The Democracy Group

When New Hampshire voters picked up the phone earlier this year and heard what sounded like the voice of President Joe Biden asking them not to vote in that state’s primary election, the stage was set for an unprecedented election year. The call was a deepfake — and the first major instance of artificial intelligence being used in the 2024 election. With the rise of AI tools that can credibly synt...

In today’s episode, NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan speaks with the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) President, Heather Williams. Heather explains how the DLCC works to elect more Democrats to the House and Senate and win legislative majorities. She walks us through the DLCC’s strategy of targeting key states and legislature chambers, the opportunities she is most excited about this...

These final days before the election are  tense times . Today’s toxic politics are  hurtful and heart breaking  for many of us. Maybe we all need a hope vaccine. An injection of kindness, curiosity and understanding for those who see the world differently than we do.  In our latest report on the work, ideas, and people of  Braver Angels , the nationwide citizen-led campaign against political polar...

Election officials have always played a critical role in ensuring that our votes are cast and counted fairly. But in recent years, the landscape of election work has dramatically changed. No longer seen as a quiet, behind-the-scenes service, election officials are now on the front lines of an increasingly toxic environment, facing harassment, threats, and a flood of misinformation. In this episode...

What does it mean to be a conservative? (And no, Donald Trump is not a conservative.) Can the Republican Party be redeemed? What implications does any of this have on the 2024 election and beyond? In this episode, we’re joined by Mona Charon, Policy Editor at The Bulwark and host of the podcasts Just Between Us and Beg to Differ . We explore the state of democracy, the role of media, and the evolv...

As we barrel toward America’s 250th, one could argue that if we crack up before we get there (some bad days we’d take even odds), it’ll have something to do with the complexity of being in charge of executing one of the founders’ biggest ideas — that the church and the state were to be separate in this new nation of theirs. (It had been so much “easier” when the king told all us peasants what reli...

In this week’s episode of Politics In Question , Lee and James explore America’s reliance on direct primaries in federal elections with Nick Troiano. Troiano is the Executive Director of Unite America and the author of The Primary Solution: Rescuing Our Democracy from the Fringes (Simon & Schuster, 2024). What are direct primaries? Why do Americans rely on them? When did they first start using dir...

Chris Beem talks with political theorist Alexandre Lefebvre about why liberalism is more than just a political ideas and procedures, and how abiding by liberal principles can enhance your life far beyond politics.  In his book Liberalism as a Way of Life , Lefebvre argues that liberalism isn’t just a set of neutral procedures; it’s a comprehensive way of life that shapes the way we live and think...

Mike talks with Matt Grossmann, Director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research and Professor of Political Science at Michigan State University. Matt was on the show in 2019 when we talked about his book on public policy change, Artists of the Possible , and he’s back again for a discussion of his latest book, co-authored with David Hopkins, Polarized by Degrees: How the Diploma Di...

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...

We discuss the power and the promise of public schools, the universal rejection of book bans by parents across the country, and an inclusive vision for democracy. Their civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Have a conversation with people with whom you disagree Remain open-minded. Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Schneider are co-hosts of the education podcast Have You Heard. Their new book is The...

Progressive talk show host Thom Hartmann returns to The Great Battlefield podcast to talk about his latest book "The Hidden History of the American Dream: The Demise of the Middle Class―and How to Rescue Our Future". Additional Information The Democracy Group listener survey The Great Battlefield Podcast More shows from The Democracy Group Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz....

In this episode, hosts Carah Ong Whaley, Angelina Clapp, and Mia Minkin sit down with King County, WA Director of Elections Julie Wise for a deep dive into the county’s award-winning initiatives to ensure all voices are heard in elections. Known for her passionate advocacy for voter accessibility and election transparency, Wise discusses the critical role of trained, nonpartisan election administr...

In this week's episode, producer Rachel Walsh joins co-hosts Ryan Coonery and Debbie Cox Bultan to recap the past few months of this exciting election cycle. They discuss last week's Democratic National Convention, highlighting key themes and standout moments from speakers, including many NewDEAL leaders and alumni. They also reflect on our Road to November 2024 Messaging series, which featured in...

In the 20th Century, we had Cold War adversaries. In the early 2000s, George W. Bush talked about the Axis of Evil. But are those frameworks the most accurate way to understand the forces attempting to undermine not just democratic nations but democratic ideas? And to what degree have these antagonists - those that are fundamentally opposed to our core principles such as the freedom of speech, fre...

Jay, Justin, and Mike open the preview of this supporters’ midweek episode with a discussion of the recent economic speeches by Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Jay is unhappy with what he’s hearing from both sides, and Mike makes the case that if you like Biden’s policies, you’ll like Harris’ even more. Justin points out that much of what we’re hearing from Trump isn’t new, but it’s the first majo...

Barbara McQuade is a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, co-host of the podcast #SistersinLaw, and a professor at the University of Michigan Law School. Her first book is Attack From Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging America. We discuss the dangers of disinformation and how we can defeat it. Democracy depends on truth, and as Americans we should prize truth over tribe. A lot of disinforma...

In this week’s episode of Politics In Question , Lee discusses the history of primary elections and options for reform with Robert Boatright. Boatright is professor of political science at Clark University and the world’s leading expert on the American primary system. He is also the director of research for the National Institute of Civil Discourse at the University of Arizona. His most recent boo...

Toxic polarization is "the problem that eats all other problems... It's the sludge at the base of everything else," says our guest  Mónica Guzmán . Think how much progress could be made on the great problems of today if politics were much more about discovering nuance than shouting slogans. This show is our second episode on the work, people, and ideas of the volunteer-led cross-partisan campaign,...

In this week’s episode, host Ryan Coonerty sits down with Representative Arturo Alonso-Sandoval, the youngest member of the Oklahoma legislature. Instead of pursuing a high-paying job as a mechanical engineer, Alonso-Sandoval decided to run for office during his senior year of college to serve the community where he grew up. Rep. Alonso-Sandoval talks about his motivation for getting into politics...

What are some of the weakest arguments against Kamala Harris's candidacy for president? As our brilliant guest Jonathan Rauch put it, "There's some really stupid sh!t." At the same time, there are some more justified concerns. Let's talk about all of it! We also get into rank prognostication on who the Democratic VP pick will be, as well as how we think the 2024 presidential election will end up....

Mike, Ken, and Trey open with a discussion of President Biden’s decision to leave the race and the potential running mates and policies for presumptive nominee Kamala Harris. Ken argues that Biden would have done just fine against Trump and that Harris will also win in November, whereas Trey and Mike are far less bullish on her chances. They all agree that a potential Harris administration would b...

A.J. Jacobs is a journalist and author. His most recent book is The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution's Original Meaning. We discuss how the Founding Fathers prized humility, experimentation, and a willingness to change their own minds.  The heart of our democracy is for the community to come together and cooperate. One example is to advocate for de...

Jeremy Smith returns to The Great Battlefield podcast to talk about Civitech's new product, RunningMate, software for running a political campaign and what he thinks we need to do to fix the ongoing voter registration deficit. Additional Information The Democracy Group listener survey The Great Battlefield Podcast More shows from The Democracy Group Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pc...

Content note: This episode discusses suicide and sexual violence. After a years-long legal fight from the Department of Homeland Security, a court order finally gave Nick and other investigators access to 33 reports detailing conditions in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities. The documents showed a disturbing pattern of abuse that extended far beyond the gates of Adelant...