We love a good debate — and have certainly had plenty of them on this show. But how effective are they in today’s media and political landscape?
Jenna Spinelle articles
Jenna Spinelle writes for Democracy Chronicles from Pennsylvania. She is a writer, journalism instructor, and host of the Democracy Works podcast, produced by the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State.
PODCAST: What Student Debt Says About Democratic Institutions
In a new book, Josh Mitchell draws alarming parallels to the housing crisis, showing the catastrophic consequences student debt has had on families.
PODCAST: Jon Meacham On Creating A More Perfect Union
Jon Meacham recently visited Penn State for a wide-ranging conversation on the war in Ukraine, polarization polarization, and the media landscape.
PODCAST: The Roots Of Radical Partisanship
In the new book Radical American Partisanship, Lilliana Mason and Nathan Kalmoe bring together four years of studying radicalism among ordinary partisans.
PODCAST: Ro Khanna On Dignity And Democracy
Representative Ro Khanna represents Silicon Valley in Congress and addresses the question of dignity in his new book, Dignity in the Digital Age.
PODCAST: Russia And Ukraine – How We Got Here
Was the war in Ukraine inevitable? What is Vladimir Putin trying to achieve? What does the conflict say about Ukraine as a democracy?
PODCAST: Defending Democracy At Home And Abroad
Robert Kagan is a foreign policy expert who turned his focus to the US last fall in a column titled “Our Constitutional Crisis Is Already Here”.
PODCAST: What Academic Freedom Really Means In A Democracy
Michael Bérubé and Jennifer Ruth’s new book considers the ideal of academic freedom in the wake of the activism inspired by outrageous police brutality, white supremacy, and the #MeToo movement.
PODCAST: Tracing The Rise Of Illiberalism
Thomas Main’s new book The Rise of Illiberalism explores the philosophical underpinnings of this toxic political ideology and documents its rise.
PODCAST: Moving Beyond News Deserts And Misinformation
Our guest this week says news deserts, misinformation, and information silos are all downstream from a much more fundamental disconnect.