American Democracy Lab
8 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingReferred to as the great experiment, American democracy has been tested as we strive to become a more perfect union. We have witnessed deep divides in our country and now more than ever, it’s important to be able to see things from a variety of perspectives.
The American Democracy Lab podcast at Washington University in St. Louis brings together experts from different fields and backgrounds to talk about an issue or aspect of our American democracy and where different perspectives may converge.
This podcast is presented by the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement.
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Episodes
Episode 7: The Dynamics of Democracy in Higher Education
December 08, 2022 21:21 - 28 minutes - 38.7 MBHost Alan Lambert welcomes Dr. Nancy Thomas, director of the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education at Tufts University. In this podcast, we discuss the dynamics of civic learning, students' participation in the democratic process, and issues of free speech on university campuses. The founders of the US argued the necessity of a robust system of public education to support democracy. One of US higher education’s missions was to foster an educated populace who could engage in debate and ...
Episode 6: The Legacy of January 6, 2021 (Part 2)
January 06, 2022 10:00 - 33 minutes - 76.5 MBIn part two of our conversation revisiting the insurrection at the US Capitol Building on January 6, 2021, guests Richard Gephardt and Zach Wamp discuss the history of elections in the United States and identify potential reforms that could increase trust in the system, and offer their advice to current members of Congress on how to bridge the widening gap between Republicans and Democrats to restore faith in our democracy. This episode concludes a two-part conversation about January 6, 202...
Episode 6: The Legacy of January 6, 2021 (Part 1)
January 06, 2022 09:00 - 22 minutes - 51.4 MBAmerican Democracy Lab returns for season two by revisiting the insurrection at the US Capitol Building on the one-year anniversary of the event through a special two-part conversation. Our guests, the Honorable Richard Gephardt and Zach Wamp, spent much of their careers working inside the Capitol Building as members of the US House of Representatives. In this conversation, they reflect on January 6, 2021, recounting where they were when they first heard about the attack and their efforts a...
Episode 5: Influencing Democracy
October 06, 2021 02:19 - 42 minutes - 38.8 MBHow do we build trust among Americans who have turned their back on the truth? How can we heal the deep divisions in our country? Host Alan Lambert welcomes author, lecturer, and journalist Anne Nelson to discuss the eroding trust in our democracy through a conversation about influence and information, an exploration of the Council for National Policy, and more. Our Guest Anne Nelson is an author and lecturer in the fields of international affairs, media, and human rights. Since 2003 Nelso...
Episode 4: Fueling our Democracy
October 05, 2021 17:58 - 27 minutes - 25.7 MBThe fate of our democracy is increasingly entwined in the systems that govern and guide our economy, culture, environment, and more. Guest Nate Hagens and host Alan Lambert discuss big questions like: How is energy related to climate change and what does this imply about future? Why are climate and energy issues so important to our democracy and future? And, more. Our Guest Nate Hagens is an adjunct professor at University of Minnesota, Executive Director of Energy and Our Future, and Co-D...
Episode 3: Race and Democracy
October 05, 2021 17:44 - 36 minutes - 83.4 MBVoting rights legislation recently enacted in Georgia and elsewhere across the country, and the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, each provides critical frames to explore issues of race, power, and privilege in our democracy. This episode tackles questions related to race in our democracy surrounding these events, including: What is the legacy of racial violence in our electoral politics? And what would it take for all people to feel like they’re part of our democracy? Our Gue...
Episode 2: What Happened to a United States?
October 05, 2021 15:50 - 26 minutes - 60.7 MBDivision, partisanship, polarization – these are all terms we consistently hear in current news headlines about the state of our citizenry and political landscape. Much of the conversation and argument about contemporary politics and social activity is about individual and collective anger and rage. But these words are often used in vague and amorphous ways. Episode 2 of the American Democracy Lab podcast will help us understand what anger means, particularly at this moment, and how we can...
Episode 1: The Presidency
October 05, 2021 15:05 - 37 minutes - 87 MBOur first episode is focused on the highest office in our democracy, the presidency, and explores the transition from Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States, to the recently inaugurated 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden. Our Guests Dr. Steve Fazzari is the Bert A. and Jeanette L. Lynch Distinguished Professor of Economics, and Professor of Sociology. His research studies the sources of economic growth and how macroeconomic policy affects job creation and contains bu...