How the United States responds to these threats touches on some of democracy’s most basic tensions. We explore those tensions this week.
Jenna Spinelle articles
Jenna Spinelle is the communications specialist for the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State and host of the podcasts When the People Decide and Democracy Works.
Podcast: Anne Applebaum On Why Democracy Is Not Inevitable
Journalist, author, and historian Anne Applebaum says that democracy is not like running water — something that we know will always be there.
Your Guide to Ranked-Choice Voting
Ranked-choice voting has been in the news a lot lately. But, what is it? How does it work? And, is it more democratic than the single-vote method we’re used to?
Inside the world’s largest democracy
More than 600 million people voted in India’s most recent election, but that does not mean all
Andrew Sullivan On Democracy’s Double-Edged Sword
Andrew Sullivan discusses the future of American democracy on this week’s episode of the Democracy Works podcast.
Impeachment — From the Federalist Papers to the Whistleblower
Michael Berkman and Michael Nelson discuss the constitutional framework for impeachment and what the Framers had in mind when they set it up. They also discuss how impeachment is a unique cooperation between the three branches.
Podcast: China’s threat to democracies around the world
Larry Diamond joins the Democracy Works podcast this week to talk about the threat China’s model of authoritarian capitalism poses to liberal democracy in the United States and around the world.
Podcast: One state’s fight for fair maps
Pennsylvania is one of several states trying to ensure fair congressional maps are drawn after the 2020 Census. As we say in the episode, redistricting is one of democracy’s thorniest problems.
Podcast: How Conspiracies Are Damaging Democracy
Democracy scholars Russell Muirhead and Nancy Rosenblum call it “conspiracy without the theory” and unpack the concept in their book A Lot of People Are Saying: The New Conspiracism and the Assault on Democracy.
Podcast: Defending the First Amendment and the Fourth Estate
The First Amendment and a strong Fourth Estate are essential to a healthy democracy. David McCraw, deputy general counsel of the New York Times, joins us to discuss how he helps journalists do their work,