this situation,” Dupuis says. “It's just amazing, the outpour of support from our community.” Another thing that's new this year: California will mail every voter a ballot. In fact, California has already mailed every registered voter a ballot — every county was required to send them by October 5. If you have not received your ballot by October 10, the secretary of state recommends signing up to track your ballot at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov, and contacting your county registrar. You may have heard about backups at the post office earlier this year — so we asked the people who actually handle the mail what to expect.  “I have to tell you that we will get those ballots out. It's in our DNA. That's our job.” – Shirley Taylor, American Postal Workers Union Shirley Taylor is a national business agent for the American Postal Workers Union. She says multiple postal workers' unions have formed a nationwide task force to clear every ballot from every mail processing center, every night. “The National Postal Mail Handlers Union, the National Association of Letter Carriers, the American Postal Workers Union, and the National Association of Postal Supervisors, all of us are participating,” Taylor says. “And the purpose is to ensure all election mail, mainly ballots, are processed and cleared daily and accounted for. And every night they're going to have a clearance report certification that all ballots are clear. And if not, they have to tell the reason why. And then these representatives of the committee will review these reports and walk through these plants, looking for problems and giving suggestions.” There's more scrutiny on the postal service this year. In August, a federal judge in Washington blocked moves by President Trump's postmaster general to remove mail sorting machines and bar postal workers from using overtime to finish deliveries. But Shirley Taylor says the workers are up to the task of delivering ballots.  “I have to tell you that we will get those ballots out. It's in our DNA. That's our job.” She would know — Shirley started working for the postal service in 1962 in Alameda County, for $2.67 an hour. She worked before the arrival of the high-speed mail sorting machines that Louis DeJoy would eventually have removed.  Also, California arranged with the Post Office to get ballots delivered even they don't have postage. It's “no stamp, no problem,” in the first statewide general election where no postage is required on any ballot, says the secretary of state's office.  Sam Mahood and Tim Dupuis both stressed that even though everyone's getting mailed a ballot, this is not just a vote by mail election.  There will be in-person voting machines. And, Mahood says, “These are really critical for voters who might have made a mistake with their ballot and need to get a replacement, voters who need to take advantage of same day voter registration if they miss the October 19 voter registration deadline, voters with disabilities who might need to use accessible voting machines that are available at their polling location, or voters who might need assistance in another language and need help from a poll worker.” This might be the sticky part. An executive order from Gavin Newsom in June instructed registrars to mail every voter a ballot, but also set terms of providing safe, in-person, accessible voting options. Many typical polling locations like schools and senior centers are closed to the public for safety. So some counties are switching to a “vote center” model. In Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma, Napa and Fresno counties, there will be fewer polling locations, and instead, voting centers will be open at least four days before the election, for early voting. In theory, they're a big step forward: voters are no longer restricted to just one voting location, and any center in your county will do. “In this election, if you happen to be in Livermore, and you're a resident of Alameda, you could go into an accessible vote location in that city, and we'll be able to produce your city of Alameda ballot so that you can vote there,” Alameda County registrar Tim Dupuis says. “It does remove those geographic restrictions. So you're able to vote where it's convenient.” But the switch to a voting center system can be tricky: when Los Angeles did it for the primary this spring, there were long voting lines because poll workers had difficulty connecting to an online database. Newsom's executive order says counties that use the vote center model must have 1 for every 10,000 voters. And big crowds can be a problem during a pandemic. “The first thing we wanted to think about is: Do we need the voter to get out of their car at all?” – Alameda County registrar Tim Dupuis Tim Dupuis says measures are in place to keep COVID from spreading at Alameda County's vote centers. “If they have the ballot already that we mailed to them, and they have the envelope, we're going to have a drive through drop stop, where they can just hand us their ballot through the window, and we'll drop it into the ballot box, and they'll get their ‘I voted' sticker. “If they want to vote and they're willing to vote in their car, we call it curbside voting. So they'll be able to come up and they can ask for their ballot. We'll ask them to park and we'll run their ballot out to them when it's ready. “Worst case, if they do have to come into the location, we have everything spread out. These locations are at least 2,500 square feet, and everybody's going to be wearing the protective equipment, the PPE that's required. We'll have all of the sanitizing that's necessary for those facilities, and we'll limit the number of people who can actually come in,” Dupuis says.  