Democracy Decoded

Voter registration is the number one obstacle to voting in the United States. It should be easy, accessible and secure, but too often, states are moving backwards; making voter registration more difficult and less equitable. Here, we introduce a new type of episode: an up-to-the-minute interview with an expert to help you better understand some of the most important issues affecting elections. Dan...

Election workers are the people in your neighborhood. They’re our friends, neighbors and co-workers who help keep American democracy safe and secure... But in 2020, many of them were maligned, harassed and threatened in battleground states — the targets of bad actors who sought to sow distrust in the electoral process. How can we better protect and support the many dedicated civil servants and vol...

American elections work because we have tried-and-tested systems in place to make sure votes are cast fairly and counted correctly, and that when threats arise, everyone has their part to play: lawmakers, poll workers, voting rights advocates, and everyday voters alike.    To understand how our elections continue to evolve, this season of Democracy Decoded takes a deep dive into our electoral syst...

In this bonus episode we’re featuring content from one of our favorite podcasts called “When the People Decide”. Host Jenna Spinelle explores what happens when neighbors and local government work together to make their communities stronger and more inclusive. The episode takes place in Decatur, Georgia and tells the story of “Decatur 101” a straightforward class open to anyone in Decatur to learn...

We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey . Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $50 American Express gift card. We appreciate your time! -------------------------------------- Across the country, voters are organiz...

We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey . Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $50 American Express gift card. We appreciate your time! ---------------- When we elect representatives, we expect them to be held acc...

We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey . Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $50 American Express gift card. We appreciate your time! ---------------- Campaign contribution limits are one of the few mechanisms i...

We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey . Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $50 American Express gift card. We appreciate your time! ---------------- When elected officials aren’t prioritizing the needs of thei...

We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey . Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $50 American Express gift card. We appreciate your time! ---------------- An enormous amount of work goes into planning for Election D...

We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey . Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $50 American Express gift card. We appreciate your time! ---------------- One of the most crucial but often overlooked aspects of Amer...

We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey . Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $50 American Express gift card. We appreciate your time! ---------------- Why do local and state elections matter, and how can voters...

Federal elections–and their results–play a huge role in how our democracy operates. But decisions made at state and local elections have the most direct impact on people’s everyday lives. The local and state level also influences the way elections are run, and how citizens hold their elected officials accountable. Democracy Decoded is a podcast by Campaign Legal Center that examines our government...

In this bonus episode we’re featuring content from our friends at Future Hindsight, an award-winning podcast that takes big ideas about civic life and democracy and turns them into action items for all of us. Host Mila Atmos is passionate about unlocking the power of everyday citizens, and each week you can join her on the show as she zeroes in on what you can do to get engaged and stay engaged. I...

We are beyond thrilled to announce that our podcast “Democracy Decoded” has been nominated for a Webby Award in the category of Public Service & Activism podcasts! Please visit this link and vote now for “Democracy Decoded” to help these important conversations reach even more ears!   How to vote: Click the green “vote” button under Democracy Decoded. Register with the Webby Awards website when pr...

The 2020 election was…unique. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many states took steps to make voting safer and more accessible. After that, we saw a backlash and some states erected barriers to voting access. The 2022 midterm election then offered an opportunity to assess our voting landscape. In this episode, we discuss what we learned from the 2020 presidential election, the 2022 midterms, and how...

Voting in person is still the most popular way to vote for many people. Whether it’s a personal preference, a cultural experience in one's community, or an opportunity to get help from poll workers, millions of Americans head to the polls in person on the first Tuesday in November. In this episode we learn about the history of Election Day (seriously, why a weekday in late fall?) and the challenge...

Voting at a polling place on Election Day may be easy for some, but many voters  face significant challenges. Transportation, work schedules, and the location of polling places can make it tough for voters with families, jobs, a disability, and more to vote in person. During the 2020 presidential election, when the COVID-19 pandemic was in full force, many states expanded vote-by-mail access to pr...

The right to vote is a basic American freedom, but  for people with felony convictions, figuring out if they can vote is a huge task. This episode looks at the history of felony disenfranchisement laws and explains how denying the freedom to vote to an entire class of citizens hurts voters, communities and our democracy. Also, Tennessee voters share their experiences regaining the freedom to vote...

America is a democracy, but is that democracy accessible to every American? When the Constitution was ratified, only white men who owned property could vote, which was only 6% of the population. In the more than 200 years since then, many Americans are still being denied the right to have a say in key decisions that impact our lives.  In this episode Simone talks with Brittany Carter from the NAAC...

Why does American Democracy look the way it does today and how can we make it more responsive to the people it was formed to serve? Democracy Decoded, a podcast by Campaign Legal Center, examines our government and discusses innovative ideas that could lead to a stronger, more transparent, accountable and inclusive democracy. In the new season, host Simone Leeper covers everything you need to know...

In this bonus episode, Simone explores the backstory behind a case of foreign interference in U.S. elections which had far reaching consequences, both in America and abroad. Joined by two former Campaign Legal Center staff members who uncovered the scheme, she examines the case of Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman – the Trump allies who laundered a six-figure contribution to a super PAC through a shell c...

In this bonus episode we’re featuring content from a new podcast called “When the People Decide”. Host Jenna Spinelle explores the basics of the ballot initiative and the history of how it caught on in the United States. She investigates the backstory behind a campaign in Michigan to end partisan gerrymandering in 2018 which is part of a legacy of ballot initiatives dating back to the 1800s. After...

Democracies work best when everyone can participate meaningfully, but wealthy special interests and a small number of big donors have come to dominate the funding of political campaigns - if money is speech, some people (and groups, and corporations) are speaking MUCH louder than others. In the season finale, Simone dives into the world of public financing, examining how two cities on opposite sid...

This week, Simone examines some of the gaps in our campaign finance laws that have allowed foreign entities to spend money to influence our elections. She focuses on a recent story that took place in Maine, speaking with two state legislators who introduced bills to combat foreign interference in their state – a bigger concern than most would expect, especially considering the cause of their conce...

This week, Simone takes a closer look at the Federal Election Commission - the only government agency tasked solely with overseeing the integrity of our political campaigns – with one of the FEC’s commissioners, Shana Broussard.  She also takes a deeper look at our current campaign finance system, and how that system has failed to keep up with modern times – namely by failing to adequately regulat...