This week, Jeremi and Zachary have a discussion with Dr. Emily Whelan about Lebanon’s complex history and its current conflict. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, “A Prophecy”. Dr. Emily Whalen is a non-resident senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Her first book, The Lebanese Wars, which examines the history […]

This week, Jeremi and Zachary have a conversation with Professor Mary Bridges, author of ‘Dollars and Dominion: U.S. Bankers and the Making of a Superpower.’ They explore the significant, yet often overlooked, role of banking institutions, particularly the Federal Reserve, in shaping American democracy and foreign policy. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, “Reserves”. […]

This week, Jeremi and Zachary sit down with Samuel G. Freedman to talk about the often overlooked contributions of Hubert Humphrey to American history and civil rights. The discussion traces Humphrey’s rise from a small-town boy in South Dakota to a pivotal figure in the civil rights movement and U.S. politics. Despite not achieving the […]

This week, Jeremy and Zachary sit down with Paul Stekler to explore whether debates influence election outcomes, referencing major debates from past elections, and look closely at the recent debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, “Everyone is Laughing”. Paul Stekler is a nationally recognized documentary filmmaker whose […]

This week, Jeremy and Zachary sit down with John A. Lawrence to delve into the intricacies of the U.S. Congress. They discuss its historical significance, common misconceptions about its operations, and the inherent challenges in passing legislation. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, “The Speaker”. John A. Lawrence served for thirty-eight years as a […]

This week, Jeremi and Zachary discuss the upcoming academic year and how universities can impact our relationships with democracy and politics. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, “A New Season.”

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Dr. Michael Kimmage to discuss the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled “Bloodstains.” Dr. Michael Kimmage is a professor of history at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC. He is also a fellow at the German Marshall Fund, and chair […]

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Jonathan Alter to discuss the upcoming Democratic National Convention. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled “When They Go Marching in Chicago” Jonathan Alter is an award-winning author, political analyst, documentary filmmaker, columnist, television producer, and radio host. He is the author of numerous books, including:  His […]

Dr. Kurt Weyland is the Mike Hogg Professor in Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin.  He has conducted original research in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, and Venezuela. Prof. Weyland is the author of seven books, including: The Politics of Market Reform in Fragile Democracies (Princeton, 2002); Making Waves: Democratic Contention in Europe […]

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Sanford Levinson to discuss the current state of the Supreme Court, recent efforts by Joe Biden to propose reforms, and how effective these proposals would be in practice. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, “The Judges.” Sanford Levinson, who holds the W. St. John Garwood […]

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Michael Ignatieff to discuss the current state of the institutions of democracy, how they are being questioned by some political movements, and how they can be reformed and strengthened. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, “A Constitution of the Soul.” Michael Ignatieff is a historian […]

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Joanne Freeman to discuss political violence in the American political landscape from a historical perspective, and disperse some of the myths and misconceptions around it. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled “The War of Independence” Joanne Freeman is the Class of 1954 Professor of American […]

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by William James to discuss the recent elections in Britain in the context of Brexit, Keir Starmer, and how they reflect the current state of democracy in Britain and beyond. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, “Sonnet for Our Special Friends.” Dr William D. James is […]

Stephen Vladeck is professor of law at Georgetown University. He is the author of a New York Times bestselling book, The Shadow Docket. He publishes a widely-read newsletter on the Supreme Court, One First.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Kenneth Greene to discuss the recent June elections in Mexico, and how they reflect the current state of democracy in Mexico and beyond. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, “Across the Moat.” Kenneth Greene is Associate Professor of Government at the University of Texas at […]

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Isabel Cademartori to discuss the current state of European Democracy and how recent elections have been shaking things up. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, “Sighing.” Isabel Cademartori was elected as a Member of the German Bundestag from Mannheim in 2021. She is a rising […]

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Dr. John W. Hall to discuss the D-Day landing during World War II, and what lessons can be learned from its legacy. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, “In Leipzig on D-Day.” John W. Hall is a professor and holder of the Ambrose-Hesseltine Chair in […]

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Dr. Marc-William Palen to discuss the history of free trade and associated hopes for international peace. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, “A World at Sail” Marc-William Palen is a historian at the University of Exeter. His new book, Pax Economica: Left-Wing Visions of a Free […]

On this episode of This Is Democracy, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Sheena Chestnut Greitens to discuss the changing political landscape in China and how that affects their relationship to the United States and other world leaders. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, “Far Away.” Sheena Chestnut Greitens is Associate Professor at […]

On this episode of This Is Democracy, Jeremi and Zachary discuss the ongoing university protests across the nation, specifically focusing on the demonstrations at Yale and UT Austin and their impacts on the surrounding environment. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, “For Lisa.”

On this episode of This is Democracy, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Dr. Art Markman to discuss the growing epidemic of political disillusionment and despair in modern society, and what can be done about it. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, “A Pessimist’s Apocalypse” Dr. Art Markman is the Annabel Irion Worsham […]

On this episode of This Is Democracy, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Milan Vaishnav to discuss the scale and future impact of India’s 2024 general election. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, “A Democractic Quest” Milan Vaishnav is a senior fellow and director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment […]

On this episode of This is Democracy, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by documentary filmmaker Paul Stekler to discuss media and politics in the modern age. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, “An Appeal for Clarity” Paul Stekler taught at the University of Texas at Austin for many years. He is a nationally […]

In this week’s episode, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Dr. Michael Kimmage to discuss the current status of the Ukraine war in 2024. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, “If I Were at War” Dr. Michael Kimmage is a professor of history at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC. He […]

In this week’s episode, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by guest Ellen McCarthy to discuss the problems of disinformation in the world today. Zachary sets this scene with his poem entitled, “Like a Ball of String” Ellen McCarthy is the ChairWoman and CEO of the Truth in Media Cooperative and Noodle Labs. Ms. McCarthy has […]

In this week’s episode, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Dr. Julia F. Irwin to discuss American Humanitarian Assistance in the 20th and 21st century. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, “The Old Colossus.” Dr. Julia F. Irwin is the T. Harry Williams Professor of History at Louisiana State University.  She is a […]

In this week's episode, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Stephen Sonnenberg, MD, to discuss how collective trauma can affect people, groups and societies. Steve Sonnenberg, MD, is a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and medical humanities and ethics scholar. At The University of Texas at Austin’s Dell Medical School he serves as professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. He is also fellow in the Paul Woodruff Professorship for Excellence in Undergraduate Studies and chair of the faculty panel of the Bridging Disciplines Program “Patients, Practitioners, and Cultures of Care,” both in the University’s Undergraduate College. The Bridging Disciplines Program is designed to prepare healthcare undergraduates with the tools they will need later, as providers, to create a healthcare system where health is a human right and structural disparities in care are eliminated.

In this week's episode, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Dr. Daniel Hummel about the history of American Evangelicalism and its connection to both policy and theology. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "If Your God is a God of Truth" Dr. Daniel Hummel is the Director for University Engagement at Upper House, a Christian study center serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Daniel is the author of The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism: How the Evangelical Battle Over the End Times Shaped a Nation and Covenant Brothers: Evangelicals, Jews, and U.S.-Israeli Relations. Daniel has written about religion, politics, and foreign policy for the Washington Post, Christianity Today, and Religion News Service. His academic research has been published in Religion & American Culture and Church History.

In this week's episode, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Sanford Levinson to discuss the 2000 election, the Supreme Court decision that finalized it, and how this decision has had ramifications throughout modern history. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "The Court Has Stopped the Count" Sanford Levinson, who holds the W. St. John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood, Jr. Centennial Chair in Law, joined the University of Texas Law School in 1980. Previously a member of the Department of Politics at Princeton University, he is also a Professor in the Department of Government at the University of Texas. Levinson is the author of approximately 400 articles, book reviews, or commentaries in professional and popular journals--and a regular contributor to the popular blog Balkinization. He has also written six books: Constitutional Faith (1988, winner of the Scribes Award, 2d edition 2011); Written in Stone: Public Monuments in Changing Societies (1998); Wrestling With Diversity (2003); Our Undemocratic Constitution: Where the Constitution Goes Wrong (and How We the People Can Correct It)(2006); Framed: America's 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Governance (2012); An Argument Open to All: Reading the Federalist in the 21st Century (2015); and, with Cynthia Levinson, Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights, and teh Flaws that Affect Us Today (forthcoming, September 2017). Edited or co-edited books include a leading constitutional law casebook, Processes of Constitutional Decisionmaking (6th ed. 2015, with Paul Brest, Jack Balkin, Akhil Amar, and Reva Siegel); Nullification and Secession in Modern Constitutional Thought (2016); Reading Law and Literature: A Hermeneutic Reader (1988, with Steven Mallioux); Responding to Imperfection: The Theory and Practice of Constitutional Amendment (1995); Constitutional Stupidities, Constitutional Tragedies (1998, with William Eskridge); Legal Canons (2000, with Jack Balkin); The Louisiana Purchase and American Expansion (2005, with Batholomew Sparrow); Torture: A Collection (2004, revised paperback edition, 2006); and The Oxford Handbook on the United States Constitution (with Mark Tushnet and Mark Graber, 2015). He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Law and Courts Section of the American Political Science Association in 2010. He has been a visiting faculty member of the Boston University, Georgetown, Harvard, New York University, and Yale law schools in the United States and has taught abroad in programs of law in London; Paris; Jerusalem; Auckland, New Zealand; and Melbourne, Australia. He was a Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton in 1985-86 and a Member of the Ethics in the Professions Program at Harvard in 1991-92. He is also affiliated with the Shalom Hartman Institute of Jewish Philosophy in Jerusalem. A member of the American Law Institute, Levinson was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2001. He is married to Cynthia Y. Levinson, a writer of children's literature, and has two daughters and four grandchildren.

In this week's episode, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Michael Kimmage to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "For a War of Worlds" Dr. Michael Kimmage is a professor of history at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC. He is also a fellow at the German Marshall Fund, and chair of the Advisory Council for the Kennan Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC. From 2014 to 2017, Kimmage served on the Secretary’s Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State, where he held the Russia/Ukraine portfolio. He publishes widely on international affairs, U.S.-Russian relations and American diplomatic history. Dr. Kimmage is the author of: The Conservative Turn: Lionel Trilling, Whittaker Chambers and the Lessons of Anti-Communism (2009); In History’s Grip: Philip Roth’s Newark Trilogy (2012); The Abandonment of the West: The History of an Idea in American Foreign Policy (2020). His forthcoming book is Collisions: The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability (2024).

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Professor Salim Yaqub to discuss how the 1970s changed the Middle East, and how those changes are still relevant in the modern day. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "To Israel, a Widow" Salim Yaqub is Professor of History at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Director of UCSB’s Center for Cold War Studies and International History. He is the author of three books: Containing Arab Nationalism: The Eisenhower Doctrine and the Middle East (University of North Carolina Press, 2004), Imperfect Strangers: Americans, Arabs, and U.S.–Middle East Relations in the 1970s (Cornell University Press, 2016), and Winds of Hope, Storms of Discord: The United States since 1945 (Cambridge University Press, 2023). He has also written several articles and book chapters on the history of U.S. foreign relations, the international politics of the Middle East, and Arab American political activism.

In this special 250th episode, Jeremi and Zachary discuss the current state of discourse and civil debate on college campuses, as well as how recent events have impacted the climate of these spaces. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "To Study"

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Dr. Ruth Simmons to discuss her experiences and attitudes toward learning in the context of her new book, "Up Home: One Girl's Journey." Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "If The Leaves Could Speak." Dr. Ruth Simmons is the former president of Smith College, Brown University, and Prairie View A&M University -- Texas's oldest Historically Black College and University.  She grew up in Grapeland, Texas, the youngest of 12 children born to sharecroppers.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Peter Beinart to discuss the ongoing conflict between Israeli and Palestinian forces and the destruction left in its wake. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "For the Children of Israel, and the Ones Who Will Try to Forget." Peter Beinart is Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the Newmark School of Journalism at the City University of New York. He is also Editor-at-Large of Jewish Currents, an MSNBC political commentator, a frequent contributor to The New York Times, and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace. He writes the Beinart Notebook newsletter on https://substack.com. His first book, The Good Fight, was published by HarperCollins in 2006.  His second book, The Icarus Syndrome, was published by HarperCollins in 2010. His third, The Crisis of Zionism, was published by Times Books in 2012.  Beinart recently published an important essay in the New York Times (October 14, 2023): "There is a Jewish Hope for Palestinian Liberation. It Must Survive."

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Dr. William Jones to discuss the history of labor unions and the current ongoing strike by the United Auto Workers union. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "From The UAW Picket Line" William Jones is a professor of history at the University of Minnesota, where he is a leading scholar of workers, unions, and race in the United States. Prof. Jones is the author of: The Tribe of Black Ulysses: African American Lumber Workers in the Jim Crow South (2005) and The March on Washington: Jobs, Freedom and the Forgotten History of Civil Rights (2013).

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Joe Jaworski to discuss the recent acquittal of Attorney General Ken Paxton by the Texas Senate, as well as the potential fallout and ramifications that may come of it. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "A Bad Sonnet for a Bad Man" Joe Jaworski is a third-generation Texas trial attorney and former Mayor of Galveston, Texas. He has served as a law clerk to the United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit, and he has spent 32 years in private practice as a trial attorney, mediator, and legal commentator.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by guests Randy Denzer and Dr. Alison Alter to discuss the increasing incidence of wildfires in the United States and what efforts have been made to mitigate them. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "When the Fire Comes." Randy Denzer has more than 30 years in the fire service and is one of the highest certified and qualified wildland firefighters in central Texas. He retired last year as a operations Battalion Chief with the Austin Fire Department (AFD). During Randy’s career at the Austin Fire Department, he wrote many wildland response policies for the AFD. Randy currently sits as an appointed member of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Wildland Fire Fighting Taskforce Committee in Washington DC Dr. Alison Alter is the elected representative for District 10 on the Austin City Council. She was first elected in 2016. Among other issues, wildfire prevention is one of her priorities. She has worked closely with various stakeholders to improve wildfire prevention and community resiliency around Austin. 

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Pawel Sawicki to discuss the history of Auschwitz-Birkenau, and what lessons can be learned from its past. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "Neue Synagoge, Oranienburger Straße" Pawel Sawicki is the press and public relations officer at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Poland.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Dr. Michael Kimmage to discuss the current state of the Ukraine War, and potential paths for it going forward. Zachary sets this scene with his poem entitled, "For Yegor." Dr. Michael Kimmage is a professor of history at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC. He is also a fellow at the German Marshall Fund, and chair of the Advisory Council for the Kennan Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC. From 2014 to 2017, Kimmage served on the Secretary’s Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State, where he held the Russia/Ukraine portfolio. He publishes widely on international affairs, U.S.-Russian relations and American diplomatic history. Kimmage is the author of: The Conservative Turn: Lionel Trilling, Whittaker Chambers and the Lessons of Anti-Communism (2009); In History’s Grip: Philip Roth’s Newark Trilogy (2012); The Abandonment of the West: The History of an Idea in American Foreign Policy (2020). He writes frequently for Foreign Affairs and other major publications. He has a forthcoming book on the history of the Ukraine War, Collisions.

Jeremi and Zachary sit down with Andrew Yang and former New Jersey governor, Christine Todd Whitman to discuss the problems with, and potential solutions to the two-party system in the United States. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Four Questions". Christine Todd Whitman served as the 50th Governor of New Jersey, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency during the George W. Bush administration, and she is now Co-Chair of the Forward Party. Whitman began her political career in the Nixon administration's Office of Economic Opportunity. In 1993, she helped found the Committee for Responsible Government (now the Republican Leadership Council), a group advocating for moderate positions within the Republican Party. Whitman authored It's My Party, Too: Taking Back the Republican Party…And Bringing the Country Together Again. Andrew Yang is an entrepreneur, author, philanthropist, non-profit leader, former 2020 presidential candidate, and co-Chair of the new Forward Party. After working as a lawyer and executive at several early-stage technology companies, Andrew eventually became CEO of an education company that became #1 in the country. He then started a national entrepreneurship non-profit, Venture for America, which worked to empower thousands of young entrepreneurs to bring their dynamism to communities across the country. He is the author of Forward: Notes on the Future of Democracy.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by guest Joe Jaworski to discuss the recent impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton. Zachary sets this scene with his poem entitled, "Musings on the Great Liars and One Smited Attorney General" Joe Jaworski is a third-generation Texas trial attorney and former Mayor of Galveston, Texas. He has served as a law clerk to the United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit, and he has spent 32 years in private practice as a trial attorney, mediator, and legal commentator.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary discuss evangelical religion's role and history in U.S politics with Dr. Daniel Hummel. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "A Dispensation For The Dispensationalists". Dr. Daniel Hummel is the Director for University Engagement at Upper House, a Christian study center serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Daniel is the author of The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism: How the Evangelical Battle Over the End Times Shaped a Nation and Covenant Brothers: Evangelicals, Jews, and U.S.-Israeli Relations. Daniel has written about religion, politics, and foreign policy for the Washington Post, Christianity Today, and Religion News Service. His academic research has been published in Religion & American Culture and Church History.

Stephen Vladeck holds the Charles Alan Wright Chair in Federal Courts at the University of Texas School of Law. He recently published The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic. His work has been published in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and Slate, among other publications. He has argued before the Supreme Court and has been CNN's Supreme Court Analyst since 2013.

Jeremi and Zachary sit down with former Austin mayor, Steve Adler, to talk about the importance of city and local government and leadership. Zachary sets the scene with his poem: "For My City as It Was Three Years Ago". Steve Adler was the mayor of Austin, Texas from 2015-2023. Before that, he was a prominent lawyer working in the areas of eminent domain and civil rights law. He also served on many public service boards, including the Anti-Defamation League and the Texas Tribune. Throughout his career, Mayor Adler has been widely recognized for his innovative ideas, his leadership, and his hard work.