Alameda County is offering vote centers open from October 31 through November 3 in addition to drop boxes placed throughout the county. But Dupuis calls the vote centers a “last resort” for voting: “It's available to you, but we really are encouraging safe voting with all the options that we have.” Here's what else election officials want you to know: In California, you can register for a ballot to be mailed to you until October 19. After that, you can register and vote in-person up to and including Election Day. You can do this now, any day, at your county registrar's office. You will also be able to do it at voting centers, most of which will open 4 days before the election, on October 31. If you're voting by mail, you can also track your ballot on its way to you, from you, and through the counting process, using a new online tool offered in every county called “Where's My Ballot?” Mahood says 5 percent of California voters have already signed up for the tool, and assures KPFA that the state is “absolutely” ready for an influx of new sign-ups. “You'll know when it's on the way to you when it's been received by your County elections office, when it's been, and if it hasn't been counted,” he says. “You'll be alerted to an issue, which you'll still have time to correct. Usually it's a missing signature, or your signature doesn't match what's on file, but by signing up, you'll be notified much more quickly.” It's important to know where your ballot goes. In the past decade, an average of 1.7 percent of ballots cast by mail in California were rejected.  “The top three reasons for ballot rejection for everybody are late, a missing signature or a bad signature,” says Mindy Romero, founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California. Her research has found mail-in ballot rejection disproportionately impacts voters aged 18-24. In a study of Sacramento, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, young voters were three times more likely to have ballots rejected in 2018, according to Romero's research. She says to make sure you sign the envelope if you're voting by mail in California, and get the ballot in the mail early, no later than November 3. But most important, she says, is to make the decision to vote. “It's the fact that we make potential voters in this country be responsible for their own voter registration, and then we put a lot of hoops there to make it more difficult to register for young people. “We will see millions of eligible voters in this election that will not vote in our state. And that is a travesty for our democracy.” The post California's election is now underway. Here's how to vote safely and securely appeared first on KPFA.

Listen to the full radio report here, first aired October 7, 2020: https://kpfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/California-Election-Mechanics-reporter-ariel-boone.mp3 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { var media = $('#audio-345019-13'); media.on('canplay', function (ev) { this.currentTime = 0; }); });   By Ariel Boone (@arielboone), KPFA elections reporter SACRAMENTO, CA – “Do not wait. If you can vote early, please vote early this year.” That was the primary message of Sam Mahood, press secretary for California Secretary of State Alex Padilla. Mahood declined to spell out any scenarios where the state would be overwhelmed by an influx of mail-in ballots this year — 72 percent of ballots in California's presidential primary in March were returned by mail, after all — but this will be an election unlike any other in state history, with record-breaking numbers of registered voters, new election systems rolled out, and a pandemic to manage. “Just given everything with COVID, we know there's going to be a bigger strain on resources for everyone and on polling locations,” Mahood says. “We really say November 3, as much as it's Election Day, it's really the last date to vote, is how we want people to look at it this year.” California now has 21 million active registered voters — a record. The secretary of state says that number includes 83% of eligible adults. Alameda County Registrar of Voters Tim Dupuis says the county currently has 940,000 registered voters, and could hit 1 million by election day.  Dupuis told KPFA that along with voter registration, poll worker recruitment has spiked. The county needs 1,700 volunteer election workers to staff voting centers from October 31 through November 3, and 4,800 people signed up. It has a reserve of 3,000 extra volunteers. “We've never been in this situation,” Dupuis says. “It's just amazing, the outpour of support from our community.” Another thing that's new this year: California will mail every voter a ballot. In fact, California has already mailed every registered voter a ballot — every county was required to send them by October 5. If you have not received your ballot by October 10, the secretary of state recommends signing up to track your ballot at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov, and contacting your county registrar. You may have heard about backups at the post office earlier this year — so we asked the people who actually handle the mail what to expect.  “I have to tell you that we will get those ballots out. It's in our DNA. That's our job.” – Shirley Taylor, American Postal Workers Union Shirley Taylor is a national business agent for the American Postal Workers Union. She says multiple postal workers' unions have formed a nationwide task force to clear every ballot from every mail processing center, every night. “The National Postal Mail Handlers Union, the National Association of Letter Carriers, the American Postal Workers Union, and the National Association of Postal Supervisors, all of us are participating,” Taylor says. “And the purpose is to ensure all election mail, mainly ballots, are processed and cleared daily and accounted for. And every night they're going to have a clearance report certification that all ballots are clear. And if not, they have to tell the reason why. And then these representatives of the committee will review these reports and walk through these plants, looking for problems and giving suggestions.” There's more scrutiny on the postal service this year. In August, a federal judge in Washington blocked moves by President Trump's postmaster general to remove mail sorting machines and bar postal workers from using overtime to finish deliveries. But Shirley Taylor says the workers are up to the task of delivering ballots.  “I have to tell you that we will get those ballots out. It's in our DNA. That's our job.” She would know — Shirley started working for the postal service in 1962 in Alameda County, for $2.67 an hour. She worked before the arrival of the high-speed mail sorting machines that Louis DeJoy would eventually have removed.  