Podcast · News
by Penn State McCourtney Institute for Democracy · English · News
The Democracy Works podcast seeks to answer that question by examining a different aspect of democratic life each week — from voting to criminal justice to the free press and everything in between. We interview experts who study democracy, as well as people who are out there doing the hard work of d
5 Oct 2026 · 42 min
From Brexit to the 2020 election, the United States and the United Kingdom seem more divided than ever as media, political polarization, and other factors combine to form what Mitchell Smith describes as "The Great Perceptual Divide."
E305 · 21 Sep 2026 · 53 min
Our guest this week argues that you can't talk about the history of democracy in America without talking about the history of taxation in America. After listening to this interview, we agree and we think you will, too.
E304 · 31 Aug 2026 · 49 min
For our first episode of the fall season, we talk with a social movement scholar about whether the DSA's policies can win over enough votes to win in a general election and why political coalitions don't always align with the structure of America's two-party system.
E303 · 18 May 2026 · 39 min
For our final episode of the season, we explore how individual actions and structural reform can work together to create lasting social change on a range of issues, including democracy.
E302 · 4 May 2026 · 1 hr 5 min
Democracy Works host Candis Watts Smith joins Cara Santa Maria on the Talk Nerdy podcast to discuss her new book, Black Evidence: A History and a Warning.
E301 · 20 Apr 2026 · 32 min
Democracy Works host Chris Beem talks with University of Iowa political scientist Julianna Pacheco about how the politicization of health issues is impacting physicians across the country.
E300 · 6 Apr 2026 · 47 min
Danielle Allen returns to the show to discuss America's Semiquincentennial and what lessons the Declaration of Independence can offer to modern-day democracy advocates and reformers.
E299 · 16 Mar 2026 · 35 min
What is the role of higher education in a democracy? To what extent should American universities respond to the demands of those in power? Are we meeting this moment? As a former governor, cabinet secretary, and university president, Secretary Janet Napolitano is uniquely positioned to address these questions.
E298 · 2 Mar 2026 · 21 min
Ayesha Rascoe, host of NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday and Weekend Up First, joins us to discuss what it's like being a political reporter in a polarized country and what the "public" in public media looks like amid the loss federal funding.
E297 · 16 Feb 2026 · 39 min
E296 · 2 Feb 2026 · 47 min
AI is changing many aspects of our lives, so it's reasonable to expect that it will impact democracy, too. The question is how? Two experts in technology and politics join us to discuss how we can harness AI's power to strengthen democracy.
E295 · 19 Jan 2026 · 50 min
In the aftermath of the U.S. intervention in Venezuela, we explore how rising political divides are leading to bigger swings in America's foreign policy — and what that means for our future in the liberal international order.
E294 · 29 Dec 2025 · 33 min
While Democracy Works is on winter break, we're bringing you an episode from our colleagues at The Context, a podcast from the Charles F. Kettering Foundation.
E293 · 15 Dec 2025 · 53 min
We end this season where we started — a conversation about higher education and democracy.
E292 · 1 Dec 2025 · 38 min
It's easy to blame algorithms and AI for corroding our information ecosystem, but our guest this week argues that we have a just as much, if not more of a role to play in creating the environment we want to see.
E291 · 17 Nov 2025 · 52 min
Former NASA and USAID Inspector General Paul Martin joins us to recount the chaotic end to his decades-long career in public service and discuss the role that oversight plays in American democracy.
10 Nov 2025 · 50 min
We bring you a special crossover episode with Disorder, a show that explores the fundamental principles lurking behind today's most pressing global issues.
E290 · 3 Nov 2025 · 39 min
In collaboration with the News Over Noise podcast, we discuss how AI is changing news literacy with experts from the Poynter Institute, News Literacy Project, and National Association of Media Literacy Educators.
E289 · 20 Oct 2025 · 46 min
Judge Marjorie Rendell join us to discuss how the Rendell Center for Civics and Civic engagement is using innovative activities to make civic education something students look forward to in school and teachers are excited to have their students participate in.
E288 · 6 Oct 2025 · 49 min
We examine the state of nonpartisan redistricting reform with Carol Kuniholm of Fair District PA and Emma Addams of Mormon Women for Ethical Government.
E287 · 22 Sep 2025 · 46 min
Cynthia Miller-Idriss returns to the show to discuss her latest book, "Man Up: The New Misogyny and the Rise of Violent Extremism."
E286 · 8 Sep 2025 · 46 min
We begin a new season with a look at a new organization helping college faculty and staff push back against threats from the Trump administration.
E285 · 9 Jun 2025 · 1 hr 4 min
For our final episode of the season, we present a conversation with Ben Rhodes recorded at in Washington, D.C. at the end of May. Democracy Works is going on summer break. We'll be back with new episodes in September!
E284 · 19 May 2025 · 45 min
In a rebroadcast from 2023, we discuss how to meet the demands that democracy places on us without sacrificing our own personal mental health in the process.
E283 · 5 May 2025 · 48 min
Journalist Jeff Sharlet joins us to discuss his trip through the heart of MAGA world while reporting his book "The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War."
E282 · 21 Apr 2025 · 47 min
Sociologist Eric Klinenberg joins us to discuss how the pandemic increased polarization and distrust in institutions, and weakened social connection.
E281 · 7 Apr 2025 · 46 min
Alex Burness, a reporter who covers state and local democracy issues for the news site Bolts, joins us to discuss how democracy is expanding and contracting at the state level.
E280 · 24 Mar 2025 · 46 min
Author and blogger Cory Doctorow joins us to discuss how the enshittification of tech platforms impacts our democracy — and what we can do to change things for the better.
E279 · 3 Mar 2025 · 46 min
Tim Heaphy, the lead investigator on the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville and the January 6 insurrection, makes the case that a disengaged citizenry is the biggest threat to American democracy.
E277 · 17 Feb 2025 · 34 min
Chris Beem talks with author Jonathan Rauch about why the current crisis in American Christianity is also a crisis in American democracy.
The Democracy Works podcast seeks to answer that question by examining a different aspect of democratic life each week — from voting to criminal justice to the free press and everything in between. We interview experts who study democracy, as well as people who are out there doing the hard work of d
Democracy Works is a English news podcast from Penn State McCourtney Institute for Democracy. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.
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