The Context

In a democracy, we resolve political disagreements through elections rather than through physical force. Political violence is a threat to democratic societies – but it can also be connected to a complex range of other political and social problems, including corruption, polarization, social division, and limitations on free speech. These are not easy problems to solve, but the United States can l...

Democracy should work for everyone. Christine Todd Whitman explains how political parties are more concerned with maintaining power than solving problems for everyday people. She discusses the factors underlying American political dysfunction, including the growth of political parties, noncompetitive districts, and money in politics. Christine Todd Whitman is president of Whitman Strategy Group. S...

American history is a story about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Stacey Abrams discusses why Americans should embrace and defend DEI as democratic values. She explains how DEI benefits all Americans, expanding participation in our democracy and access to the American dream. Stacey Abrams is a political leader, lawyer, voting rights activist, and bestselling author. Abrams served in the Ge...

American democracy relies on nonpartisan civil servants to detect and combat corruption. Alexander Vindman was one such civil servant when he reported abuses of power by former President Trump, resulting in Vindman being fired from the federal government and retiring from the armed forces. Vindman discusses what a second Trump administration and Project 2025 would mean not only for democracy in th...

The Supreme Court does not belong in the crosshairs of the American political debate. Neal Katyal discusses how the court’s rush to decide social controversies and overturn foundational precedents is damaging its legitimacy. Katyal addresses the court’s recent decisions concerning presidential immunity and regulatory agencies and their implications for American democracy. Neal Katyal is the Paul a...

What if the January 6 attack on the US Capitol had been successful? Alan Jenkins and Gan Golan explore just that in their graphic novel series, entitled 1/6: The Graphic Novel. They also discuss how the events of January 6, 2021, diverge from democratic principles, such as free speech and the right to protest. Alan Jenkins is a Professor of Practice at Harvard Law School. His previous positions in...

The Human Rights Campaign declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans for the first time in 2023. In state houses across the country, we are seeing legislation that targets the rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ people. Kelley Robinson discusses how these attacks are part of a broader antidemocratic movement in the US and why it is important to develop a more inclusive culture for our democracy....

American voters have never been more dissatisfied. Unlike in business, where more competition promotes accountability and innovation, our political system only allows for two competitors. For most voters, America’s two-party system makes elections more about defeating the other side than solving problems and delivering. Katherine Gehl proposes Final-Five Voting, where five candidates advance from...

In commemoration of the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education (1954), Matthew Delmont discusses the symbolic and practical significance of the landmark decision. Although it deemed legal segregation unconstitutional, Brown v. Board did not result in meaningful school integration right away. In fact, the decision represents the long history of civil rights, in which activists had to outfl...

Citizenship is a perpetual debate in America. Martha S. Jones discusses how the exclusion of women and people of color from the early Republic led them to develop their own political cultures and collective institutions. As a result, marginalized people, particularly Black women, reframed politics in a way that was more aligned with America’s democratic ideals than any other political vision at th...

In 2015, the US Census Bureau released a report projecting that the US would become a majority minority nation by 2044. Justin Gest asserts that the US reached this milestone a long time ago. Gest discusses America’s immense diversity and immigrant roots, which can be sources of unity, rather than division. He interrogates the use of categories and labels that ultimately divide us, calling for a m...

American democracy is under attack, and much of the damage is done in statehouses. David Pepper explains how Americans’ hyper-fixation on national politics opens the door for corruption and anti-democratic actions at the state level. In Ohio, state legislators have undermined democracy by manipulating election policies and drawing unfair legislative districts. Pepper discusses how all Americans, r...

A devoted public servant, Maureen O’Connor discusses the importance of efficiency, fairness, and nonpartisanship in government. After years of witnessing and ruling against partisan gerrymandering on the Ohio Supreme Court, O’Connor is working toward an Ohio constitutional amendment to create an independent redistricting commission that empowers citizens, not politicians, to create district lines....

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 Crensh...

J. Michael Luttig was one of the earliest, and most prominent, conservative voices to publicly condemn the effort to overturn the 2020 election. A few days before the Capitol insurrection, he advised Mike Pence that the Vice President has no constitutional authority to overturn a presidential election. Three years later, he discusses whether Donald Trump should be disqualified from holding office...

America’s institutions are not perfect, but they are essential to the functioning of the rule of law. James Comey shares his experience working to improve the Justice Department through honesty, oversight, and transparency. He also discusses the criminal charges against former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump. James Comey has been a prosecutor, defense lawyer, general coun...

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Welcome to The Context. A podcast from the Charles F. Kettering Foundation about what it takes for democracy to thrive You may have heard that democracy is in crisis. In the United States, citizens are alienated from their government, corruption threatens to undermine representation, and many are losing faith in our institutions altogether. There are also some bright spots. Recent elections have s...