Alex Lovit, Charles F. Kettering Foundation

The Context

News EN ↓ 80 episodes

Do you ever watch the news and wonder, “How did we get here?” Or think to yourself, “Things are bad . . . What can I do?”The Context is here to help. Our show breaks down the ideas, history, and trends that are shaping democracy. And you don’t need to be an expert to follow along. Every other Tuesday, host Alex Lovit talks about timely topics with big-picture thinkers and hands-on practitioners, like activists, writers, historians, and community leaders. The topics are heavy, but we try to have fun along the way. To build the future we want, we’ll need knowledge—but also camaraderie and joy. W...

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Author

Alex Lovit, Charles F. Kettering Foundation

Episodes

Kimberlé Crenshaw: What is Critical Race Theory, Anyway? 12.03.2024 1:02:24

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: We Haven’t Learned Anything from January 6th—Yet. 27.02.2024 46:12

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...

James Comey: Maintaining Faith in Democracy Amidst a Fog of Lies 13.02.2024 47:02

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...

Steven Levitsky: Institutional Reform Won’t Save Democracy in 2024. What Will? 30.01.2024 48:27

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Trailer: Welcome to The Context 22.01.2024 1:28

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...