Also, California arranged with the Post Office to get ballots delivered even they don't have postage. It's “no stamp, no problem,” in the first statewide general election where no postage is required on any ballot, says the secretary of state's office.  Sam Mahood and Tim Dupuis both stressed that even though everyone's getting mailed a ballot, this is not just a vote by mail election.  There will be in-person voting machines. And, Mahood says, “These are really critical for voters who might have made a mistake with their ballot and need to get a replacement, voters who need to take advantage of same day voter registration if they miss the October 19 voter registration deadline, voters with disabilities who might need to use accessible voting machines that are available at their polling location, or voters who might need assistance in another language and need help from a poll worker.” This might be the sticky part. An executive order from Gavin Newsom in June instructed registrars to mail every voter a ballot, but also set terms of providing safe, in-person, accessible voting options. Many typical polling locations like schools and senior centers are closed to the public for safety. So some counties are switching to a “vote center” model. In Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma, Napa and Fresno counties, there will be fewer polling locations, and instead, voting centers will be open at least four days before the election, for early voting. In theory, they're a big step forward: voters are no longer restricted to just one voting location, and any center in your county will do. “In this election, if you happen to be in Livermore, and you're a resident of Alameda, you could go into an accessible vote location in that city, and we'll be able to produce your city of Alameda ballot so that you can vote there,” Alameda County registrar Tim Dupuis says. “It does remove those geographic restrictions. So you're able to vote where it's convenient.” But the switch to a voting center system can be tricky: when Los Angeles did it for the primary this spring, there were long voting lines because poll workers had difficulty connecting to an online database. Newsom's executive order says counties that use the vote center model must have 1 for every 10,000 voters. And big crowds can be a problem during a pandemic. “The first thing we wanted to think about is: Do we need the voter to get out of their car at all?” – Alameda County registrar Tim Dupuis Tim Dupuis says measures are in place to keep COVID from spreading at Alameda County's vote centers. “If they have the ballot already that we mailed to them, and they have the envelope, we're going to have a drive through drop stop, where they can just hand us their ballot through the window, and we'll drop it into the ballot box, and they'll get their ‘I voted' sticker. “If they want to vote and they're willing to vote in their car, we call it curbside voting. So they'll be able to come up and they can ask for their ballot. We'll ask them to park and we'll run their ballot out to them when it's ready. “Worst case, if they do have to come into the location, we have everything spread out. These locations are at least 2,500 square feet, and everybody's going to be wearing the protective equipment, the PPE that's required. We'll have all of the sanitizing that's necessary for those facilities, and we'll limit the number of people who can actually come in,” Dupuis says.  Alameda County is offering vote centers open from October 31 through November 3 in addition to drop boxes placed throughout the county. But Dupuis calls the vote centers a “last resort” for voting: “It's available to you, but we really are encouraging safe voting with all the options that we have.” Here's what else election officials want you to know: In California, you can register for a ballot to be mailed to you until October 19. After that, you can register and vote in-person up to and including Election Day. You can do this now, any day, at your county registrar's office. You will also be able to do it at voting centers, most of which will open 4 days before the election, on October 31. If you're voting by mail, you can also track your ballot on its way to you, from you, and through the counting process, using a new online tool offered in every county called “Where's My Ballot?” Mahood says 5 percent of California voters have already signed up for the tool, and assures KPFA that the state is “absolutely” ready for an influx of new sign-ups. “You'll know when it's on the way to you when it's been received by your County elections office, when it's been, and if it hasn't been counted,” he says. “You'll be alerted to an issue, which you'll still have time to correct. Usually it's a missing signature, or your signature doesn't match what's on file, but by signing up, you'll be notified much more quickly.” It's important to know where your ballot goes. In the past decade, an average of 1.7 percent of ballots cast by mail in California were rejected.  “The top three reasons for ballot rejection for everybody are late, a missing signature or a bad signature,” says Mindy Romero, founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California. Her research has found mail-in ballot rejection disproportionately impacts voters aged 18-24. In a study of Sacramento, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, young voters were three times more likely to have ballots rejected in 2018, according to Romero's research. She says to make sure you sign the envelope if you're voting by mail in California, and get the ballot in the mail early, no later than November 3. But most important, she says, is to make the decision to vote. “It's the fact that we make potential voters in this country be responsible for their own voter registration, and then we put a lot of hoops there to make it more difficult to register for young people. “We will see millions of eligible voters in this election that will not vote in our state. And that is a travesty for our democracy.” The post California's election is now underway. Here's how to vote safely and securely appeared first on KPFA.

Today, on The Local:Your Quick 6 news headlines, Alex Zielinsky from The Portland Mercury brings her insights on the City of Portland budget vote, and an interview with Eric Ward, Executive Director of the Western States Center on the gravity of the week's headlines and “the real play” for inclusive democracy