Alissa Quart is the executive director of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project and the author of Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream. We discuss what it really means to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps in America, “the land of the self-made.”

Humans are biologically wired to be interdependent. In fact, achievement is often accompanied with isolation and loneliness. Alissa reminds us that “People who are fighting for democracy shouldn't be leaning into their own self made myth, but instead they should be trying to dispel the myth entirely.” The counter narrative to the self-made myth is that being in community and mutual solidarity feels better than being an individualist.

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Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: Alissa Quart

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

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 democratic reforms, which are nonpartisan. Being apathetic or cynical helps the slide into autocracy. Resisting the allure of quick, hot takes and practicing slower thinking are also crucial to democracy. The founding fathers were deeply invested in balance, especially when it comes to the power of a president being balanced by Congress. A.J. reminds us that everyday citizens can control whether the sun is rising or setting on democracy.

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Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: A.J. Jacobs

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

Nationly is a limited election series podcast by Immigrantly Media. Join hosts Sara Sadhwani and Juan Diego Ramirez as they offer their unique perspectives on swing states pivotal in determining the 2024 election outcomes. Focusing on minority communities—specifically, immigrants and communities of color—'Nationly' uncovers the issues that truly matter to these voters, ranging from global events like the situation in Gaza to local races such as the showdown between Kari Lake v. Ruben Gallego.

The podcast asks: Who's spearheading the uncommitted movement in Michigan? What key issues are driving Latino support in Arizona? Why is Gen Z stepping up to run for office in Georgia? Delving into the "why" behind political issues, each episode explores vital defining moments in the lives of these voters, providing a comprehensive view of America's political spectrum and the diverse voices shaping it.

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Melanie D’Arrigo is the Executive Director of the Campaign for New York Health, which aims to win universal single-payer healthcare for all New Yorkers. We discuss the intersection of democracy and healthcare and what is necessary to create better health outcomes.

The New York Health Act is a current bill in the New York State Legislature that would implement a single payer healthcare system in New York, similar to Medicare for All. Instead of accessing health insurance, this bill would provide access to health care without the middleman, which is the insurance industry. The United States is the only industrialized country in the world that does not have universal health care. We spend the most amount of money with worse health outcomes. In addition, we allow millions of Americans to go into medical debt. More information on the Campaign for NY Health is here: https://www.nyhcampaign.org/

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Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: Melanie D’Arrigo

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

Wajahat Ali is a Daily Beast columnist and the co-host of Democracy-ish. He's also the author of Go Back to Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American. Together, Mila and Waj discuss what it means to be American and to love a country that often doesn’t love them back.

Defense of democracy continues to resonate as a kitchen table issue for all Americans. Mainstream media is not properly serving the public, whether that’s about fully informing the public on the Trump indictments, truthfully reporting the reality in Gaza, or neglecting to report on the dangers of Project 2025. Project 2025 is a white Christian nationalist document that openly pushes for ideas such as the weaponization of the DOJ, eliminating the Department of Education, and the continued efforts to ban abortion. Democrats must also remind and inform voters on these issues instead of shaming the public into voting for them.

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Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: Wajahat Ali

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

Robert L. Tsai is the author of Demand the Impossible: One Lawyer’s Pursuit of Equal Justice for All and Professor of Law and Harry Elwood Warren Memorial Scholar at Boston University School of Law. We discuss the death penalty, legal representation for the indigent, and equality under law.

People do see the flaws in the criminal justice system. They are often aware that aside from major metropolitan areas, public defenders are not well funded. Elsewhere, there is a patchwork of sub-par solutions. All of the discretion lies with the prosecutor, which renders the system unequal. Tsai argues that a public defender movement ought to be revived; racial justice acts need public support; and a lot of work can be done to end the death penalty.

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Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: Robert Tsai

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

Rachel Vindman is the co-host of the Suburban Women Problem podcast and she has her finger on the pulse on all things politics for American women. We discuss abortion, Trump's conviction, Ukraine, and relational organizing.

The goal in this year’s election is maintaining American democracy. Relational organizing is about talking to people about what's going on, making sure they know and understand. Being a reliable source of good information and then sharing it is very powerful — and should not be underestimated. We also need to remind people constantly that the ex-president is a convicted felon.

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Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: Rachel Vindman

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

Madiba Dennie is Deputy Editor and Senior Contributor at the critical legal commentary outlet Balls and Strikes. Her debut book is The Originalism Trap: How Extremists Stole the Constitution and How We The People Can Take it Back. We discuss a fresh way to interpret the Constitution.

Inclusive Constitutionalism interprets the Constitution in a way that makes inclusive democracy real. By contrast, originalism interprets the meaning of the Constitution as fixed in time in the 1800s. However, the Reconstruction Amendments that were enacted in the wake of the Civil War tried to address the status of newly freed, formerly enslaved people. The Amendments were designed to foster a multiracial democracy for the first time. In addition, the public has a role in articulating what it believes the Constitution means.

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Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: Madiba Dennie

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis