Girl and The Gov, The Podcast

First, let us apologize for opening this episode talking about hot dogs… BUT beep, beep absolute icon coming through! That’s right this episode we were honored to speak with Kat Calvin, Co-Founder & CEO of Project ID Action Fund (and Founder and Executive Director of Spread The Vote), who, through her incredible work, has been honored as a TIME Magazine 16 People and Groups Fighting for a More...

Sammy loves to call this change to the ‘voting machine’ the political version of the sorority rush. It’s called Ranked Choice Voting and when you hear how it works, she’s pretty sure you’ll agree (Maddie has rolled her eyes about ten times at this description, but is going along with it.) Either way, this episode dives into what it is and how it works with a candidate whose very race will be using...

Good morning sunshines, it’s INAUGURATION DAY! It’s been a journey, but here we are. Like literally, mama we made it. We’re amped to usher this day and new administration in, but we’re also amped about the elections that are still going on. Yep - that’s right, 2021 has elections too. At the top of the list is the special election for NYC Council District 15 (Bronx), for which Elisa Crespo is a can...

Before we dive into the pertinent topics of affordable housing and food security, we had to weigh in on the insane week we've had after the insurrection on our nation's capitol. We break down what happened on that grim day, call out Republican hypocrisy and petty B.S., and explain what has been happening since with the unprecedented calls for impeachment, expulsions, and the 25th amendment...

We’re here in 2021 and we’re here with one super amazing guest that we can’t wait for you all to meet. For our very first episode of the year, we ‘sat’ down (okay we recorded virtually, whatever) with Representative Brianna Titone, CO-HD27 who is not only a badass woman in politics but the first openly transgender state legislator elected in Colorado and the 4th elected in the United States. Accom...

Trigger warning! This 2020 recap will indeed be recapping 2020 and bringing us ALL the top headlines of this year... the good, the BAD, and the very UGLY. As scary as that sounds... we found it pretty mind-blowing to go over this movie of a year we just experienced (and say WE DID THAT) so join us on our last episode of the year! 2020 brought a lot of heartbreak but also brought you this lovely po...

Toodles to taboos, specifically the taboo that is having conversations with friends and family about politics. Often a touchy subject, and amongst those (heyy, the religion you’re in the mix too!), that lights a match to many a fire when it comes to conversations around the dinner table, politics has a reputation for sowing division. But what if it's just the way we’ve always approached these...

Happy birthday to you, haaaaaappy birthday to 100 years of suffrage! Get your party hats on and your earbuds in place, because we have quite the celebration for your ears on this fine Wednesday. In honor of 100 years of suffrage (translation: the passing of the 19th amendment affording women the right to vote), we brought on two very special guests - the hosts of She Votes! Podcast, award-winning...

We solve so many mysteries at Girl and the Gov, The Podcast that might start calling ourselves the Nancy Drew crew. This week we brought our eye for investigation and unveiling the mysteries at the very core of politics today, by exploring what a PAC (Political Action Committee) is. Not just a fun abbreviation, a PAC has some serious sway in politics today. Because let’s be real, it's about th...

Let’s set the scene. You’re back in middle school and your friend Karen gets caught cheating on the social studies test (classic, Karen). What happens? The teacher, principal, and perhaps even Karen’s parents, hold Karen accountable for her actions and she is given an F on the test. Ouch. The process seems seamless though, right? An action associated with a result. That’s accountability. So how do...

Every four years two words are uttered more than Kanye says “I love Kanye” on a daily basis. Those two words are ‘Electoral College.’ Okay, excuse us, two words doesn’t quite capture this correctly - this TERM is mentioned ad nauseam every four years. Regardless of the syntax, does anyone know what the Electoral College is? Bueller, Bueller. Yea didn’t think so, despite it having a leading role in...

If there’s one word that describes this past election, it’s chaos. Seriously, it seems as though there’s a new avenue or news update to unpack just about every 30 seconds. What’s perhaps most frustrating about this -- outside of the amount of screen time our Iphones are mocking us for -- is that election firsts aren’t getting their moment in the spotlight. From the election of Cori Bush (MO) to Sa...

Oh, hey there? Are you noticing our post-election day glow? Are you ready for us to tell you about our skincare routines? We kid, but in our first solo (sans guest) episode, we take a moment to reflect and discuss the results of the Presidential election, the future of the Georgia Senate races, and even give a  voice to the meme-maker of the week, Four Seasons Landscaping. Pop in your pods and tak...

Wait, wait, election day has come and gone? Yea, we can’t believe it either. But like they say, it’s not ‘til the fat lady sings and that’s certainly the case with this Presidential election. There are many MANY questions that we have related to what is happening with regards to the outcome and we had a chance to run them by a professional, Loyola Marymount University Professor and Associate Chair...

We’re ONE day away from the election and we want to make sure YOU are ready to vote. Honestly, we live for it. Pop in your headphones and take a listen to the 1 step, 2 steps to voting tomorrow. We run through key questions like what you can wear to the polls, what forms of identification you might need, and more with the Deputy Press Secretary of NextGen America, Briana Megid. Naturally, we also...

We’ve been talking about this countdown for what seems like a century, but it’s finally here -- the final days until election day. With that, we’re bringing you a three-part series dedicated to, well you guessed it, the election. Naturally, we’re starting things off with a bit of political gossip (sorry not sorry) and then get into the meat and potatoes of what we can expect to see in this next we...

 Did someone say supreme...court? Yes, that’s right, we’re talking about that leading institution within the judicial branch of government, not the brand (don’t worry we can talk about fashun at some point too). In this episode, we chat with Staff Attorney for the Legal Aid Society, Olayemi Olurin about the Supreme Court from top to bottom, hitting on all of our ‘stupid’ questions, defining key vo...

Ring the alarm, our fourth episode is here and let us tell you, it’s a must-listen for those that are stumped by the following two words -- state government. A lesson in state government basics, as told to us by New York State Senate Candidate, Michelle Hinchey (District 46), the episode will get you up to speed on what you need to know and where you need to go to get more involved in politics at...

Episode three has arrived with an in-depth look at the often-neglected world of local and city governments. Through the lens of Shaeleigh Severino,  a Candidate for New York City Council District 32,  we peel back the layers of city government, how it works and why, and even dabble into the topic of term limits. Of course, our conversation touches on how change can be achieved when you (yes, you)...

We got the party started in our very first episode where we were joined by CEO and Founder of KnowYourVote, Selena Strandberg. In the episode, we got the scoop on the new KnowYourVote platform, which aims to equip voters with nonpartisan information on candidates across the ballot. We hit on all the hot topics, from candidate deets, to what is on your ballot, to news literacy, to mail-in voting, a...

Our second episode with NextGen America’s Arizona Press Secretary, Kristi Johnston is a must-listen as we inch closer to election day. We dive into NextGen’s mission to get the youth vote out in record numbers and all of the strategies they have in place to make the magic happen. We also learn about what has stopped young voters from turning out in the past and how we can move the needle on this d...