Paul Stekler taught at the University of Texas at Austin for many years. He is a nationally recognized documentary filmmaker whose critically praised and award-winning work includes: George Wallace: Settin’ the Woods on Fire; Last Man Standing: Politics, Texas Style; Vote for Me: Politics in America; two segments of the Eyes on the Prize II series on the history of civil rights; Last Stand at Little Big Horn; and Postcards from the Great Divide. His films have won two George Foster Peabody Awards, three Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Journalism Awards, three national Emmy Awards, and a special jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Matthew Dallek is a historian and professor of political management at George Washington University’s College of Professional Studies. He is the author of: The Right Moment: Ronald Reagan's First Victory and the Decisive Turning Point in American Politics; Defenseless Under the Night: The Franklin Roosevelt Years and the Origins of Homeland Security; and, most recently, Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right. Dallek's writings frequently appear in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Politico, and other publications.

Jeremi and Zachary sit down with Cristina Tzintzun Ramirez to discuss young voters and the role they are playing in our democracy. Zachary sets the scene with his poem: "For My Generation and the Story We Will Write" Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez is the president and executive director of NextGen America, the largest youth-vote mobilization organization in the country. She is a millennial, a civil rights leader, and a 2020 U.S. Senate candidate who has spent the last 20 years taking on some of the most powerful special interests in her home state of Texas. Cristina’s dedication to lifting up the largest and most diverse generation in history is rooted in her conviction that young people have the power — and the right — to determine the future of our country.

Jeremi and Zachary sit down with Atar David to discuss the controversy surrounding the overhaul and fundamental efforts to transform the judiciary and the ways in which justice is administered in Israel. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Passover 2023." Atar David is an agricultural and environmental historian, currently completing his doctorate in the history department at UT-Austin. His current project examines the trans-regional history of agricultural practices, commodity exchange, and knowledge production between the Middle East and the American Southwest at the turn of the 19th century.

Jeremi and Zachary sit down with Jeffrey Engel to discuss the recent indictments on former president Trump, and other instances of presidential law-breaking. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Some Messes Can Only Be Cleaned Up With Time." Jeffrey Engel is a professor of history at Southern Methodist University, where he is the founding director of the Center for Presidential History. He is the author and editor of at least 10 books, including: Cold War at 30,000 Feet: The Anglo-American Fight for Aviation Supremacy, Impeachment: An American History, and When the World Seemed New: George H.W. Bush and the End of the Cold War.

Mikkael Sekeres is a Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Hematology at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Sekeres has published hundreds of scholarly and Op-Ed articles, and he is the author of 8 books, including: When Blood Breaks Down: Life Lessons from Leukemia (The MIT Press 2020) and most recently, Drugs and the FDA: Safety, Efficacy, and the Public’s Trust (The MIT Press 2022).

Dr. Melvyn P. Leffler is the Edward Stettinius Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Virginia. He is one of the leading historians of U.S. foreign policy. Professor Leffler is the author of numerous prize-winning books, including: A Preponderance of Power: National Security, The Truman Administration, and the Cold War; For the Soul of Mankind: The United States, the Soviet Union, and the Cold War; Safeguarding Democratic Captialism; and, most recently, Confronting Saddam Hussein: George W. Bush and the Invasion of Iraq.

Benjamin Griffin is the Chief of the Military History Division in the History Department at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he is a Major in the U.S. Army. Ben holds a PhD in History from the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of: Reagan's War Stories: A Cold War Presidency.

Jonathan Alter is an award-winning author, political analyst, documentary filmmaker, columnist, television producer, and radio host. Alter’s most recent book is “His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life.” (2020), which received uniformly favorable reviews. His earlier books include three New York Times bestsellers: “The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies” (2013), “The Promise: President Obama, Year One” (2010) and “The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope” (2006), also one of the Times’ “Notable Books” of the year. 

Dr. Gönül Tol is the founding director of the Turkey program at the Middle East Institute, a think tank in Washington DC. She is the author of Erdogan's War: A Strongman's Struggle at Home and in Syria, which was published in January. She has taught at both George Washington University and the National Defense University.

In this week's episode, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by John Sipher to discuss intelligence and the ways in which US intelligence agencies collect information on China and Russia. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "Conceiving the Spies Lament." John Sipher retired in 2014 after a 28-year career in the Central Intelligence Agency’s National Clandestine Service. At the time of his retirement, he was a member of the CIA’s Senior Intelligence Service, the leadership team that guides CIA activities globally. John served multiple overseas tours as Chief of Station and Deputy Chief of Station in Europe, Asia, and in high-threat environments. John also served as a lead instructor in the CIA’s clandestine training school and was a regular lecturer at the CIA’s leadership development program.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by guest Dr. Michael Kimmage to discuss The Russo-Ukrainian War. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "A Year After the War Began." Dr. Michael Kimmage is a professor of history at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC. He is also a fellow at the German Marshall Fund, and chair of the Advisory Council for the Kennan Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC. From 2014 to 2017, Kimmage served on the Secretary’s Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State, where he held the Russia/Ukraine portfolio. He publishes widely on international affairs, U.S.-Russian relations and American diplomatic history. Kimmage is the author of: The Conservative Turn: Lionel Trilling, Whittaker Chambers and the Lessons of Anti-Communism (2009); In History’s Grip: Philip Roth’s Newark Trilogy (2012); The Abandonment of the West: The History of an Idea in American Foreign Policy (2020). He writes frequently for Foreign Affairs and other major publications.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Professor Seth Garfield to discuss Brazil's history and current political climate. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "Brazilia Lament" Seth Garfield is a professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of: Indigenous Struggle at the Heart of Brazil: State Policy, Frontier Expansion, and the Xavante Indians, 1937-1988; In Search of the Amazon: Brazil, the United States, and the Nature of a Region; and most recently, Guarana: How Brazil Embraced the World's Most Caffeine-Rich Plant.

Jeremi and Zachary sit down with Beverly Gage to discuss the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, and their role in American democracy. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "The Secret to Believing". Beverly Gage is a professor of history at Yale University. Her book G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century, a biography of former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, was named a best book of 2022 by the Washington Post (Ten Best Books), The Atlantic (Ten Best Books), Publishers Weekly (Ten Best Books), The New Yorker (24 Essential Reads), The New York Times (100 Notable Books), Smithsonian (Ten Best History Books), and Barnes & Noble (Ten Best History Books). She is also the author of The Day Wall Street Exploded: A Story of America in its First Age of Terror, which examined the history of terrorism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, focusing on the 1920 Wall Street bombing.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Professor Erika Bsumek to discuss how major infrastructure projects tend to damage indigenous communities and contribute to their erasure. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "Sonnet on the Shores of Lake Powell" Dr. Erika Bsumek is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin. She is the author of: Indian-Made: Navajo Culture in the Marketplace and, most recently, The Foundations of Glen Canyon Dam: Infrastructures of Dispossession on the Colorado Plateau. Prof. Bsumek has received numerous teaching awards, including the UT Regents Outstanding Teaching Award. 

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Art Markman to discuss the state of civics in post-pandemic society. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Our Lonely Midnight Feasts". Art Markman is the Annabel Irion Worsham Centennial Professor of Psychology and Marketing at the University of Texas at Austin. Prof. Markman is the Founding Director of the Human Dimensions of Organizations program in the College of Liberal Arts at UT, former Executive Director of the IC² Institute, and he is currently the Vice Provost for Continuing and Professional Education and New Education Ventures at the University of Texas at Austin.  Prof. Markman is a frequent contributor to Psychology Today, Fast Company and the Harvard Business Review. He has published more than 150 scholarly works about cognitive science, decision-making and organizational behavior. Dr. Markman has also written several books for general audiences including: Smart Thinking, Smart Change, Bring Your Brain to Work, and Brain Briefs (co-written with Dr. Bob Duke). Beyond the UT Austin campus, he is probably best known as the co-host of KUT’s “Two Guys on Your Head” radio show and podcast, where he and Butler School of Music professor Bob Duke explore the human mind with a unique mix of research, humor and everyday relevance. He also plays saxophone in the Austin ska band Phineas Gage.

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by CEO of BridgeUSA Manu Meel to discuss bridge-building and how to approach cynicism in modern political discourse Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "Listening" Manu Meel is the CEO of BridgeUSA, a national organization that is investing in the future of democracy. Through his work, Manu has contributed to several news outlets, advanced pro-democracy efforts nationally, and led the policy operation for a Baltimore mayoral candidate. In the past, Manu worked as an associate at the venture capital firm Amplo and at the Department of State as a political analyst in counterterrorism. His work has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and other media platforms.

Jeremi and Zachary sit down with Isabel Cademartori to discuss German Right-Wing Extremism and its effects on democracy. Zachary sets the scene with his poem: "Chickens That Won't Die". Isabel Cademartori was elected as a Member of the German Bundestag for Mannheim in the 2021 federal election. Cademartori served as a city councillor in Mannheim since 2019. She is a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, which leads the current coalition government in Germany.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Dr. Joshua Eisenman to discuss protests and political upheaval in China. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "A Blank Sheet of Paper" Joshua Eisenman is an associate professor of global affairs at the University of Notre Dame. His research focuses on the political economy of China’s development, and its foreign relations with the United States and the developing world—particularly Africa. His work has been published in top academic journals including World Development, Development and Change, the Journal of Contemporary China and Cold War History. He has also published widely in Foreign Affairs, The Wall Street Journal, and Foreign Policy. Prof. Eisenman is the author of: China and Africa: A Century of Engagement, with David Shinn (2012) and Red China's Green Revolution (2018).

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Dr. Geoffrey Kabaservice to discuss the Midterm Elections. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "My First Vote: 10/24/22" Dr. Geoff Kabaservice is Director of Political Studies at the Niskanen Center in Washington D.C. He is the author of several books including: The Guardians: Kingman Brewster, His Circle, and the Rise of the Liberal Establishment (Henry Holt, 2004) and Rule and Ruin: The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican Party, from Eisenhower to the Tea Party (Oxford 2012). Kabaservice has written for numerous national publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Politico, and the Guardian. His most recent article appeared in the Washington Post on December 4: “The Forever Grievance.”

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Peter Beinart to discuss the history of anti-semitism in The United States and around the world. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "Mezuzah Addendums." Peter Beinart is Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the Newmark School of Journalism at the City University of New York. He is also Editor-at-Large of Jewish Currents, an MSNBC political commentator, a frequent contributor to The New York Times, and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace. He writes the Beinart Notebook newsletter on https://substack.com. His first book, The Good Fight, was published by HarperCollins in 2006.  His second book, The Icarus Syndrome, was published by HarperCollins in 2010. His third, The Crisis of Zionism, was published by Times Books in 2012. 

This week, Jeremi and Zachary discuss the ongoing protests in Iran with Professor Nahid Siamdoust. Zachary recites his poem "Worth Waiting For." Nahid Siamdoust is an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin. She is the author of Soundtrack of the Revolution: The Politics of Music in Iran (Stanford, 2017). Professor Siamdoust has also published in The New York Times, Foreign Policy, Der Spiegel, and Jadaliyya, among others, and she often appears in English, German and Iranian media. This episode of This is Democracy was mixed and mastered by Morgan Honaker.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary talk with Dr. Michael Kimmage about how the Ukraine War has developed over the course of the year, and how they predict things will progress in the future. Dr. Michael Kimmage is a professor of history at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC. He is also a fellow at the German Marshall Fund, and chair of the Advisory Council for the Kennan Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC. From 2014 to 2017, Kimmage served on the Secretary’s Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State, where he held the Russia/Ukraine portfolio. He publishes widely on international affairs, U.S.-Russian relations and American diplomatic history. Kimmage is the author of: The Conservative Turn: Lionel Trilling, Whittaker Chambers and the Lessons of Anti-Communism (2009); In History’s Grip: Philip Roth’s Newark Trilogy (2012); The Abandonment of the West: The History of an Idea in American Foreign Policy (2020). He writes frequently on the Ukraine War and related topics for Foreign Affairs.

Jeremi Suri holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a professor in the University's Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Professor Suri is the author and editor of eleven books on politics and foreign policy, most recently: Civil War By Other Means: America’s Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy. His other books include: The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America’s Highest Office; Liberty’s Surest Guardian: American Nation-Building from the Founders to Obama; Henry Kissinger and the American Century; and Power and Protest: Global Revolution and the Rise of Détente. His writings appear in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN.com, Atlantic, Newsweek, Time, Wired, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and other media. Professor Suri is a popular public lecturer and comments frequently on radio and television news. His writing and teaching have received numerous prizes, including the President’s Associates Teaching Excellence Award from the University of Texas and the Pro Bene Meritis Award for Contributions to the Liberal Arts. Professor Suri co-hosts a weekly podcast, “This is Democracy.” His professional website is: http://jeremisuri.net. 

This week, Zachary takes a turn at hosting and interviews Jeremi about his new book, Civil War By Other Means: America’s Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy. Tune in next week for part 2 of this discussion. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Every Season Goes." Jeremi Suri holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a professor in the University's Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Professor Suri is the author and editor of eleven books on politics and foreign policy, most recently: Civil War By Other Means: America’s Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy. His other books include: The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America’s Highest Office; Liberty’s Surest Guardian: American Nation-Building from the Founders to Obama; Henry Kissinger and the American Century; and Power and Protest: Global Revolution and the Rise of Détente. His writings appear in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN.com, Atlantic, Newsweek, Time, Wired, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and other media. Professor Suri is a popular public lecturer and comments frequently on radio and television news. His writing and teaching have received numerous prizes, including the President’s Associates Teaching Excellence Award from the University of Texas and the Pro Bene Meritis Award for Contributions to the Liberal Arts. Professor Suri co-hosts a weekly podcast, “This is Democracy.” His professional website is:  Jeremi Suri, PhD. This episode of This is Democracy was mixed and mastered by Morgan Honaker.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary talk with guest Sarah Kaiser-Cross about banks and financial institutions and how they interact with different countries' economic policies and regulations. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "The World, Invisible." Sarah Kaiser-Cross is a Director and Regional Head of Correspondent Banking and Affiliates for the Americas at HSBC Bank. She is a financial crime risk professional and geopolitical specialist with experience in counter terrorist finance, transaction monitoring strategy,  and cross border correspondent banking risk. Responsible for articulating key financial crime risks to senior banking executives, Sarah brings a nuanced understanding to the nexus between security threats and financial markets. Sarah has lived and worked in five countries around the Middle East over seven years with regional language proficiency, though now calls Miami home. Sarah holds two master's degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, in Middle Eastern Studies and Global Policy.  This episode was mixed and mastered by Rayna Sevilla.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary talk to Dr. Jonathan Kirshner to discuss realism and foreign policy. Zachary sets the scene for the discussion with his poem "For Want of an Overcoat". Jonathan Kirshner is a professor of Political Science and International Studies at Boston College. Prior to joining Boston College, Kirshner was the Stephen and Barbara Friedman Professor of International Political Economy in the Department of Government at Cornell University. His many books include: American Power After the Financial Crisis (Cornell University Press, 2014) and, most recently, An Unwritten Future: Realism, Uncertainty, and World Politics (Princeton University Press, 2022).

This week, Jeremi and Zachary talk with Jill Lepore about her new book, These Truths: A History of the United States, and why an acknowledgement and understanding of our country's true past can unite us. Jill Lepore is the David Woods Kemper '41 Professor of American History at Harvard University. She is also a staff writer at The New Yorker. Professor Lepore is the author of numerous prize-winning and bestselling books, including: The Name of War: King Philip's War and the Origins of American Identity; New York Burning : Liberty, Slavery, and Conspiracy in Eighteenth-Century Manhattan; The Secret History of Wonder Woman; and These Truths: A History of the United States.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Dr. Jasbir Singh to discuss the changing landscape of abortion access in the United States. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "Ode to a Doctor." Dr. Jasbir Singh is a specialist in maternal fetal medicine. He is in private practice with Austin Maternal Fetal Medicine Organization, affiliated with St. David’s Medical System in Austin, Texas. This episode was mixed and mastered by Kate Whitmer.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Dr. Peniel Joseph to discuss his new book, The Third Reconstruction, and his interpretations of American history. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "The Third Reconstruction." Peniel E. Joseph  is the Barbara Jordan Chair in Ethics and Political Values, Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy, and Associate Dean for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of award-winning books on African American history, including The Sword and the Shield, Stokely: A Life, and most recently, The Third Reconstruction. This episode was mixed and mastered by Rayna Sevilla and Jasper Murphy.

Today, Jeremi and Zachary discuss the significance and legacy of Mikhail Gorbachev and his political career with professor, author, and political scientist Dr. William Taubman. Zachary reads his poem, "What Mikhail Thought of." This episode of This is Democracy was mixed and mastered by Morgan Honaker.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by American historian Mark Updegrove. They discuss Mark's recent book, Incomparable Grace: JFK in the Presidency and President John F. Kennedy's popularity and lasting legacy. Zachary reads his poem, "Never Again the Same." This episode of This is Democracy was edited, mixed, and mastered by Morgan Honaker.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Arizona candidate for state attorney general, Kris Mayes. They discuss how state attorney generals fulfill the role of the highest law enforcement officer in the state, as well as how they're involved in elections and environmental issues. Zachary sets the scene with his poem: "Prayer at the Sick Bed of Truth" Kris Mayes is the Democratic candidate for Attorney General in Arizona in 2022. She served on the Arizona Corporation Commission from 2003 to 2010. She is a Professor of Practice at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. https://krismayes.com/

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Hal Brands and Michael Beckley to discuss China's rise as a military power, lessons from the Cold War, and the changing relationship between the United States and China. Zachary sets the scene with his poem: "Probably" Hal Brands is the Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He is also a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. He is the author of several books, including, most recently: The Twilight Struggle: What the Cold War Teaches Us about Great-Power Rivalry Today (2022), The Lessons of Tragedy: Statecraft and World Order (2019) co-authored with Charles Edel, and American Grand Strategy in the Age of Trump (2018). Professor Brands served as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Strategic Planning from 2015 to 2016. He has also served as lead writer for the Commission on the National Defense Strategy for the United States, and consulted with government offices and agencies in the intelligence and national security communities. Michael Beckley is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Tufts University and a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Previously, Michael was an International Security Fellow at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and worked for the U.S. Department of Defense, the RAND Corporation, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He continues to advise offices within the U.S. Intelligence Community and U.S. Department of Defense. He published his first book in 2018: Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower. Brands and Beckley have co-written a new book: Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict with China:  Danger Zone. This episode was mixed and mastered by Karoline Pfeil.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Professor Vida Johnson to discuss policing in America and the types of checks and balances required by a justice system. Zachary sets the scene with his poem: "Prayer of the Unjustly Imprisoned" Vida Johnson is an associate professor of law at Georgetown University. Prior to joining Georgetown, she was a supervising attorney in the Trial Division at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS), where she worked for eight years. At PDS Ms. Johnson was assigned to the most serious cases at the “Felony One” level, and her experience included numerous trials in D.C. Superior Court representing indigent clients facing charges including homicide, sexual assault, and armed offenses. Ms. Johnson’s responsibilities at PDS also included supervising other trial attorneys and serving as one of the agency’s two representatives to the D.C. Superior Court Sentencing Guidelines Commission. She recently published "Policing and the Siege of the United States Capitol” in Lawfare (16 June 2022):  Policing and the Siege of the United States Capitol. This episode was mixed and mastered by Karoline Pfeil.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Dr. Adam Tooze to discuss the rise in inflation and the broader economic concepts that contribute to it. Zachary sets the scene with his poem: "Today You're at the Gas Station Mirthless" Adam Tooze is the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Professor of History at Columbia University. He is a leading economic historian and expert on the contemporary global economy. He is the author of numerous prize-winning books: Statistics and the German State 1900-1945: The Making of Modern Economic Knowledge (2001), Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy (2006), The Deluge: The Great War and the Remaking of the Global Order, 1916-1931 (2014); Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World (2018); and Shutdown: How COVID Shook the World's Economy (2021). Tooze frequently comments on current affairs for the Guardian, the New York Times, and the Washington Post, among other publications. You can follow him on Twitter: @adam_tooze. This episode was mixed and mastered by Oscar Kitmanyen and Karoline Pfeil.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch to discuss the ways in which U.S. policy has evolved in the region surrounding Ukraine, and the ways people should understand the evolution of that policy for current challenges regarding Ukraine and Democratization in the region as a whole. Zachary sets the scene with his poem: "Ode to President Zelensky". Marie Yovanovitch served as the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine (2016-2019), the Republic of Armenia (2008-2011) and the Kyrgyz Republic (2005-2008). She also served as the Dean of the School of Language Studies at the Foreign Service Institute, U.S. Department of State and as the Deputy Commandant and International Advisor at the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University. Earlier she served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, where she coordinated policy on European and global security issues. Before that, she was the bureau’s Deputy Assistant Secretary responsible for issues related to the Nordic, Baltic, and Central European countries. Ambassador Yovanovitch is the author of a recent memoir: Lessons from the Edge. This episode was mixed and mastered by Oscar Kitmanyen.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary reach their 200th episode of This is Democracy and reflect on the state of Democracy in America, as well as what they have learned over the years, with the podcast nearing its 4 year anniversary. Zachary sets the scene with his poem: "I'd Like To Think You've Seen the World With Me". This episode was mixed and mastered by Oscar Kitmanyen and Jonah Hernandez.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by attorney Gail Johnson to discuss the ways in which the avenues for wrongful convictions are closing in the US court system, and more broadly, the issues of wrongful convictions on death row. Zachary sets the scene with his poem: "Death Row Lullaby". Gail Johnson has more than two decades of experience representing clients in criminal and civil cases in federal and state courts in Colorado, California, and the District of Columbia. She has defended clients against many types of criminal charges and convictions, including mail and wire fraud, insider trading, drug and firearm offenses, sexual assault, and murder. Furthermore, she is a graduate of the Yale Law School with an undergraduate degree from Trinity University.

Jeremi, Zachary, and guest Lorinc Redei discuss the power of Hungary as a member of the European Union and NATO, and the role it plays between large empires to its eastern and western borders in the Ukrainian-Russian conflict. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "In between". Dr. Lorinc Redei is a professor at the LBJ School at the University of Texas at Austin, where he serves as the graduate advisor for the Global Policy Studies Program. He previously served as a press officer in the European Parliament, the directly elected legislature of the European Union. Redei's research and writing focus on European politics, the European Union, and the role of the European Parliament.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Steven Olikara to discuss political reform in light of the recent tragedy that occurred on May 24th, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas. Zachary sets the scene with his poem: "I'd Like To Tell You the World Will Be Fine" This episode was mixed and mastered by Oscar Kitmanyen.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Dr. Peniel Joseph to discuss the recent tragedy that occurred on May 14th, 2022, in Buffalo, New York. Zachary sets the scene with his poem: "Summer Moon" This episode was mixed and mastered by Oscar Kitmanyen.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Michael Kimmage to discuss the recent developments and current state of the war in Ukraine. Zachary sets the scene with his poem: "Thinking of the War on a Monday after Returning from the Capitol" This episode was Mixed and Mastered by Karoline Pfiel and Will Shute

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Professor Steve I. Vladeck as they discuss the ramifications of the recently leaked supreme court draft decision, as well as the future of both abortion rights and the supreme court itself. Zachary sets the scene with his poem "The Right To Chew" Stephen I. Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) holds the Charles Alan Wright Chair in Federal Courts at the University of Texas School of Law and is a nationally recognized expert on the federal courts, constitutional law, national security law, and military justice. Professor Vladeck has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Texas Supreme Court, and various lower federal civilian and military courts; has testified before numerous congressional committees and Executive Branch agencies and commissions; has served as an expert witness both in U.S. state and federal courts and in foreign tribunals; and has received numerous awards for his influential and widely cited legal scholarship, his prolific popular writing, his teaching, and his service to the legal profession. Vladeck is the co-host, together with Professor Bobby Chesney, of the popular and award-winning “National Security Law Podcast.” He is CNN’s lead Supreme Court analyst and a co-author of Aspen Publishers’ leading national security law and counterterrorism law casebooks. And he is an executive editor of the Just Security blog and a senior editor of the Lawfare blog. This Episode was Mixed and Mastered by Kate Whitmer, and Alejandra Arrazola

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Author and Activist Jo Ivester to discuss transgender rights, the transgender community in the United States, and the importance of transgender representation/inclusion for a thriving democracy. Zachary sets the scene with his poem "Because Someday Maybe" Jo Ivester is an LGBTQ and civil rights advocate, sharing her family's story as a way of helping others to step beyond their comfort zones when it comes to relating to those who are different from themselves. Raised in a politically active family, Jo spent two years of her childhood living in an all- Black town in the Mississippi Delta, where her father managed a medical clinic, her mother taught in the local high school, and she was the only white student at her junior high. This experience, captured in Jo's first book -- The Outskirts of Hope — led to Jo's lifelong commitment to advocating for equal rights for all.Prompted by the realization that her son is trans, Jo has recently broadened her focus to raise awareness about what it means to be transgender. Her second book — Once a Girl, Always a Boy — presents her son's journey, told from multiple perspectives, beginning when he was a small child, viewed as a tomboy. When not writing, Jo devotes time to her community, serving on the boards of Equality Texas, the Anti-Defamation League of Central Texas, and the Ground Floor Theater. 

Today, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Dr. Emily Whalen and discuss the history and current situation of the civil war in Syria, Russia's involvement in that civil war, and how that conflict parallels the ongoing war in Ukraine. Zachary sets the scene with his poem "Shadows at the Door." This episode of This is Democracy was mixed and mastered by Karoline Pfeil and Morgan Honaker.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Historian Dr. Elizabeth Borgwardt to discuss the recent Russian war crimes in Ukraine, what war crimes are, and what we can do about it. Zachary sets the scene with his poem "Fortunately" Elizabeth Borgwardt specializes in the history of international law and the history of human rights ideas and institutions, with a focus on war crimes trials such as the Nuremberg tribunals at the end of World War II. Most recently, she is the co-editor of Rethinking Grand Strategy (Oxford University Press), where she analyzes FDR's New Deal as Grand Strategy. Her publications on the human rights politics of the 1940s -- especially her book, A New Deal for the World: America’s Vision for Human Rights (Harvard University Press) -- have been recognized with several book and article awards for Diplomatic History and the History of Ideas. She teaches at Washington University in St Louis, and has served as the Richard and Anne Pozen Visiting Professor of Human Rights at the University of Chicago as well as a Fulbright Professor at the Heidelberg Center for American Studies. In addition to her Stanford doctorate in U.S. History, she has earned a JD from Harvard Law School and a Masters in International Relations from Cambridge University (UK). This episode was mixed and mastered by Evan Sherer, Alejandra Arrazola, and Will Shute.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary meet with Dr. Kenneth Osgood to discuss the issues related to deception, secrecy, and the doctoring of evidence by presidents and other figures in the executive branch. Jeremi and Dr. Osgood have published an article on this topic in THE HILL. Problems with presidential records are not just about Trump Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Forwards". Dr. Kenneth Osgood is professor of history at Colorado School of Mines. He is author or editor of five books on US political and diplomatic history, exploring how presidents “sell” war, civil rights and the conservative movement, international public diplomacy, and the propaganda and politics of the Cold War. This episode was mixed and mastered by Will Kurzner & Oscar Kitmanyen.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Will Hurd to discuss his new book and his insights into our democracy today. Zachary sets the scene with his poem: "Aren't We Hollow Enough" Will Hurd is a former CIA officer, cybersecurity executive, and elected member of Congress. From 2015 to 2021 he represented the 23rd Congressional District in Texas, a region stretching from San Antonio to El Paso, along the US-Mexico border. Will Hurd recently published a new book, American Reboot: An Idealist’s Guide to Getting Big Things Done. This Episode was Mixed and Mastered by Amanda Willis

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Michael Kimmage to discuss the Ukraine conflict. Zachary sets the scene with his poem: "For Mariupol" Dr. Michael Kimmage is a professor of history at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC. He is also a fellow at the German Marshall Fund, and chair of the Advisory Council for the Kennan Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC. From 2014 to 2017, Kimmage served on the Secretary’s Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State, where he held the Russia/Ukraine portfolio. He publishes widely on international affairs, U.S.-Russian relations and American diplomatic history. Kimmage is the author of: The Conservative Turn: Lionel Trilling, Whittaker Chambers and the Lessons of Anti-Communism (2009); In History’s Grip: Philip Roth’s Newark Trilogy (2012); and The Abandonment of the West: The History of an Idea in American Foreign Policy (2020). He writes frequently on Ukraine, Russia, and U.S. foreign policy in Foreign Affairs and other major publications.  This Episode was Mixed and Mastered by Karoline Pfeil, Oscar Kitmanyen, and Will Shute

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Professors Joesph Fishkin and William Forbath, authors of The Anti-Oligarchy Constitution, to discuss the role of equality and the law. Zachary sets the scene with his poem: "Of Oligarchs and Idealists" Joseph Fishkin is a Professor of Law at UCLA, where he teaches and writes about employment discrimination law, election law, constitutional law, education law, fair housing law, poverty and inequality, and distributive justice. Before joining the UCLA faculty he taught for a decade at the University of Texas School of Law. His first book, Bottlenecks: A New Theory of Equal Opportunity, winner of the North American Society for Social Philosophy Book Award, was published by Oxford University Press. He is the coauthor with Willy Forbath of The Anti-Oligarchy Constitution: Reconstructing the Economic Foundations of American Democracy (Harvard University Press 2022). William Forbath holds the Lloyd M. Bentsen Chair and is Associate Dean of Research at UT Austin School of Law. He is the author of Law and the Shaping of the American Labor Movement, The Anti-Oligarchy Constitution: Reconstructing the Economic Foundations of American Democracy (with Joseph Fishkin), and dozens of articles, book chapters, and essays on legal and constitutional history and theory and comparative constitutional law. He is completing a trans-national history of Jewish lawyers and Jewish politics in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. In addition to UT, he has taught at UCLA, Sciences Po, Tel Aviv, Columbia, and Harvard.

Jeremi and Zachary discuss the history of the NATO with Bryan Frizzelle, and its importance to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Ode to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization." Bryan Frizzelle is a Colonel in the United States Army with twenty years of active duty service. Bryan has commanded at every level from platoon through battalion, and has served three combat tours in Iraq. From 2014 to 2016, Bryan served as a squadron and regimental operations officer for the 2d Cavalry Regiment in Germany, participating in or planning NATO exercises in twelve Eastern European countries as NATO adapted to Russia's annexation of Crimea and hybrid attacks in the Donbas region. Bryan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in International Strategic History from the United States Military Academy at West Point, a Master of Policy Management degree from Georgetown University and is a PhD candidate at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas in Austin. 

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Professor of History and expert on Russian and Ukrainian policy, Dr. Michael Kimmage to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Zachary sets the scene with a section of his poem "Our Ukrainian Love Story" Dr. Michael Kimmage is a professor of history at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC. He is also a fellow at the German Marshall Fund, and chair of the Advisory Council for the Kennan Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC. From 2014 to 2017, Kimmage served on the Secretary’s Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State, where he held the Russia/Ukraine portfolio. He publishes widely on international affairs, U.S.-Russian relations and American diplomatic history. Kimmage is the author of: The Conservative Turn: Lionel Trilling, Whittaker Chambers and the Lessons of Anti-Communism (2009); In History’s Grip: Philip Roth’s Newark Trilogy (2012); The Abandonment of the West: The History of an Idea in American Foreign Policy (2020).

This week, Jeremi and Zachary discuss the future and potential of Artificial Intelligence and our Democracy with Aurna Mukherjee. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, Wires in Ancient Walls are like Grape Vines in Cell Towers. Aurna Mukherjee is a sophomore at Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA) High School, graduating in 2024. She is part of the Women+ in Computer Science club at the school, and is interested in ethics and Artificial Intelligence.

Jeremi and Zachary discuss youth political activism in Latin America with Dr. Andrés González. Dr. Andrés González is a political scientist based in Quito-Ecuador. He obtained his Ph. D. in Political Science and International Relations at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich and has taught in several universities and high schools in Germany and Ecuador. He is currently the President and Academic Director of POLITIKUM, an independent education corporation focused on citizenship and political education for students of all levels in three languages. See their website: https://www.politikumecuador.com. Dr. González is also the author of the book, Governance for the 21st Century: The Fight Against Corruption in Latin America (LIT Verlag).

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Jason Flowers, a high school teacher, to discuss how teaching has changed during COVID. Zachary sets the scene with his poem: "Nowadays" Jason Flowers is entering his seventeenth year teaching AP US History at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy in Austin.  In addition to APUSH, Mr. Flowers teaches American Film and coaches Quiz Bowl and History Bowl.  He is originally from South Louisiana and has a B.A. in history from LSU along with a master’s degree in social studies education from North Texas.  Mr. Flowers is also the head coach and team leader for Team USA for the International Geography Olympiad and serves on the board of directors of the National Consortium of Specialized STEM Schools. Under normal circumstances, Mr. Flowers spends lots of time traveling, but since March has spent lots of time riding his road bike around Austin.  He lives in Austin with his partner Meagan and his two kittens Moxie and Muffin. 

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Hanna Senko and Major Pro Tem Alison Alter to discuss sexual assault. Zachary sets the scene with his poem: "Around the Corner" Hanna Senko is a sexual assault survivor whose case was closed via exceptional clearance by the Austin Police Department. She now serves as a survivor speaker, writer, and advocate fighting for change in the understanding, reporting, and handling of sex crimes. Alison Alter serves as Mayor Pro Tem of Austin, Texas and represents District 10 on the City Council. Among many other things, she has led efforts to improve the city's sexual assault response system to provide healing and justice to sexual assault survivors. cw: Sexual Assault

This week, Jeremi, Zachary, and Paul Stekler discuss their feelings about Biden's first year, and what the future holds for his office. Zachary sets the scene with his poem "The Meaning in our Malaise" Professor Paul Stekler holds the Wofford Denius Chair in Entertainment Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a nationally recognized documentary filmmaker whose critically praised and award-winning work includes George Wallace: Settin’ the Woods on Fire; Last Man Standing: Politics, Texas Style; Vote for Me: Politics in America, a four-hour PBS special about grassroots electoral politics; two segments of the Eyes on the Prize II series on the history of civil rights; Last Stand at Little Big Horn (broadcast as part of PBS’s series The American Experience); Louisiana Boys: Raised on Politics (broadcast on PBS’s P.O.V. series); Getting Back to Abnormal (which aired on P.O.V. in 2014); and 2016’s Postcards from the Great Divide, a web series about politics for The Washington Post and PBS Digital. Overall, his films have won two George Foster Peabody Awards, three Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Journalism Awards, three national Emmy Awards, and a special jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Jeremi, Zachary, and guest Nataliya Gumenyuk discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the current position of Ukraine in the global political landscape. Zachary sets the scene with his poem "When the War Starts" Nataliya Gumenyuk is a Ukrainian author, documentary filmmaker, and journalist. She specializes in conflict reporting, human rights, and foreign affairs. Gumenyuk is a founder of the Public Interest Journalism Lab, aimed at popularizing public spirit journalism and overcoming polarization. Since the 2014 revolution in Ukraine, she has reported on events in Eastern Ukraine. Gremenyuk is one of the few journalists regularly traveling to occupied Crimea. In 2020 Gumenyuk published a book of her reporting, “The Lost Island. Tales from Occupied Crimea" based on 6 years of her reporting.  She is also the author of the book “Maidan Tahrir. In Search of a Lost Revolution” (2015), based on her reporting on the Arab Spring. 

Jeremi, Zachary, and guest Dr. Samuel J. Abrams, argue that the United States should lower the voting age requirement to 16 years old. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "What You Still Have Left To Give." Samuel J. Abrams is a professor of politics at Sarah Lawrence College and a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. He is the co-author, with Jeremi and Zachary Suri, of a recent article in The Hill: "Give Young People the Vote," https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/587055-give-young-people-the-vote.

Jeremi and Zachary sit down and reflect what they learned from this year, from the January 6th insurrection to the new Omicron Variant, and how we can move forward as a country. Zachary caps the year off with a new poem, "This year I'd like to love my country"

Jeremi, Zachary, and Dr. Garret J. Martin discuss the recent German election of chancellor Olaf Scholz last November. What could Germany's new, center-left government mean for global democracy? Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Not Just Us". Dr. Garret J. Martin is a Senior Professorial Lecturer and the Co-Director of the Transatlantic Policy Center in the School of International Service at American University. He has written widely on transatlantic relations and Europe. He focuses on security, US foreign policy, NATO, European politics, European foreign policy and defense, and the European Union. He is a frequent media commentator, providing analysis and interviews, among others, to NPR, the BBC, CNN, Voice of America, USA Today, WUSA, ABC News Australia and France 24.

Today on This is Democracy, Jeremi and Zachary talk with Dr. Michael Kimmage about the current crisis between Russia and the Ukraine and how it will influence US politics. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "The Most Careful Stalemate." Dr. Michael Kimmage is a professor of history at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC. He is also a fellow at the German Marshall Fund, and chair of the Advisory Council for the Kennan Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC. From 2014 to 2017, Kimmage served on the Secretary’s Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State, where he held the Russia/Ukraine portfolio. He publishes widely on international affairs, U.S.-Russian relations, and American diplomatic history. Kimmage is the author of: The Conservative Turn: Lionel Trilling, Whittaker Chambers and the Lessons of Anti-Communism (2009); In History’s Grip: Philip Roth’s Newark Trilogy (2012); and most recently, The Abandonment of the West: The History of an Idea in American Foreign Policy (2020).  His most recent article (co-authored with Michael Kofman) is "Russia Won't Let Ukraine Go Without a Fight," Foreign Affairs, 22 November 2021: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/ukraine/2021-11-22/russia-wont-let-ukraine-go-without-fight.  This episode of This is Democracy was mixed and mastered by Kate Whitmer and Morgan Honaker.

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary talk with Dr. Sarah Coleman about the history of United States immigration policy in the 20th century and onwards. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "To the Immigrant that Waits at the Border Station." Sarah Coleman is a historian of 20th century America at Texas State University. Her research is focused on immigration, race, and rights in the United States. She is a former advisor to President Biden and the author of The Walls Within: The Politics of Immigration in Modern America. Dr. Coleman received her PhD from Princeton University. This episode of This is Democracy was mixed and mastered by Allie Arrazola.

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Dr. Andrew Waxman to discuss the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled "As if Looking Backwards Through a Telescope". Andrew Waxman is an Assistant Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. His research examines Environmental and Urban Economics, among other subjects.  This episode of This is Democracy was mixed and mastered by Ean Herrera.

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Renee Lafair and Dr. Alison Alter to discuss Anit-Semitism and other forms of hate in response to the arson attempt that occurred at Congregation Beth Israel Halloween night. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled "Our Knots". Renee Lafair is the Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in Austin, Texas.  Dr. Alison Alter represents District 10 on the Austin City Council.  This episode of This is Democracy was mixed and mastered by Alejandra Arrazola and Ean Herrera.

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Dr. Nelson Lichtenstein to discuss the history of work and labor organization in the United States. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled "Soon to be But Not Yet" Nelson Lichtenstein is Distinguished Professor of History at the University of California, Santa Barbara. There he directs the Center for the Study of Work, Labor, and Democracy, which he founded in 2004 to train a new generation of labor intellectuals. A historian of labor, political economy, and ideology, he is the author or editor of 16 books, including a biography of the labor leader Walter Reuther and State of the Union: A Century of American Labor. His most recent books are Achieving Workers’ Rights in the Global Economy (2016); The Port Huron Statement: Sources and Legacies of the New Left’s Founding Manifesto (2015); The ILO From Geneva to the Pacific Rim (2015); A Contest of Ideas: Capital, Politics, and Labor (2013); The Right and Labor in America: Politics, Ideology, and Imagination (2012); The Retail Revolution: How Wal-Mart Created a Brave New World of Business (2009); and American Capitalism: Social Thought and Political Economy in the Twentieth Century (2006). Lichtenstein is currently writing a history of economic thought and policymaking in the administration of Bill Clinton. With Gary Gerstle and Alice O’Connor he has edited Beyond the New Deal Order: From the Great Depression to the Great Recession. He writes for Dissent, Jacobin, New Labor Forum, and American Prospect. Lichtenstein recently published an article in Dissent: "Is This A Strike Wave," (October 25, 2021). This episode of This is Democracy was mixed and mastered by Karoline Pfeil and Morgan Honaker.

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary talk with special guest Dr. Mark Moffett about human biology and how it affects the development of societies. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled "You Don't Really Wish You Were on a Mountainside" Called “the Indiana Jones of entomology” by the National Geographic Society, Dr. Mark Moffett is a modern-day explorer with more than a little luck on his side, having accidentally sat on one of the world’s deadliest snakes, battled drug lords with dart guns, and scrambled up trees to escape elephants, all part of his mission to find new species and behaviors in remote places. Presently Mark is studying the stability of societies across animal species and in humans right up to the present day, an outgrowth of his research for his fourth book, The Human Swarm: How Our Societies Arise, Thrive, and Fall. He received a Lowell Thomas Medal from the Explorers Club for his studies climbing into forest canopies around the world. Mark is one of only a handful of people to earn a doctorate under the Harvard sociobiologist and conservationist Edward O. Wilson. This episode of This is Democracy was mix and mastered by Karoline Pfeil.

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary talk with special guest Dr. Mark Atwood Lawrence about the Vietnam War and its continuing legacies in American society, global policy, as well as recent similar conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, “It is Hard to Build Utopias”. Mark Atwood Lawrence is Director of the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum in Austin, Texas. Until January 2020, he taught history at UT-Austin, where his classes focused on American and international history. Lawrence is author of Assuming the Burden: Europe and the American Commitment to War in Vietnam, The Vietnam War: A Concise International History, and, this fall, The End of Ambition: The United States and the Third World in the Vietnam Era, as well as several edited books and numerous articles, chapters, and reviews on various aspects of the history of U.S. foreign relations. Lawrence has held the Cassius Marcellus Clay Fellowship at Yale University (2006-2008) and the Stanley Kaplan Visiting Professorship in American Foreign Policy at Williams College (2011-2012). He earned his BA from Stanford University and his PhD from Yale University. This episode of This is Democracy was mixed and mastered by Ean Herrera.

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary talk with special guests Dyana Limon-Mercado, and Sarah Wheat about how women are responding to the latest abortion restrictions in Texas. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, “About Freedom”. Dyana Limon-Mercado is Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Texas Votes. Sarah Wheat is Chief External Affairs Officer at Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas. This episode of This is Democracy was mixed and mastered by Isaiah Thomas and Ean Herrera.

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary talk with special guest, Dr. Sheila Olmstead about climate change, the environment, and how the pandemic has exacerbated and changed our policies in handling it. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, “Fuelless”. Dr. Sheila Olmstead is a Professor at the University of Texas at Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs, a University Fellow at Resources for the Future (RFF), and a Senior Fellow at the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC). Professor Olmstead is a Charter Member of the Science Advisory Board at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In 2016-2017 she served in the White House as Senior Economist for Energy and the Environment on the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. Professor Olmstead has published in leading journals such as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the Journal of Economic Perspectives, the Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, the Journal of Urban Economics, Science, Water Resources Research, and Environmental Science and Technology. This episode of This is Democracy was mixed and mastered by Alejandra Arrazola and Ean Herrera.

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary talk with special guests, Dr. James Goldgeier and Dr. Joshua Shifrinson, about NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), and discuss why the alliance exists, the roll it has played, and how we should think about the alliance's future. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, “Transatlantic Elegy”. James Goldgeier is a Professor of International Relations and served as Dean of the School of International Service at American University from 2011-17. He is also a Robert Bosch Senior Visiting Fellow at the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution, and he serves as the chair of the State Department Historical Advisory Committee. He has authored or co-authored four books including: America Between the Wars: From 11/9 to 9/11 (co-authored with Derek Chollet); Power and Purpose: U.S. Policy toward Russia after the Cold War (co-authored with Michael McFaul); and Not Whether But When: The U.S. Decision to Enlarge NATO.  Joshua Shifrinson is an Associate Professor of International Relations in the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University. Shifrinson’s book, Rising Titans, Falling Giants: How Great Powers Exploit Power Shifts, explains why some rising states challenge and prey upon declining great powers, while others seek to support and cooperate with declining states. He has additional related projects on U.S. grand strategy, the durability of NATO, U.S. relations with its allies during and after the Cold War, and the rise of China. His work has appeared in International Security, the Journal of Strategic Studies, Foreign Affairs, and other venues.  This episode of This is Democracy was mixed and mastered by Ean Herrera.

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary talk with special guest, Jeffrey Rathke, about the upcoming elections in Germany and what implications they could have for politics within Germany, the European Union, and the United States. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, “Something We Should Remember Having Done.” Jeffrey Rathke is the President of the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies at the Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC. Prior to joining AICGS, Jeff was a senior fellow and deputy director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where his work focused on transatlantic relations and U.S. security and defense policy. Jeff joined CSIS in 2015 from the State Department, after a 24-year career as a Foreign Service Officer, dedicated primarily to U.S. relations with Europe. He was director of the State Department Press Office from 2014 to 2015, briefing the State Department press corps and managing the Department’s engagement with U.S. print and electronic media. Jeff led the political section of the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur from 2011 to 2014. Prior to that, he was deputy chief of staff to the NATO Secretary-General in Brussels. He also served in Berlin as minister-counselor for political affairs (2006–2009), his second tour of duty in Germany. His Washington assignments have included the deputy director of the Office of European Security and Political Affairs and duty officer in the White House Situation Room and State Department Operations Center.

In today's episode, Jeremi and Zachary have the opportunity to talk with special guests Steven Nadler and Lawrence Sharpiro. They discuss their exciting new book: When Bad Thinking Happens to Good People as well as the topic of moving towards a more open, evidence based, and logical form of thinking in society. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "The Apparition". Steven Nadler is Vilas Research Professor and the William H. Hay II Professor of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His books include Menasseh ben Israel: Rabbi of Amsterdam (Yale, “Jewish Lives” series, 2018); A Book Forged in Hell: Spinoza's Scandalous Treatise and the Birth of the Secular Age (Princeton, 2011); The Philosopher, the Priest and the Painter: A Portrait of Descartes (Princeton, 2013); Spinoza: A Life (Cambridge, 1999; 2nd ed. 2018); and Rembrandt's Jews (Chicago, 2003, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize). He is also the author, with his son Ben Nadler, of the graphic book Heretics! The Wondrous (and Dangerous) Beginnings of Modern Philosophy (Princeton, 2017). His most recent book is Think Least of Death: Spinoza on How to Live and How to Die (Princeton, 2020). He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Lawrence Shapiro is the Berent Enç Professor of Philosophy at University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research spans philosophy of mind and philosophy of psychology. Within philosophy of mind he has focused on issues related to reduction, especially concerning the thesis of multiple realization. His books include The Mind Incarnate (MIT, 2004) and The Multiple Realization Book (co-authored with Professor Thomas Polger.) His book, Embodied Cognition (Routledge Press), received the American Philosophical Association’s Joseph B. Gittler Award for best book in philosophy of the social sciences (2013). His recent interest in philosophy of religion resulted in The Miracle Myth: Why Belief in the Resurrection and the Supernatural is Unjustified (Columbia University Press, 2016). Drs. Nadler and Shapiro recently co-authored an exciting new book: When Bad Thinking Happens to Good People (Princeton University Press, 2021).  This episode of This is Democracy was mixed and mastered by Isaiah Thomas and Ean Herrera

Jeremi and Zachary, with special guest, Professor Stephen Vladeck, discuss the Shadow Docket in response to the recent controversial Texas Law that largely restricts access to Abortion. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "The Right to Choose". Stephen I. Vladeck holds the Charles Alan Wright Chair in Federal Courts at the University of Texas School of Law and is a nationally recognized expert on the federal courts, constitutional law, national security law, and military justice. Professor Vladeck has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Texas Supreme Court, and various lower federal civilian and military courts; has testified before numerous congressional committees and Executive Branch agencies and commissions; has served as an expert witness both in U.S. state and federal courts and in foreign tribunals; and has received numerous awards for his influential and widely cited legal scholarship, his prolific popular writing, his teaching, and his service to the legal profession.  Vladeck is the co-host, together with Professor Bobby Chesney, of the popular and award-winning “National Security Law Podcast.” He is CNN’s lead Supreme Court analyst and a co-author of Aspen Publishers’ leading national security law and counterterrorism law casebooks. And he is an executive editor of the Just Security blog and a senior editor of the Lawfare blog. This episode of This is Democracy was mixed and mastered by Ean Herrera

Jeremi and Zachary, with special guest, Prof. B. Venkat Mani, discuss the refugee crisis in reaction to recent events in Afghanistan Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "The Airplane With the City Clinging to its Wheels". B. Venkat Mani is a Professor of German and World Literature at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he is also a Senior Fellow in Race, Ethnicity, and Indigeneity. He was born and brought up in India and migrated to the US as for graduate education. He researches and teaches German literature, literature of migrants and refugees, and world literature. He is the author, among others of Cosmopolitical Claims(2007) and the multiple award winning Recoding World Literature (2017). He has co-edited a A Companion to World Literature (Wiley Blackwell 2020).  His work on racial, ethnic, and religious minorities with a focus on migration has also appeared in  The Wire (Hindi), Inside Higher Ed,Telos, and The Hindustan Times. His most recent article is: "Empires Slay, Publics Pay: The Global Refugee Crisis Unfolding in Afghanistan,” Hindustan Times (Aug 22, 2021): https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/empires-slay-publics-pay-the-global-refugee-crisis-unfolding-in-afghanistan-101629631940164.html.  This episode of This is Democracy was mixed and mastered by Morgan Honaker.

Jeremi and Zachary, with special guest, Steven Pedigo, discuss the results of the recently published U.S. Census and what it means for society. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "It Is A True Sonnet". Steven Pedigo is a Professor of Practice at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, and the inaugural director of the LBJ Urban Lab. Pedigo has advised more than 50 cities and regions across the world on how to build more creative, innovative, and inclusive communities. This episode of This is Democracy was mixed and mastered by Oscar Kitmanyen and Ean Herrera.

Jeremi and Zachary, with their guest Steve Sonnenberg, discuss the topic of mental health during the global pandemic. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "In the Park with the Wide Fountain".  Steve Sonnenberg, MD, is a psychiatrist and medical humanities and ethics scholar. He serves as professor and associate chair for education in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Dell Medical School. He also holds the Paul Woodruff Professorship for Excellence in Undergraduate Studies in the School of Undergraduate Studies, where he chairs the faculty panel of the Bridging Disciplines Program “Patients, Practitioners, and Cultures of Care.” That program is designed to prepare healthcare undergraduates with the tools they will need later, as providers, to create a healthcare system where health is a human right and structural disparities in care are eliminated. This episode of This is Democracy was mixed and mastered by Ean Herrera.

Jeremi and Zachary, with their guest Shoshana Krieger discuss the challenges in finding affordable rent in big cities. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "They Say a House is Just a Metaphor".  Shoshana Krieger is the Project Director of Building and Strengthening Tenant Action (BASTA) at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid. BASTA organizes Austin renters to work with their neighbors to ensure that all Austinites have access to safe and affordable housing by facilitating the development of tenant associations and building renter power in Austin. BASTA targets slumlords who profit off of renting substandard properties, the conditions of which negatively impact the health of families. Prior to her work at BASTA, Shoshana was a staff attorney at Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County (NLSLA) and a tenants rights organizer at Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES). Shoshana has a J.D. and M.A. in Urban Planning from UCLA. This episode of This is Democracy was mixed and mastered by Isaiah Thomas and Will Shute.

Jeremi and Zachary, with guest Dr. Christopher McKnight Nichols, draw upon perceptions of historical pandemics to learn how our nation can move beyond COVID-19. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "This Peaceful Dawn". Christopher McKnight Nichols is Director of the Center for the Humanities and the Sandy and Elva Sanders Eminent Professor in the Honors College at Oregon State University, where he is an associate professor of history. An Andrew Carnegie Fellow, Nichols is best known for authoring Promise and Peril: America at the Dawn of a Global Age (Harvard, 2011, 2015), and he is editor or author of five other books, including the recently published Rethinking American Grand Strategy (Oxford, 2021). His next book, co-edited and co-authored, is Ideologies and U.S. Foreign Relations: New Histories (out from Columbia University Press in 2022). This episode of This is Democracy was mixed and mastered by Sofia Salter.

Jeremi and Zachary, with guest Alan McPherson, discuss what we can learn from the long history of democratic efforts in Cuba, and how many of them were caused by America's foreign policy. Zachary sets the scene with his poem titled "Certainly Probable". Alan McPherson is Professor of History and Director of the Center for the Study of Force and Diplomacy at Temple University. He has written and edited 11 books, the most recent of which is Ghosts of Sheridan Circle: How a Washington Assassination Brought Pinochet’s Terror State to Justice.

Jeremi, Zachary, and guests Drs. Robert Edelman and David McDonald discuss the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, and the politics attached to the international sports competition. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "They say that sport unites the world". Robert Edelman is Professor of Russian History and the History of Sport at the University of California, San Diego. He has written four books including: Serious Fun: A History of Spectator Sports in the USSR and Spartak Moscow: A History of the People’s Team. He has consulted on documentaries for HBO, PBS, ESPN and CBS. Together with Christopher Young from the University of Cambridge, he is co-editor of the University of California Press’s new series Sport in World History, and is co-editor with Wayne Wilson of the The Oxford Handbook of Sports History.  He is the co-director with Young of an international research project on the history of Cold War sport under the auspices of the Cold War International History Project.  The first of two conference volumes, entitled The Whole World Was Watching was recently published by Stanford University Press.   David McDonald is the Alice D. Mortenson/Petrovich Distinguished Chair in Russian History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the author of, among many titles: Divided Government and Russian Foreign Policy, 1900-1914 and “Sport History and the Historical Profession,” in R. Edelman et al., eds., The Oxford Handbook to Sport History (New York: Oxford University Press, 2017), 61-78.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary talk with Wendy Davis and Eric Cervini about their perspective on voter intimidation, and their lived experience with the "Trump Train" incident in 2020. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "I Knew We Had Arrived". Wendy Davis represented the 10th district in the Texas Senate from 2009 to 2015. She was previously on the Fort Worth City Council. Wendy Davis was serving as a surrogate for the Biden-Harris campaign and was present on the bus when the Trump Train harassed its occupants. The October 30 attack barred her from campaigning for herself and for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris when the Biden-Harris campaign decided to cancel scheduled events due to safety concerns. The former Texas state senator and 2020 congressional candidate remarked that the bus incident was further evidence of a rising temperature in American politics, and that she had never experienced this kind of intimidation before in all the many campaigns she’d run and opposed. After the October 30 attack, Davis considered speaking out about her experience but did not immediately come forward because she feared for her safety.Dr. Eric Cervini is an award-winning historian of LGBTQ+ politics and culture. His first book on queer history, The Deviant's War, was a New York Times Bestseller, an Editors’ Choice, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in history. It won the Publishing Triangle’s Randy Shilts Award for Gay Nonfiction and was voted the “Best Read of 2020” at the Queerties. As an authority on 1960s gay activism, Cervini serves on the Board of Directors of the Harvard Gender and Sexuality Caucus, and on the Board of Advisors of the Mattachine Society of Washington, D.C., a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of gay American history. His award-winning digital exhibitions have been featured in Harvard’s Rudenstine Gallery, and he has presented his research to audiences across America and the United Kingdom.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary speak with their guest, Nataliya Gumenyuk about the challenges, struggles, and opportunity for democracy in the Ukraine. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Peace; the Privilege, the Chore". Nataliya Gumenyuk is a Ukrainian author, documentary filmmaker, and journalist. She specializes in conflict reporting, human rights, and foreign affairs. Gumenyuk is a founder of the Public Interest Journalism Lab, aimed at popularizing public spirit journalism and overcoming polarization. Since the 2014 revolution in Ukraine, she has  reported on events in Eastern Ukraine. Gremenyuk is one of the few journalists regularly traveling to occupied Crimea. In 2020 Gumenyuk published a book of her reporting, "The Lost Island. Tales from Occupied Crimea' based on 6 years of her reporting.  She is also the author of the book “Maidan Tahrir. In Search of a Lost Revolution” (2015), based on her reporting on the Arab Spring. 

This week, Jeremi and Zachary speak with Dr. Allison Gill about democracy activism and her efforts in exposing lies and keeping people updated in ongoing news while preserving the facts. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Mi Chamocha." Allison Gill is a veteran, a Ph.D., a former federal government executive, a comedian, an author, and a staunch advocate for the democratic resistance. Her mission as the executive producer and host of the podcast, "Mueller, She Wrote," is to employ her expertise in the absurd amount of Trump Russia news and wrap it up into tasty bites for human consumption; she is committed to do this weekly until the House of Trump falls. Additionally, she is very dedicated to the separation of facts and theory, and she works hard to make sure you know which is which. The truth is the goal, and facts are the tools. Allison hosts and produces a number of additional podcasts for democracy activists and informed citizens, including: "The Daily Beans" and "Clean Up on Aisle 45." Please visit the following podcast links for Allison Gill’s amazing shows: ‎Mueller, She Wrote on Apple Podcasts, ‎The Daily Beans on Apple Podcasts, ‎Cleanup on Aisle 45 with AG and Andrew Torrez on Apple Podcasts.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary speak with Dr. Lorinc Redei about the change that has occured within the European Union. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "What Becomes of a Continent." Dr. Lorinc Redei is a professor at the LBJ School at the University of Texas at Austin, where he serves as the graduate advisor for the Global Policy Studies Program. He previously served as a press officer in the European Parliament, the directly elected legislature of the European Union. Redei's research and writing focus on European politics, the European Union, and the role of the European Parliament.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary speak with Dr. Robinson Woodward-Burns about the role of state governments in making larger constitutional and political policies for the United States. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "When They Gather In The Hallowed Halls." Robinson Woodward-Burns is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at Howard University, where he researches and teaches on American constitutionalism, civil rights, federalism, DC politics and statehood, and slavery and abolition. His first book, Hidden Laws: How State Constitutions Stabilize American Politics, was published in 2021 by Yale University Press. The book proposes that state constitutional reform has addressed national controversies over elections, voting and civil rights, and economic and labor regulation, steering national political development since the founding era. He has also published on abolitionism, constitutionalism, and social movements in the Journal of Politics, Polity, and the Tulsa Law Review. He has also written on these topics, with a special emphasis on DC statehood, in the Atlantic and the Washington Post.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary talk with Natalie Suri about her experiences as a high school student during the COVID-19 pandemic, graduating during a global crisis, and her new views on the world. Zachary reads his poem, "Like an Elephant." Natalie Suri graduated from McCallum High School in Austin in June 2021. She received many academic honors, including the Trustee Scholar award, the University Interscholastic League Scholar award, and the President’s Award for Academic Excellence. In September 2021 she will begin her studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary talk with Lieutenant Colonel Christina Hopper about her military career and the history of women and minorities serving in the Air Force. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "Just a Little More Earthly" Lieutenant Colonel Christina “Thumper” Hopper graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1998 and commissioned as the Distinguished Graduate of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Program.  She earned Air Force pilot wings in 2000, completed F-16 training in 2001 and was one of only two Black female fighter pilots in the Air Force until 2021. During her time in the Air Force, Christina has been an advocate for women and minorities in aviation.  She has mentored hundreds of young women through programs like Lean-In, Supergirls (which she started among the pilot training bases) and Sisters of the Skies (a mentorship program for Black female pilots).  She has also contributed to strategic diversity initiatives in the Air Force and developed diversity curriculum for student pilots and her local base community. She was featured by Good Housekeeping Magazine, Ebony, and the Harry Connick Jr. Show and Family Circle Magazine named her one of the top 20 Working Moms of 2018. She currently serves as a T-38 Evaluator Pilot with more than 2500 hours in fighter, trainer and airline transport aircraft.  In addition to her Air Force service, Christina is a wife of 20 years, a mom of three, a Delta Air Lines pilot, and professional speaker.  She speaks on various topics related to her life experiences including diversity, overcoming adversity, and harnessing joy for success. To book her as a speaker for your next event visit:  https://www.athenasvoiceusa.com/christina-thumper-hopper.

Jeremi and Zachary with their guest Professor Robert Chesney discuss the threats, concerns trepidation and potential opportunities behind cybersecurity as well as how the country examines and deals with cyber issues to protect and further our democratic values. Zachary sets the scene with his poem titled "The Solution". Professor Robert “Bobby” Chesney is a leading scholar and policy adviser on issues related to national security, cybersecurity, and law. Professor Chesney holds the James Baker Chair and also serves as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of Texas School of Law. He is the Director of the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law, a university-wide research unit bridging across disciplines to improve understanding of international security issues. Professor Chesney is a co-founder and contributor to www.lawfareblog.com, the leading source for analysis, commentary, and news relating to law and national security. He co-hosts the National Security Law Podcast with colleague, Steve Vladeck: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-national-security-law-podcast/id1201314368. 

On this episode, Jeremi and Zachary, with guest Dr. Samuel Truett discuss their understanding of the controversies surrounding the US-Mexico border. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "The Forest Next to the Trees". Samuel Truett received his Ph.D. at Yale University and is Associate Professor of History and Director of the Center for the Southwest at the University of New Mexico.  He is the author of Fugitive Landscapes: The Forgotten History of the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands (2006), the co-editor of Continental Crossroads: Remapping U.S.-Mexico Borderlands History (2004), and writes broadly on borderlands, environmental, and Native American History in North American and global perspectives.  He has been a Fulbright Fellow at the University of Tampere (Finland) and a fellow at the Huntington Library, Newberry Library, John Carter Brown Library, and Institut d’Etudes Avancées (Institute for Advanced Study) in Nantes, France.  At the University of New Mexico he has led interdisciplinary efforts with the Newberry Consortium in American Indian Studies and Ted Turner’s New Mexico ranches.  His current work on border crossings in the nineteenth-century world reaches south across the hemisphere and west to imperial and Indigenous spaces in the Pacific basin, the Indian Ocean, and the greater China Seas.  He is also interested in cross-disciplinary ways of using history to rethink planetary crossings, entanglements, and futures of humans and their non-human kin in contexts of rapid social and environmental change.

On this episode, Jeremi and Zachary, with Dr. Charles Edel, discuss the history of U.S-China foreign policy, to frame how the youth of America should have opinions on relations with China. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "A Good Fight". Dr. Charles Edel is a Global Fellow at the Wilson Center and a Senior Fellow at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. Edel’s research and policy expertise is in the politics and security of the Indo-Pacific, U.S. strategy toward the region, American foreign policy, grand strategy, and American political history. He is the co-author (with Hal Brands) of The Lessons of Tragedy: Statecraft and World Order (2019) and author of Nation Builder: John Quincy Adams and the Grand Strategy of the Republic (2014).  Currently, he is working on a book examining America’s history of dealing with authoritarian regimes. In addition to his scholarly publications, his writings appear in The Washington Post,Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The American Interest, and various other outlets.  He also regularly offers foreign policy commentary on television and radio, including CNBC, ABC, Sky News, Australia’s RN, and NPR.   Previously, Edel was Associate Professor of Strategy and Policy at the U.S. Naval War College, and served on the U.S. Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff from 2015-2017. In that role, he advised the Secretary of State on political and security issues in the Asia-Pacific region.  He also has worked at Peking University's Center for International and Strategic Studies as a Henry Luce Scholar, was awarded the Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellowship, and taught high school history in New York City.

Jeremi and Zachary, with Eric Rauchway, discuss the legacy of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, and how modern policies in today's government echo it. Zachary sets the scene with his poem titled "In the Radio Static." Eric Rauchway is Distinguished Professor of History at the University of California, Davis, and the author of seven books on U.S. history including, most recently, Why the New Deal Matters (2021). He is the author also of Winter War (2018), on the conflict between Herbert Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt over the New Deal in 1932-1933.

Jeremi and Zachary along with their guest, Aaron O'Connell discuss America's longest war, the Afghanistan War, and the implications within our proposed withdrawal on the 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Zachary sets the scene with his poem titled "When a War Lasts 20 Years". Dr. Aaron O’Connell is an Associate Professor of History at UT Austin and Director of Research at the Clements Center for National Security. He is a military historian who focuses on military strategy and culture. His first book was entitled, Underdogs: The Making of the Modern Marine Corps. His second book was a collection of essays entitled Our Latest Longest War: Losing Hearts & Minds in Afghanistan. Dr. O’Connell served for 26 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, with the current rank of colonel. He served as a Special Advisor to General David Petraeus in Afghanistan. Later, he served as a Special Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, where he wrote on issues of terrorism and strategy. Dr. O’Connell also served in the Obama Administration as Director of Defense Policy & Strategy on the National Security Council Staff.

Jeremi and Zachary turn to expert Dr. Daina Ramey Berry to discuss the history and legacy of slave revolts and maroon societies in the United States, and lack of education on these subjects today. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "One You Have Not Heard". Daina Ramey Berry is the Oliver H. Radkey Regents Professor of History and Chairperson of the History Department at the University of Texas at Austin. She is a Fellow of the Walter Prescott Webb Chair in History and the George W. Littlefield Professorship in American History, and the former Associate Dean of The Graduate School. Professor Berry is a scholar of the enslaved and a specialist on gender and slavery as well as Black women’s history in the United States. Professor Berry's books include: Swing the Sickle for the Harvest is Ripe: Gender and Slavery in Antebellum Georgia; The Price for Their Pound of Flesh: The Value of the Enslaved from Womb to Grave in the Building of a Nation; and A Black Women’s History of the United States, with co-author Kali Nicole Gross.

Jeremi and Zachary turn to expert Dr. Jason Scott Smith to discuss the history of America's investment in public works, the Biden administration's proposed 2 trillion dollar infrastructure bill, and where the people of America think their taxes should go. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "What Else?" Jason Scott Smith is a professor of history at the University of New Mexico. He is a specialist in the history of capitalism and political economy. Professor Smith’s research and teaching range from the nineteenth century through the global financial crisis of 2008. He is the author of:  Building New Deal Liberalism: The Political Economy of Public Works, 1933-1956  and  A Concise History of the New Deal.  

Jeremi, Zachary, and Dr. Richard Reddick discuss the racist past, and current controversy, of UT's most popular song, "The Eyes of Texas". The lyrics to "The Eyes of Texas" are as follows: The Eyes of Texas are upon you, All the livelong day. The Eyes of Texas are upon you, You cannot get away. Do not think you can escape them At night or early in the morn -- The Eyes of Texas are upon you Til Gabriel blows his horn. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "The Spirit Lives" Richard J. Reddick is the inaugural associate dean for equity, community engagement, and outreach for the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin. He is a professor in the Program in Higher Education Leadership in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy (ELP) at The University of Texas at Austin, where he has served as a faculty member since 2007. Additionally, Dr. Reddick serves as the Assistant Director of the Plan II Honors Program in the College of Liberal Arts. Dr. Reddick is a faculty member by courtesy in the Department for African and African Diaspora Studies, the John L. Warfield Center for African and African American Studies, and a fellow at the Institute for Urban Policy Research and Analysis. Dr. Reddick co-chairs the Council for Racial and Ethnic Equity and Diversity (CREED), serves on the Signature Course Advisory Committee (SCAC), and was named to the inaugural cohort of the Provost’s Distinguished Service Academy.  Most recently, he served as Chair of the Eyes of Texas History Committee. The committee's report is available at: https://utexas.app.box.com/s/5o2a1klri1htyhq3mziyxdjgxvegprjj. 

This week, after the racially-motivated attacks in Atlanta, Georgia, Jeremi and Zachary talk with Professor Madeline Hsu about Asian American History and exclusion in the United States. Zachary reads his poem, "Like a Bullet." Yesterday, UT's Department of History issued a statement in support of UT's Asian & Asian American community. Read the full statement at http://bit.ly/3tGGQBA. Colleagues at the department website, NOT EVEN PAST, have compiled and are still currently collecting resources & information on the mass shootings in Atlanta: http://bit.ly/3f8yJK7.

Jeremi and Zachary, with guest Julian Zelizer discuss what is at the forefront of our news and draw on the history of economic stimulus packages and how that history will help inform our collective experience with the most recent economic stimulus package. Julian E. Zelizer is one of the leading experts on modern American political history. He is the Malcolm Stevenson Forbes, Class of 1941 Professor of History and Public Affairs at Princeton University. Professor Zelizer is the author and editor of 19 books on American political history, including: Taxing America: Wilbur D. Mills, Congress, and the State, 1945-1975; The Fierce Urgency of Now: Lyndon Johnson, Congress, and the Battle for the Great Society; and Fault Lines: A History of the United States Since 1974, co-authored with Kevin Kruse. Most recently, Zelizer published Burning Down the House: Newt Gingrich, The Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of the New Republican Party.

Jeremi and Zachary, with Dr. Sean Theriault discuss congressional politics and question whether the U.S. Senate should continue to have a rule for a Filibuster. Dr. Sean Theriault is a professor in the Department of Government at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a leading scholar of American political institutions, and the U.S. Congress in particular. Sean has published five books: Congress: The First Branch (with Mickey Edwards; Oxford University Press, 2020), The Great Broadening (with Bryan Jones and Michelle Whyman; University of Chicago Press, 2019), The Gingrich Senators (Oxford University Press, 2013), Party Polarization in Congress (Cambridge University Press, 2008), and The Power of the People (Ohio State University Press, 2005). He has also published numerous articles in a variety of journals on subjects ranging from presidential rhetoric to congressional careers and the Louisiana Purchase to the Pendleton Act of 1883.

Jeremi and Zachary, with Dr. Varun Rai, discuss the role of state and national government in energy management, as well as what improvements could be made to Texas's approach to climate crises, and its unregulated, disconnected electrical power grid. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Do Not Be Alone When The Lights Come Back On." Dr. Varun Rai is the Walt and Elspeth Rostow Professor in the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the director of the UT Energy Institute and the Associate Dean for Research in the LBJ School. Through his interdisciplinary research, delving with issues at the interface of energy systems, complex systems, decision science, and public policy, he is developing effective policy approaches to help accelerate the deployment of sustainable energy technologies globally. He has presented at several important forums, including the United States Senate Briefings, Global Intelligent Utility Network Coalition, Climate One at Commonwealth Club, and Global Economic Symposium, and his research group’s work has been discussed in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Bloomberg News, among other venues. He was a Global Economic Fellow in 2009. During 2013-2015 he was a Commissioner for the vertically-integrated electric utility Austin Energy. In 2016 the Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management (APPAM) awarded him the David N. Kershaw Award and Prize, which “was established to honor persons who, at under the age of 40, have made a distinguished contribution to the field of public policy analysis and management.” He received his Ph.D. and MS in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur.

Jeremi and Zachary, with Prof. Jonathan Marks, discuss the approach of liberal education through a conservative lens, and how the status quo can hinder thoughtful discussions instead of promoting critical thought. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "That Man Believes Astrology". Jonathan Marks is a professor of politics at Ursinus College and a blogger for Commentary magazine. He is the author of Perfection and Disharmony in the Thought of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and, most recently, Let’s Be Reasonable: A Conservative Case for Liberal Education. Marks writes frequently on higher education for the Chronicle of Higher Education and the Wall Street Journal.

In this Episode Jeremi and Zachary along with - discuss how large quantities of data are used in surveillance and how they may be used to heighten inequalities for certain communities. Sarah Brayne is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin. In her research, Brayne uses qualitative and quantitative methods to examine the social consequences of data-intensive surveillance practices. Her book, Predict and Surveil: Data, Discretion, and the Future of Policing (Oxford University Press), draws on ethnographic research with the Los Angeles Police Department to understand how law enforcement uses predictive analytics and new surveillance technologies. In previous research, she analyzed the relationship between criminal justice contact and involvement in medical, financial, labor market, and educational institutions. Brayne's research has appeared in the American Sociological Review, Social Problems, Law and Social Inquiry, and the Annual Review of Law and Social Science and has received awards from the American Sociological Association, the Law and Society Association, and the American Society of Criminology. Brayne has volunteer-taught college-credit sociology classes in prisons since 2012. In 2017, she founded the Texas Prison Education Initiative.

Jeremi and Zachary, with Dr. Brent Iverson, discuss the role of science in government and society, as well as how education and scientific literacy will help in the development and protection of democracy. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "What No One Ever Told Me." Dr. Brent Iverson is a distinguished professor of chemistry and dean of the School of Undergraduate Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. He is an award-winning chemistry teacher and he maintains a distinguished research laboratory. Iverson is an inventor on 24 issued U.S. patents. Working with George Georgiou and Jennifer Maynard of the UT Department of Biomedical Engineering, Iverson helped develop an FDA-approved late-stage cure for exposure to anthrax.

Jeremi and Zachary discuss the ongoing political protests in Russia, and Biden's response to Putin, with Dr. Michael Kimmage. Dr. Michael Kimmage is a professor of history at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC. He is also a fellow at the German Marshall Fund, and chair of the Advisory Council for the Kennan Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC. From 2014 to 2017, Kimmage served on the Secretary's Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State, where he held the Russia/Ukraine portfolio. He publishes widely on international affairs, U.S.-Russian relations and American diplomatic history. Kimmage is the author of: The Conservative Turn: Lionel Trilling, Whittaker Chambers and the Lessons of Anti-Communism (2009); In History’s Grip: Philip Roth's Newark Trilogy (2012); The Abandonment of the West: The History of an Idea in American Foreign Policy (2020). His published a recent article on Russia and US policy in the New Republic, “How Biden Can Achieve a Russian Restoration:” https://newrepublic.com/article/161044/biden-putin-navalny-russia-protests.

Today Jeremi and Zachary discuss President-Elect Joe Biden's inauguration and the effects his speech may have on the current divisions in the United States with special guest Dr. David Greenberg. Zachary sets the scene with his poem "For President Biden Upon His Inauguration." David Greenberg is a professor of History and of Journalism & Media Studies at Rutgers University. He is a leading expert on presidential history and rhetoric. Prof. Greenberg is the author of: Nixon’s Shadow: The History of an Image (W.W. Norton, 2003), Calvin Coolidge (Henry Holt, 2006), and Republic of Spin: An Inside History of the American Presidency (W.W. Norton, 2016). He writes frequently for the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, Daedalus, Dissent, Raritan, and many other scholarly and popular publications.

Today Jeremi and Zachary reflect on the recent events leading up to the U.S. Capitol riots and discuss its impact amidst a democracy in crisis with special guest, Dr. Nicole Hemmer. Nicole Hemmer is an associate research scholar with the Obama Presidency Oral History project. A political historian specializing in media, conservatism, and the far-right, Hemmer is author of Messengers of the Right: Conservative Media and the Transformation of American Politics. She is co-founder and co-editor of Made by History, the historical analysis section of the Washington Post. She is also a columnist for Vox and The Age in Melbourne. She co-hosts Past Present, a weekly podcast where three historians discuss the latest news in American politics and culture, and is the producer and host of A12: The Story of Charlottesville, a six-part podcast series on the white-power terrorism in Charlottesville in 2017. Hemmer’s historical analysis has appeared in a number of national and international news outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Atlantic, Politico, U.S. News & World Report, New Republic, PBS NewsHour, CNN, NPR, and NBC News.

Today Jeremi and Zachary reflect on what they have learned this year from the many discussions with the guests they've had on the podcast, what 2020 has taught us, and why they have hope for 2021. Zachary sets the scene with his poem titled "The Year of Elisions".

Today, Jeremi and Zachary, with guest Professor David M. Oshinsky discuss the history of vaccinations in American society and how it applies to the current pandemic and the arrivals of the newest COVID-19 vaccines. Zachary sets the scene with his poem titled "In My Defense". David M. Oshinsky directs the division of medical humanities in the department of medicine at New York University, where he is also a professor of history. His books include A Conspiracy So Immense: The World of Joe McCarthy (1983) and Worse Than Slavery: Parchman Farm and the Ordeal of Jim Crow Justice (1996), which garnered the Robert F. Kennedy Prize for distinguished contribution to human rights. His Polio: An American Story (2006) won both the Pulitzer Prize in history and the Hoover Presidential Book Award, and his articles and reviews appear regularly in the New York Times and other national publications. He is most recently the author of Bellevue: Three Centuries of Medicine and Mayhem at America's Most Storied Hospital (2016).

Today, Jeremi and Zachary, with guest Dr. Geoffrey Kabaservice discuss the mid-twentieth century history of the Republican party and what that can inform us about where the party might be going from where it is today. Zachary sets the scene with his poem titled, "For Joseph McCarthy and his Brethren in Moral Promiscuity". Dr. Geoffrey Kabaservice is Director of Political Studies at the Niskanen Center in Washington D.C. He is the author of several books including: The Guardians: Kingman Brewster, His Circle, and the Rise of the Liberal Establishment (Henry Holt, 2004) and Rule and Ruin: The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican Party, from Eisenhower to the Tea Party (Oxford 2012). Kabaservice has written for numerous national publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Politico, and the Guardian. His most recent article appeared in the Washington Post on December 4: "The Forever Grievance.”

Today, Jeremi and Zachary, with guest Dr. Shirley Thompson talk about the historical evolution of Atlanta, Georgia. Zachary sets the scene with his song titled, "Don Quixote of Oakland and Sancho of the South Side". Dr. Shirley Thompson is an Associate Professor of American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, and Associate Director of the John L. Warfield Center for African and African American Studies. She is the author of Exiles at Home: The Struggle to Become American in Creole New Orleans. Her new book project has the working title: "No More Auction Block for Me: African Americans and the Problem of Property.” She is the author of an influential recent article about social and political changes in Atlanta, "Georgia On My Mind,” New York Review of Books (19 November 2020.)

Jeremi and Zachary, with guest Dr. Vaneesa Cook, discuss the Port Huron Statement, and the shifting ideals of democracy in America. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Port Huron Revisited." Vaneesa Cook received her PhD in US history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2015. She is the author of Spiritual Socialists: Religion and the American Left. Her articles on the history of social movements and religious thought have appeared in The Washington Post, Dissent magazine, and Religion & Politics, among others. She is currently the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency historian in residence for the UW-Madison Missing in Action Project.

Jeremi and Zachary speak with Augusta Dell’Omo about right wing extremism and right wing militias in American society. Zachary sets the scene with his poem titled, "Aron Gridinger and I survived." Augusta Dell'Omo is a Ph.D. candidate in history at the University of Texas at Austin. She specializes in U.S. foreign policy and race in international relations from the late Cold War to the present. Focusing on political extremism, religion, African politics, and public history, Augusta is a graduate fellow at the Clements Center for National Security and the Centre for the Analysis of the Radical Right (CARR). She is an Ernest May Predoctoral Fellow in History and Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for 2020–2021. She has published columns for The Washington Post, appeared on news programs like CNN International, and produced two podcasts – 15 Minute History and Right Rising.

Jeremi and Zachary speak with Ruth Hargrove about deportations of asylum seekers coming into the U.S. Zachary sets the scene with his poem titled, “Anius Meanwhile, Climbs the Rock”. Ruth Hargrove is a professor at California Western School of Law. She runs a pro bono practice representing domestic violence victims, students in disciplinary matters, and tenants in landlord/tenant claims. She retired from teaching in 2018 to have more time to fight President Trump's most destructive policies. Her pro bono practice now concentrates on asylum law, working with Jewish Family Services of San Diego, the Immigration Justice Project, and the Board of Immigration Appeals Pro Bono Project.

Jeremi and Zachary speak with Jillian Smith and Eli Alter about what it's like for first-time voters during the presidential election and what role voting plays as our society continues to evolve. Zachary sets the scene with his poem "I Remember when I was Four". Jillian Smith is a junior at the University of Texas at Austin. Eli Alter is a senior at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois.

Jeremi and Zachary speak with Professor Paul Stekler about the way media has covered the U.S. 2020 Election as well as prior election seasons and how the history of media coverage has played a role in the way it is done in this election season. Zachary first sets the scene with his poem titled "Water Balloons". Professor Paul Stekler holds the Wofford Denius Chair in Entertainment Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a nationally recognized documentary filmmaker whose critically praised and award-winning work includes George Wallace: Settin’ the Woods on Fire; Last Man Standing: Politics, Texas Style; Vote for Me: Politics in America, a four-hour PBS special about grassroots electoral politics; two segments of the Eyes on the Prize II series on the history of civil rights; Last Stand at Little Big Horn (broadcast as part of PBS’s series The American Experience); Louisiana Boys: Raised on Politics (broadcast on PBS’s P.O.V. series); Getting Back to Abnormal (which aired on P.O.V. in 2014); and 2016’s Postcards from the Great Divide, a web series about politics for The Washington Post and PBS Digital. Overall, his films have won two George Foster Peabody Awards, three Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Journalism Awards, three national Emmy Awards, and a special jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Jeremi and Zachary speak with Dr. Susan Neiman about the role of historical memory in addressing past injustices. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Herbst ich erinnere mich", or "Fall I Remember". Susan Neiman is Director of the Einstein Forum in Berin, Germany. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Neiman studied philosophy at Harvard and the Freie Universität Berlin, and was professor of philosophy at Yale and Tel Aviv University. She is the author of numerous books, including: Slow Fire: Jewish Notes from Berlin, The Unity of Reason: Rereading Kant, Evil in Modern Thought, Moral Clarity: A Guide for Grown-up Idealists, and Why Grow Up? Subversive Thoughts for an Infantile Age. Her most recent book is: Learning from the Germans: Race and the Memory of Evil. The paperback edition of the book includes a new epilogue on the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Jeremi and Zachary discuss the role of dissent, specifically whistleblowers, in US national security and defense, with Hannah Gurman and Kaeten Mistry. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Cross of Gold". Hannah Gurman teaches U.S. history and American Studies at NYU's Gallatin School of Individualized Study. She is the author of The Dissent Papers: The Voices of Diplomats in the Cold War and Beyond (2012), editor of A People's History of Counterinsurgency (2013), and co-editor of Whistleblowing Nation: The History of National Security Disclosures and the Cult of State Secrecy (2020). Kaeten Mistry is a historian of the U.S. and the world and teaches at the University of East Anglia. He has authored Waging Political Warfare: The United States, Italy, and the Origins of Cold War (2014) and edited Reforms, Reflection and Reappraisals: The CIA and U.S. Foreign Policy since 1947 (2011) and, with Hannah Gurman, Whistleblowing Nation: The History of National Security Disclosures and the Cult of State Secrecy (2020).

Jeremi, Zachary, and guest Ali Soufan, discuss the effectiveness of the FBI's interrogation techniques from before and after the war in Iraq. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Do Not Turn from the Bruises that We Bare." Ali Soufan is a former FBI special agent and lead investigator on some of the world’s most complex international terrorism cases. He is the chairman and CEO of The Soufan Group, founder of The Soufan Center, and has been featured in books, films, television series, newspaper articles, and documentaries across the globe. He is the author of two widely-read books: Anatomy of Terror: From the Death of Bin Laden to the Rise of the Islamic State and  The Black Banners: The Inside Story of 9/11 and the War Against al-Qaeda. The latter book was recently re-published with the addition of detailed sections, formerly withheld by the CIA. 

Jeremi, Zachary, and guest Lata N. Reddy, discuss the intersection between business and social justice, as well as the need for diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "The Dream." Lata N. Reddy is senior vice president of  Inclusive Solutions at Prudential Financial and chair of The Prudential Foundation. In these roles, Reddy harnesses the power of capital markets to drive financial and social mobility. By combining diversity strategies, impact investments, philanthropy, corporate contributions and employee engagement with Prudential’s full business capabilities, she helps position the company to promote inclusive economic opportunity and sustainable growth. Reddy originally joined Prudential in 1997. Prior to joining Prudential, she was a civil rights attorney with the U.S. Department of Education. Her dedication to promoting equity has spanned her career in the nonprofit, public and private sectors. Reddy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Michigan and a law degree from Emory University School of Law.

Jeremi and Zachary, with Stephen Vladeck, discuss the current nomination controversies in the Supreme Court, and the relevance of the courts to the youth today. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "By Allergy and Allegory." Stephen I. Vladeck holds the Charles Alan Wright Chair in Federal Courts at the University of Texas School of Law and is a nationally recognized expert on the federal courts, constitutional law, national security law, and military justice. Professor Vladeck has argued multiple cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and the lower federal courts; has served as an expert witness both in U.S. and foreign tribunals; and has been repeatedly recognized for his influential and widely-cited legal scholarship, his prolific popular writing, his teaching, and his service to the legal profession. Vladeck is the co-host, together with Professor Bobby Chesney, of the popular and award-winning “National Security Law Podcast.” He is CNN’s Supreme Court analyst and a co-author of Aspen Publishers’ leading national security law and counterterrorism law casebooks. And he is an executive editor of the Just Security blog and a senior editor of the Lawfare blog.

Jeremi hosts a roundtable discussion about the protests in Belarus Zachary sets the scene with his poem, ”Speaking of the Hurricane.” Nataly (Natalia) Yagur, born and raised in Belarus, has been a US resident since 2010. She holds a BS in Economics from Belarusian State University and an MS in Statistics from Texas A&M University. She has been the Community Coordinator for Belarusians in Austin since 2014 and is a Lead for Belarusians in Texas since 2017.  Michael has an MA in Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses on the Lukashenko regime's use of anti-western propaganda, especially propaganda invoking national trauma connected to the devastation Belarus experienced during the Second World War. He lived in Belarus for an extended period of time.  Matthew Orr is pursuing dual master’s degrees in Global Policy Studies and Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. He received his B.A. in Russian language and literature from George Washington University and lived in Russia for three years, including a year teaching English through the Fulbright program. He is a co-host and a producer of The Slavic Connexion podcast at UT. Thomas Rehnquist is a cyber security fellow at the Strauss Center. Tom is in his third year at the University of Texas at Austin, completing a dual Master’s in Russian Studies and Global Policy. Tom’s attraction to cybersecurity buds from the growing use of non-military levers to conduct geo-political warfare, a strategy assumed to proliferate in the coming years. Tom is a co-host and producer of the The Slavic Connexion podcast at UT.

Jeremi and Zachary meet with Fredrik Logevall to learn how President JFK's legacy influences our politics today. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "The Ghost of JFK." Fredrik Logevall is the Laurence D. Belfer Professor of International Affairs at the John F. Kennedy School of Government and Professor of History, Harvard University. Logevall is the author or editor of ten books, most recently JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956. His previous book, Embers of War: The Fall of an Empire and the Making of America’s Vietnam, won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for History and the 2013 Francis Parkman Prize, as well as the 2013 American Library in Paris Book Award and the 2013 Arthur Ross Book Award from the Council on Foreign Relations. His other recent books include America’s Cold War: The Politics of Insecurity (with Campbell Craig), and Choosing War: The Lost Chance For Peace and the Escalation of War in Vietnam.

On this episode of This is Democracy, Jeremi speaks with guest Dr. Nicole Hemmer on the growing right-wing voices in mainstream American media. Zachary sets the stage with his poem, "The Wise Man Addresses the Masses." Nicole Hemmer is an associate research scholar with the Obama Presidency Oral History project. A political historian specializing in media, conservatism, and the far-right, Hemmer is author of Messengers of the Right: Conservative Media and the Transformation of American Politics. She is co-founder and co-editor of Made by History, the historical analysis section of the Washington Post. She is also a columnist for Vox and The Age in Melbourne. She co-hosts Past Present, a weekly podcast where three historians discuss the latest news in American politics and culture, and is the producer and host of A12: The Story of Charlottesville, a six-part podcast series on the white-power terrorism in Charlottesville in 2017. Hemmer’s historical analysis has appeared in a number of national and international news outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Atlantic, Politico, U.S. News & World Report, New Republic, PBS NewsHour, CNN, NPR, and NBC News.

On this episode of This is Democracy, Jeremi speaks with guest Steven Olikara on the role of race in the politics of the Midwest as it relates to the current political climate Steven Olikara is a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is the Founder and President of the Millennial Action Project. Internationally, Steven has advised two multi-platinum recording artists on youth issues and sustainable energy efforts, including the Akon Lighting Africa initiative that has electrified over 1 million homes in Africa with solar power. Previously, he worked at the World Bank and served as Harry Ott Fellow on Coca-Cola’s Environment Team, developing public-private water projects with USAID in Africa. Steven is a frequent speaker on next generation leadership at venues such as the Aspen Ideas Festival, the White House, Harvard Institute of Politics, Yale College, SXSW, and the United Nations.

On this episode of This is Democracy, Jeremi brings on guest Ian Buruma to discuss the lasting legacy of Winston Churchill as it relates to our current political climate. To set the scene, Zachary reads his poem entitled, "The Greeks have Seceded from the Continent." Ian Buruma is a leading writer about recent history, politics, human rights, democracy, and international affairs. He is a prolific author of major books, including, among many others: Year Zero; Occidentalism; and The Wages of Guilt. Ian's most recent book is: The Churchill Complex: The Curse of Being Special, From Winston and FDR to Trump and Brexit.

To honor the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment, Jeremi brings on Dr. Lisa Tetrault to discuss the untold history and the memory of the intersectional struggle for women's suffrage that continues in the form of voter disenfranchisement today. To set the scene, Zachary reads his poem entitled, "The Pained Footsteps." Dr. Lisa Tetrault is an associate professor of history at Carnegie Mellon University. She specializes in the history of gender, race, and American democracy—with an emphasis on memory and social movements. She is the author of the prize-winning book, The Myth of Seneca Falls: Memory and the Women’s Suffrage Movement, 1848-1898. A frequent commentator on the suffrage centennial, Tetrault also serves as an historical consultant for Nineteenth Amendment projects launched by the National Constitution, the Woodrow Wilson House, the Schlesinger Library, and Ancestry.com, as well as the documentary, “The Vote” ( PBS’s American Experience). The recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Radcliffe Institute, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Library of Congress, she is currently at work on a genealogy of the Nineteenth Amendment.

Jeremi and Zachary host a panel of historians Don Carleton, Michael Stoff, and Ben Wright, to discuss the lasting effects of the United States' atomic bombings on Japan in WWII. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Awaiting the Apocalypse." Don Carleton is a historian and founding director of the Briscoe Center for American History at UT-Austin. He is the author of 12 books, including Red Scare, Conversations with Cronkite, and forthcoming, The Governor and the Colonel: a dual biography of William P. Hobby and Oveta Culp Hobby. Michael Stoff is Associate Professor of History and UT Regents and University Distinguished Teaching Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of Oil, War and American Security, co-editor of The Manhattan Project: A Documentary Introduction to the Atomic Age, series co-editor of The Oxford New Narratives in American History, and co-author of five American history textbooks. He has lectured widely about American political culture and US foreign policy, the presidency, the Second World War, and the atomic bomb. He is currently at work on a book about the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. Ben Wright is a curator and researcher at the Briscoe Center. Previously he worked as a journalist and then as a press secretary at the Texas state capitol. He has a Master’s Degree in Modern History from King’s College London and is pursuing his PhD in the history department here at UT. Originally from Leicester, England, he has been in Texas since 2003. These three authors are co-editors of an important new book, Flash of Light, Wall of Fire: Japanese Photographs Documenting the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. You can read a preview of the book in the New York Times.

In episode 109 of This is Democracy, Jeremi brings on Michele Deitch to discuss criminal justice and prison reform in light of BLM protests and COVID-19. To set the scene, Zachary shares his poem entitled, "The Difference Between the One and the Other." Michele Deitch is an attorney with more than 30 years of experience working on criminal justice and juvenile justice policy issues with state and local government officials, corrections administrators, judges and advocates. An award-winning teacher and Soros Senior Justice Fellow, she holds a joint appointment as a senior lecturer at the LBJ School and the School of Law at The University of Texas at Austin. Her areas of specialty include independent oversight of correctional institutions, prison conditions, the management of youths in custody, and juveniles in the adult criminal justice system. She co-chairs the American Bar Association’s Subcommittee on Correctional Oversight and helped draft the ABA’s Standards on the Treatment of Prisoners. She has written numerous articles about correctional oversight, including a 50-state inventory of prison oversight models, as well as many reports on juvenile justice that have received national attention. Her TEDx talk “Why are we trying kids as adults?” was named a TEDx Editor’s Pick in January 2015. Prior to entering academia, she served as a federal court-appointed monitor of conditions in the Texas prison system, as the policy director of Texas’ sentencing commission, as general counsel to the Texas Senate Criminal Justice Committee, and as an independent consultant to justice system agencies across the country.

In this episode of This is Democracy, Jeremi and Zachary talk with professor in law Stephen Vladeck about federalism and the recent focus on protests and law enforcement in Portland. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, entitled "Still." Stephen I. Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) is the A. Dalton Cross Professor in Law at the University of Texas School of Law and a nationally recognized expert on the federal courts, constitutional law, national security law, and military justice. Professor Vladeck has argued multiple cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and the lower federal courts; has served as an expert witness both in U.S. and foreign tribunals; and has been repeatedly recognized for his influential and widely-cited legal scholarship, his prolific popular writing, his teaching, and his service to the legal profession. Vladeck is the co-host, together with Professor Bobby Chesney, of the popular and award-winning “National Security Law Podcast.” He is CNN’s Supreme Court analyst and a co-author of Aspen Publishers’ leading national security law and counterterrorism law casebooks. And he is co-Editor-in-Chief of the Just Security blog and a senior editor of the Lawfare blog. Vladeck published an important article in the Washington Post on July 25 about the contemporary constitutional issues surrounding the use of federal force in American cities: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/07/25/are-trump-administrations-actions-portland-legal-are-they-constitutional/

On episode 107 of This is Democracy, Jeremi brings on Dr. Julian Zelizer to discuss the divisive partisanship in politics and the some of the roots of today's radical conservative movement. To set the scene, Zachary reads his poem entitled, "The Sour Grapes." Julian E. Zelizer is one of the leading experts on modern American political history. He is the Malcolm Stevenson Forbes, Class of 1941 Professor of History and Public Affairs at Princeton University. Professor Zelizer is the author and editor of 19 books on American political history, including: Taxing America: Wilbur D. Mills, Congress, and the State, 1945-1975; The Fierce Urgency of Now: Lyndon Johnson, Congress, and the Battle for the Great Society; and Fault Lines: A History of the United States Since 1974, co-authored with Kevin Kruse. Most recently, Zelizer published Burning Down the House: Newt Gingrich, The Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of the New Republican Party.

In this episode of This is Democracy, Jeremi and Zachary talk with Ilan Stavans about our Southern border and how our society, language, and culture are formed at the divide of the United States and Mexico. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, entitled "Where the River Once Unfurled." Ilan Stavans is one of today’s preeminent essayists, cultural critics, and translators. He is Lewis-Sebring Professor in Latin American and Latino Culture and Five College-Fortieth Anniversary Professor at Amherst College. A native from Mexico, Dr. Stavans received his Doctorate in Latin American Literature from Columbia University. Stavans’ books include The Hispanic Condition (HarperCollins, 1995), On Borrowed Words (Viking, 2001), Spanglish (HarperCollins, 2003), Dictionary Days (Graywolf, 2005), The Disappearance (TriQuarterly, 2006), Love and Language (Yale, 2007), Resurrecting Hebrew (Nextbook, 2008), Mr. Spic Goes to Washington (Soft Skull, 2008), and Gabriel García Márquez: The Early Years (Palgrave, 2010). Most recently, Dr. Stavans published a book-long poem The Wall, which won the Massachusetts Book Award and other prizes. He has also published: Latino USA: A Cartoon History.

Today, Jeremi talks with Professor Michelle Nickerson about the historical and ideological roots of Sunbelt politics in the United States. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, entitled "Sonnet for the Sunbelt." Michelle Nickerson is associate professor of history at Loyola University of Chicago.  She teaches the history of American politics, women and gender, cities, and religion.  Nickerson is NOT from the Sunbelt.  She was born and raised in New Jersey, where she got her undergraduate degree at Rutgers University.  She moved to the Sunbelt after she received her Ph.D. at Yale in American Studies, first to do research in Los Angeles, and then in Dallas, where she taught at the University of Texas at Dallas.  Nickerson’s first book was a volume of essays she co-edited, Sunbelt Rising:  The Politics of Space, Place, and Region.  This project grew out of her research and highly regarded book on women and right-wing politics: Mothers of Conservatism:  Women and the Rise of the Postwar Right.  That book examines how activist women in Los Angeles shaped American conservatism.  

Today, Jeremi talks with author James K. Boyce about climate change, carbon emissions, and the ways in which our society addresses these issues. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Chasing Windmills." James K. Boyce is an author and senior fellow at the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His most recent books are The Case for Carbon Dividends (published by Polity Press in 2019) and Economics for People and the Planet: Inequality in the Era of Climate Change (published by Anthem Press, also in 2019).

Today, Jeremi talks with Professor Richard Reddick about the lasting legacy of the Civil War, diving into the implications of Confederate statues and monuments that are being torn down around the country today. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Today the Pedestals are Empty." Professor Richard J. Reddick is the inaugural associate dean for equity, community engagement, and outreach for the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin. He is also a professor in the Program in Higher Education Leadership in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy (ELP) at The University of Texas at Austin, where he has served as a faculty member since 2007. Additionally, Dr. Reddick serves as the Assistant Director of the Plan II Honors Program in the College of Liberal Arts. Dr. Reddick is a faculty member by courtesy in the Department for African and African Diaspora Studies, the John L. Warfield Center for African and African American Studies, and a fellow at the Institute for Urban Policy Research and Analysis. Dr. Reddick co-chairs the Council for Racial and Ethnic Equity and Diversity (CREED), serves on the Signature Course Advisory Committee (SCAC), and was named to the inaugural cohort of the Provost's Distinguished Service Academy.

Today, Jeremi talks with John McWilliams about the history of race in our schools and institutions, and namely how we as citizens can push the conversation of racism forward to produce positive change in the world. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Soiled." John McWilliams is the Head of School at Montgomery Academy, in Montgomery, Alabama. The Montgomery Academy is a K–12, co-ed, nonsectarian day school serving the River Region community since 1959. John graduated from Montgomery Academy in 1996 and he is the first alumnus to lead the school. He received his B.A. degree in history from Yale University, and he also holds a master's degree in liberal studies from Dartmouth College. Upon his graduation from Yale, John returned to Montgomery Academy to teach in the history department and coach Speech & Debate before becoming Middle School Director in 2011. He has acted in various capacities since then, including Associate Head of School, Acting Interim Head of School, and Upper School Director.

Today, Jeremi talks with Paul Edgar about the complex and evolving relationship between the US Armed Forces and the citizens it aims to protect. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "They Were Supposed to be Us, We Were Supposed to be Them." Paul Edgar is the Associate Director of the William P. Clements, Jr. Center for National Security at the University of Texas-Austin. He holds a PhD in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures from the University of Texas at Austin. Before entering academia, Paul served more than 22 years as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army. Among many other missions, Paul deployed to Iraq during the 2006-2007 surge, serving as an infantry battalion operations and executive officer, conducting counterinsurgency and combat operations in both Fallujah and South Babil Province. In 2008-2009, as an infantry brigade operations officer, he deployed to Afghanistan and conducted counterinsurgency operations in Paktika, Paktia, and Khost provinces. After returning from Afghanistan, Paul served as the executive assistant to the commander of the Kingdom of Jordan’s Special Operations Command. He then commanded the 4th Battalion, 3rd Infantry in The Old Guard where he supported official ceremonies and provided security for the President of the United States and other senior civilian, military, and foreign officials. In his final assignment for the Army, Paul was the political advisor for Israeli affairs to the United States Security Coordinator in Jerusalem. Paul is fluent in Modern Israeli Hebrew and is trained to read and conduct research in Akkadian, Hittite, Middle Egyptian, Classical Hebrew, Ugaritic, Aramaic, Syriac, Sumerian, and German.

Jeremi and Zachary Suri celebrate 100 episodes of This is Democracy by revisiting its foundations in President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's speeches. Zachary opens with his poem, "The Better Angels."

Jeremi speaks with Richard R. John about the role that the post office has served American Democracy Zachary sets the scene with his poem, " Delivering Freedom, Save the Post Office." Richard R. John is a professor of history and communications at Columbia University, where he teaches in the Ph. D. program in communications at the Columbia School of Journalism. He teaches courses in the history of communications since 1450, networks, and the history of capitalism. His publications include Network Nation: Inventing American Telecommunications (Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2010; paperback, 2015 forthcoming) and Spreading the News: The American Postal System from Franklin to Morse (Harvard University Press, 1995; paperback, 1998).  

Jeremi talks with Ken Greenberg about urban planning and cities. They touch on various topics including the power within cities and the difficulties faced during and after a pandemic. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Actualizing Emerald City." Ken Greenberg is an urban designer, teacher, writer, and former Director of Urban Design and Architecture for the City of Toronto. For over four decades he has played a pivotal role on public and private assignments in urban settings throughout North America and Europe. He is the author of two influential books: Walking Home: The Life and Lessons of a City Builder and Toronto Reborn: Design Successes and Challenges. You can read more about his work at: https://www.kengreenberg.ca. See also, “Density Done Right:” https://www.citybuildinginstitute.ca/portfolio/density-done-right/.

Jeremi and Yong Suk Lee discuss North Korea and its relationship with the United States. Zachary presents his scene-setting poem, "Painting Ourselves Green." Yong Suk Lee is an East Asia specialist with 22 years of service in the Central Intelligence Agency. Mr. Lee started his career in 1997 as an analyst and served in multiple leadership roles as a Senior Intelligence Service officer, including as a briefer on the President’s Daily Briefing staff from 2007 to 2009. His last assignment was as CIA’s Deputy Assistant Director for the Korea Mission Center from 2017 to 2019.

Jeremi meets with Dr. Peniel Joseph to discuss the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on minority communities and how the virus exposes the racial disparities that society has yet to face. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Since '65." Peniel Joseph holds a joint professorship appointment at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the History Department in the College of Liberal Arts and is Barbara Jordan Chair in Ethics and Political Values at the University of Texas at Austin. He is also the founding director of the LBJ School’s Center for the Study of Race and Democracy.

Jeremi meets with Dr. Gordon H. "Nick" Mueller and Dr. Robert Citino to discuss lessons and legacies on the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "And to Dust, We Shall Return." Dr. Gordon H. “Nick" Mueller is a distinguished historian and former Vice-Chancellor at the University of New Orleans. He was the Founding President and CEO of the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. Dr. Robert Citino is Executive Director of the Institute for the Study of War and Democracy, and the Samuel Zemurray Stone Senior Historian at the National WWII Museum. Dr. Citino is an award-winning military historian and scholar who has published ten books including: The Wehrmacht Retreats: Fighting a Lost War; Death of the Wehrmacht: The German Campaigns of 1942; and The German Way of War: From the Thirty Years' War to the Third Reich.

Jeremi talks with Sheena Greitens about US and China relations in regards to how China's surveillance technologies, open market, and patriotic nationalism influence foreign policy today. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "A Superpower Scorned." Sheena Chestnut Greitens will join the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the Clements Center for National Security at the University of Texas at Austin in August 2020. She is also a non-resident senior fellow at Brookings Institution, an affiliate with the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and a member of the Digital Freedom Forum at the Center for a New American Security. Prior to joining UT, she was an assistant professor of political science at the University of Missouri. Her work focuses on American national security, East Asia, and authoritarian politics and foreign policy, with special emphasis on China and the Korean peninsula.

Jeremi talks with Samuel J. Abrams about his new article, and how his research is pointing to a camaraderie across multiple generations of Americans against the pandemic. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Noticing Each Other." Samuel J. Abrams is a professor of politics at Sarah Lawrence College and a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. Most recently, he is the author of a widely-read article: "Americans Are Not as Divided About the Pandemic as It Seems" in THE DISPATCH: https://thedispatch.com/p/americans-are-not-as-divided-about.

Jeremi meets with Lawrence Wright to discuss the parallels between the pandemic and his new book. They also find an inspired, positive perspective on how the youth can see this situation as a moment for monumental change. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Where did the books go?" Lawrence Wright is one of the leading writers in America today, and the author of a major new novel about a pandemic, THE END OF OCTOBER. He is a staff writer for The New Yorker, a playwright, a screenwriter, a musician, and the author of ten books of nonfiction, including The Looming Tower, Going Clear, and God Save Texas, and one previous novel, God's Favorite. His books have received many honors, including a Pulitzer Prize for The Looming Tower. He and his wife are longtime residents of Austin, Texas, where Lawrence plays in a local band, WhoDo.

Jeremi sits down with Dr. Stephen M. Sonnenberg to discuss how to deal with and maintain mental health in unprecedented times. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "For the Healers." Dr. Stephen M. Sonnenberg is a Professor of Psychiatry at the Dell Medical School and a Professor of Instruction at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work and the School of Undergraduate Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. He is director of the Humanities, Health Care, and Advocacy Track and Fellow of the Frank M. and Dorothy H. Conklin Endowment for Medical Ethics in the Plan II Honors Program within the UT College of Liberal Arts.

Jeremi sits down with Abraham Newman and Henry Farrell to talk about the effects of COVID-19 on our global world and how it will potentially change our democracy. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Linked." Abraham Newman is Professor of Government in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.  He is the Director of the Mortara Center for International Studies. His research focuses on the politics generated by globalization. Abraham Newman co-authored, most recently: Of Privacy and Power: The Transatlantic Struggle over Freedom and Security (with Henry Farrell) and Voluntary Disruptions: International Soft Law, Finance and Power (with Elliot Posner.) Henry Farrell is professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University, and Editor in Chief of the Monkey Cage blog at the Washington Post. He works on a variety of topics, including democracy, the politics of the Internet and international and comparative political economy. He has written two books, The Political Economy of Trust: Interests, Institutions and Inter-Firm Cooperation and Of Privacy and Power: The Transatlantic Fight over Freedom and Security (with Abraham Newman.)

Jeremi and Lieutenant Richard Mack discuss what it’s like for those who work in the front lines responding to and helping citizens in dealing with this current pandemic Zachary sets the scene with his poem, “Silence and Sound.” Richard Mack is a lieutenant in the New York Police Department, where he has served for almost twenty-five years. He is currently a Platoon Commander in the Strategic Response Group for the New York Police Department. Richard is also an adjunct professor at John Jay College in New York.

Jeremi sits down with Dr. Paul von Hippel to talk about education equality in the strange online reality we currently live in. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Hologram Semester." Dr. Paul von Hippel is an associate professor of public policy, sociology, statistics and data science at the University of Texas at Austin, best known for his work on summer learning, summer weight gain, research design, and missing data. He works on evidence-based policy, education and inequality, and the obesity epidemic. Before his academic career, he worked as both a church music director and a data scientist, using predictive analytics to help banks prevent fraud. Currently, he is trying to pick up jazz piano. Paul recently published an important article in Education Next:  https://www.educationnext.org/how-will-coronavirus-crisis-affect-childrens-learning-unequally-covid-19/

Jeremi and Zachary have a chat on the web with Neta Crawford and Catherine Lutz about the government's response to Covid-19 pandemic. What are the effects and repercussions of treating the coronavirus like a war enemy to generate awareness, collect responsibility and resources to fight the ongoing pandemic? Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Carpet Bombing Disease." Neta C. Crawford is Professor and Chair of Political Science, Boston University. She is the author of numerous books, including: Accountability for Killing: Moral Responsibility for Collateral Damage in America's Post-9/11 Wars (Oxford University Press, 2013) and Argument and Change in World Politics (2002). Neta has written more than two dozen peer reviewed articles on issues of war and peace.2. Catherine Lutz is the Thomas J. Watson, Jr. Family Professor of Anthropology and International Studies at the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University. Lutz is the author of numerous books, including: War and Health: The Medical Consequences of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (ed. with A. Mazzarino, 2019), The Bases of Empire (ed., 2009), and Homefront: A Military City and the American 20th Century (2001). Catherine and Neta are co-directors of the "Costs of War" project at Brown University. They recently published: "Fighting a Virus with the Wrong Tool," The Hill, 28 March 2020.

Jeremi and Zachary have a chat on the web with Dr. Miha Vindis and Lance McNeill about crowdsourcing. What are the positives and negatives of the power to raise funds through social media at lightning speed? Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "The Pockets of the People." Miha Vindis is a professor at the University of Texas at Austin where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses on leadership and entrepreneurship. When not teaching, Miha works as a consultant helping organizations create and implement strategic planning processes and train their next generation of leaders. He also serves as a board member for Habitat for Humanity Texas. Prior to moving to Texas, Miha worked for Shell Oil in The Netherlands and also worked with entrepreneurs in Europe, a passion which he has continued in Texas. He is originally from Slovenia and has lived in Thailand, Germany, Poland, and The Netherlands. Miha earned his master’s degree in Global Policy Studies and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. Lance McNeill is a Program Manager with the City of Austin's Small Business Program. In this role, he coaches and teaches small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. He also oversees the City of Austin's Challenge Studio Program, which incubates social entrepreneurs working toward solutions to local and regional challenges. Lance was born and raised in Austin, Texas. After graduating from Texas State with a MBA, he joined the Peace Corps and worked as a small business adviser in Namibia where he taught entrepreneurship at a rural secondary school and consulted small businesses in the community. After coming back to the U.S, he attended the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Jeremi sits down with Adam Tooze to discuss the affects of Coronavirus on the global and U.S. economy. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Fallen." Adam Tooze is the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Professor of History at Columbia University. He is a leading economic historian and expert on the contemporary global economy. He is the author of numerous prize-winning book: Statistics and the German State 1900-1945: The Making of Modern Economic Knowledge (2001), Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy (2006), The Deluge: The Great War and the Remaking of the Global Order, 1916-1931  (2014), and Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World (2018). Tooze frequently comments on current affairs for the Guardian, the New York Times, and the Washington Post, among other publications. You can follow him on Twitter: @adam_tooze.

Jeremi sits down with Deborah Grayson Riegel to discuss our varying relationships with humor and how humor helps us in tragedy. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "The Ones Who Live." Deborah Grayson Riegel is an executive coach, speaker, instructor, and writer who helps leaders and teams communicate and present more effectively. She has served as an instructor of Management Communication at Wharton Business School and also worked as a Visiting Professor of Executive Communications at the Beijing International MBA Program at Peking University, China. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Columbia University, and Stuyvesant High School. Deborah’s clients range from the American Bar Association, American Express, Bloomberg, and Kraft Foods to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Pfizer and the United States Army. She has been a featured expert and a contributor to Harvard Business Review, Inc., and The New York Times. Deborah is the co-author with her teenage daughter Sophie of Overcoming Overthinking: 36 Ways to Tame Anxiety for Work, School, and Life. She and her husband Michael, also an executive coach, live in New York with their rescue dog, Nash.

Zachary and Jeremi sit down to discuss the current and future economic impacts of the novel coronavirus. Zachary kicks it off with his original poem, "The Pestilence Depression."

Recording live from the Suri household in Austin, TX on Monday, March 16 to discuss what history may teach us about how to handle the COVID-19 outbreak in a responsible, humane way. Poetry by Zachary, "Invisible Fires."

Professor Paul Stekler holds the Wofford Denius Chair in Entertainment Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a nationally recognized documentary filmmaker whose critically praised and award-winning work includes George Wallace: Settin' the Woods on Fire; Last Man Standing: Politics, Texas Style; Vote for Me: Politics in America, a four-hour PBS special about grassroots electoral politics; two segments of the Eyes on the Prize II series on the history of civil rights; Last Stand at Little Big Horn (broadcast as part of PBS's series The American Experience); Louisiana Boys: Raised on Politics (broadcast on PBS's P.O.V. series); Getting Back to Abnormal (which aired on P.O.V. in 2014); and 2016’s Postcards from the Great Divide, a web series about politics for The Washington Post and PBS Digital. Overall, his films have won two George Foster Peabody Awards, three Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Journalism Awards, three national Emmy Awards, and a special jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Jeremi chats over the phone with Professor Clark Miller to discuss transitions on a global scale to sustainable energy and the numerous, diverse challenges that come with such a task. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Eulogy." Clark Miller is the Director of the Center for Energy and Society at Arizona State University and a Professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society. He also leads the sustainability team at the Quantum Energy and Sustainable Solar Technologies photovoltaics engineering research center. For the past decade, his research has explored the human dimensions of large-scale transitions in the energy sector and the potential for leveraging energy transitions to improve human futures. His most recent book, The Weight of Light: A Collection of Solar Futures, is free to download as an e-book from the ASU Center for Science and the Imagination. His other books include Designing Knowledge, a guide for organizations who want to better create and use knowledge in decision-making; Science and Democracy: Making Knowledge and Making Power in the Biosciences and Beyond; The Practices of Global Ethics; and Changing the Atmosphere: Expert Knowledge and Environmental Governance.

Jeremi sits down with Dr. Teresa A. Sullivan to discuss the U.S. Census, it's history, and how it affects our society today. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Dear Governor." Teresa A. Sullivan, university professor and president emerita of the University of Virginia, is currently serving as the interim provost at Michigan State University, her alma mater. As president of UVA, Sullivan led a team that stimulated the revitalization of the UVA Health System, raised faculty salaries, launched an ambitious program of faculty hiring, raised both the numbers and quality of applications, reached new fundraising records, and launched the university’s bicentennial celebration. Earlier, she was the executive vice president and provost at the University of Michigan, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs for the University of Texas System, and vice president and graduate dean at the University of Texas at Austin. In her academic career as a demographer, Sullivan developed analytic techniques for the use of U.S. Census Public Use Sample. She was an investigator on a large international sample survey, and with law colleagues Elizabeth Warren and Jay Lawrence Westbrook, she led several original large-scale data collections of consumer bankruptcy records. The first book-length analysis of the bankruptcy records, As We Forgive Our Debtors, received the Silver Gavel Award of the American Bar Association. The second book, The Fragile Middle Class, received the Writing Award of the American College of Financial Services Lawyers. Sullivan has held faculty positions at the Universities of Chicago, Texas, Michigan, and Virginia and has received five major teaching awards. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Jeremi sits down with John Sipher to discuss how intelligence agencies operate within a democracy. As usual, Zachary kicks things off with his original poem, "Supposed to Forget." John Sipher retired in 2014 after a 28-year career in the Central Intelligence Agency’s National Clandestine Service. At the time of his retirement, he was a member of the CIA’s Senior Intelligence Service, the leadership team that guides CIA activities globally. John served multiple overseas tours as Chief of Station and Deputy Chief of Station in Europe, Asia, and in high-threat environments. John also served as a lead instructor in the CIA’s clandestine training school and was a regular lecturer at the CIA’s leadership development program. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal.

Jeremi sits down with Dr. Christopher Rose to discuss the coronavirus within the context of historical pandemics. As always, Zachary kicks things off with his poem entitled, "With an Unspoken Doubt." Christopher S Rose is a historian of early modern and modern Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean. He is currently (2019-2020) a Postdoctoral Research fellow at the Institute for Historical Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of "Implications of the Spanish Influenza Pandemic (1918-1920) for the History of Early 20th Century Egypt," forthcoming in the Journal of World History. He is also currently working on a book project titled Home Front Egypt: Famine, Disease, and Death During the Great War, 1914-1919, which examines the impact of World War I on the Egyptian peasantry, focusing on food shortages and disease.

Jeremi sits down to discuss impeachment in context with Professor Jeffery Tulis. As always, Zachary kicks things off with his poem entitled, "Two Images." Professor Jeffrey Tulis is a leading scholar of American politics and the presidency in particular. He is the author of numerous books, including: The Rhetorical Presidency, The Presidency in the Constitutional Order, and The Legacies of Losing in American Politics.

Jeremi sits down with Professor Alan McPherson to discuss the legacy of dictators in Latin American countries, how they used terror to control their regime, and how the U.S. has contributed to and interacted with these regimes in the past and present. Zachary sets the scene with his poem "Excuse Us." Alan McPherson is a professor of history at Temple University, where he directs the Center for the Study of Force and Diplomacy. He is the author of numerous books on U.S.-Latin American relations and U.S. foreign relations. His most recent book is: Ghosts of Sheridan Circle: How a Washington Assassination Brought Pinochet's Terror State to Justice.

Jeremi sits down with Michael Lind to discuss the evolution of the American Working Class. Once again, Zachary sets the scene with his poem "Picturing America's Working Class." Michael Lind is a professor of practice at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of more than a dozen books of nonfiction, fiction, poetry and children’s literature, including several that were New York Times Notable Books of the Year. His studies of U.S. history, economics and foreign policy include The Next American Nation (1995), The American Way of Strategy (2006), Land of Promise:  An Economic History of the United States (2012) and, most recently, The New Class War:  Saving Democracy from the Managerial Elite (2020).

Jeremi sits down with Clay Katsky to discuss congress and war powers. As always, Zachary sets the scene with his poem "An Adaptation of Alan Ginsburg's 'A Supermarket in California for a Nation on the Brink of War'." Clay Katsky is a historian of Congress’ role in American foreign policy. He is completing a dissertation on Congress’ efforts to oversee policy and presidential actions after the Vietnam War. Clay is a Ph.D. student in the Department of History at the University of Texas at Austin and a teaching assistant this semester for Professor Suri’s course on US History since the Civil War.

At year’s end, we want to share some of the voices from our podcast that exemplify the diversity and dynamism of our democracy today. The energy of change and reform is all around us. We can see many promising pathways to renew our democracy.  Please listen and get involved.

At year’s end, we want to share some of the voices from our podcast that exemplify the diversity and dynamism of our democracy today. The energy of change and reform is all around us. We can see many promising pathways to renew our democracy.  Please listen and get involved.

Jeremi sits down with Professor Kennedy to discuss the status of Brexit and how it will change the dynamic relationships between countries within the U.K. and its peoples. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "England 2019." Dane Kennedy teaches courses in British imperial, modern British, and world history at George Washington University. He is the author of six books, the most recent being The Imperial History Wars: Debating the British Empire (2018), Decolonization: A Very Short Introduction (2016) and The Last Blank Spaces: Exploring Africa and Australia (2013) and editor or co-editor of three others, including How Empire Shaped Us (2016) and Reinterpreting Exploration: The West in the World (2013). Kennedy was awarded a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship in 2003-04 and a National Humanities Center Fellowship in 2010-11. He was president of the North American Conference of British Studies from 2011-13. He currently directs the National History Center.

This week Jeremi sits down with Professor Richard Reddick to about the disparities in opportunity in higher education among various demographics. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Protagonists Prospective." Dr. Richard J. Reddick is an award-winning Associate Professor in Educational Leadership and Policy, where he serves as coordinator of the Program in Higher Education Leadership, with courtesy appointments in the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies, and the Warfield Center of African and African American Studies. Dr. Reddick is also the Assistant Director of the Plan II Honors Program in the College of Liberal Arts, and serves as a faculty fellow in the Institute for Urban Policy Research and Analysis, all at The University of Texas at Austin. Reddick is a Spring 2018 Visiting Associate Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and serves as the faculty co-chair of the Institute for Educational Management (IEM) at Harvard. In 2016, he served on the steering committee and as Education Working Group co-chair of the Mayor's Task Force on Institutional Racism and Structural Inequity (IRSI) for the City of Austin.

This week Jeremi and Zachary sit down with Professor Manisha Sinha to talk about the first presidential impeachment of Andrew Jackson and reflect on what lessons we can take from the events of the past that apply to our political and societal climate today. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Lessons from the 19th Century." Manisha Sinha is the James L. and Shirley A. Draper Chair in American History at the University of Connecticut and a leading authority on the history of slavery and abolition and the Civil War and Reconstruction. She was born in India and received her Ph.D from Columbia University where her dissertation was nominated for the Bancroft prize. She is the author of The Counterrevolution of Slavery: Politics and Ideology in Antebellum South Carolina, which was named one of the ten best books on slavery in Politico in 2015 and recently featured in The New York Times’ 1619 Project. Her multiple award winning second monograph The Slave’s Cause: A History of Abolition was long listed for the National Book Award for Non Fiction. It was named the book of the week by Times Higher Education to coincide with its UK publication and one of three great History books of 2016 in Bloomberg News. She is the recipient of numerous fellowships, including two yearlong research fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities. In 2018, she was a Visiting Professor at the University of Paris, Diderot and was elected to the Society of American Historians. She is a member of the Board of the Society of Civil War Historians and of the Council of Advisors of the Lapidus Center for the Historical Analysis of Transatlantic Slavery at the Schomburg, New York Public Library. She taught at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst for over twenty years, where she was awarded the Chancellor’s Medal, the highest recognition bestowed on faculty. She is currently writing a book on the “greater reconstruction” of American democracy after the Civil War, which is under contract with Basic Books.

This week, Jeremi sits down with Brian Roberts to talk about the development of campaign finance in a historical context. As always, Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Money Have Mercy." Brian Roberts is a professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin. His fields of interest are American Political Institutions, Interest Groups, and Positive Political Economy, with a focus on politics and financial markets, corporate political participation, and distributive politics. He has published papers in the fields of political science, economics, and finance.

Zachary's poem this week asks, "What are the Rules?" Brett Hurt is the CEO and co-founder of data.world, a Public Benefit Corporation (and Certified B Corporation®) that is the platform for modern data teamwork and the world’s largest collaborative data community. In 2017, 2018, and 2019, data.world was honored on the “Best for the World” list by B Lab, placing the company in the top 10% of all B Corps globally. Brett is also the co-owner of Hurt Family Investments (HFI), alongside his wife, Debra. HFI are involved in 73 startups, 21 VC funds, and multiple philanthropic endeavors. In 2017, Brett was given the Best CEO Legacy Award by the Austin Business Journal. Brett Hurt began programming at age seven and doing so on the Internet at age eighteen. Brett finished his free book, “The Entrepreneur’s Essentials”, in August 2019.

Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Miha Vindis to discuss naturalized citizenship in the United States. Zachary's sets the scene with his poem, "America in the Face." Miha Vindis is a professor at the University of Texas at Austin where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses on leadership and entrepreneurship. When not teaching, Miha works as a consultant helping organizations create and implement strategic planning processes and train their next generation of leaders. He also serves as a board member for Habitat for Humanity Texas. Prior to moving to Texas, Miha worked for Shell Oil in The Netherlands and also worked with entrepreneurs in Europe, a passion which he has continued in Texas. He is originally from Slovenia and has lived in Thailand, Germany, Poland, and The Netherlands. Miha earned his master’s degree in Global Policy Studies and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.

Jeremi and Zachary sit down with Robert Hutchings to discuss the fall of the Berlin Wall and the impact it has on us today. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Berlin: 30 Years." Robert Hutchings is the Walt and Elspeth Rostow Chair in National Security and professor of public affairs at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, and he served as dean of the school from 2010 to 2015. Before coming to UT, he was a diplomat in residence at Princeton University, where he also served as assistant dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and as faculty chair of its Master in Public Policy program. His combined academic and diplomatic career has included service as Director for European affairs with the National Security Council, special adviser to the secretary of state with the rank of ambassador, and chairman of the U.S. National Intelligence Council. Ambassador Hutchings served earlier in his career as deputy director of Radio Free Europe and on the faculty of the University of Virginia. He is author or editor of six books, including American Diplomacy and the End of the Cold War, along with many articles and book chapters on U.S. foreign policy and European affairs. His most recent book, written and edited with Jeremi Suri, is Modern Diplomacy in Practice (Palgrave Macmillan, forthcoming 2020). He is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and received his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia.

Jeremi and Zachary sit down with David Judson to discuss the evolution of Turkey as well as the current controversies surrounding Turkey's relationship with the United States. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, “Images of Turkey.” David Judson spent many years in Turkey. He first went there as a high school and later college student in the 1970s. He was to return in 2000, joining Turkey's largest media group in 2003. First, he was managing editor of the Dogan Media Group's Turkish language business daily, Referans. In 2006, he became editor in chief of Hurriyet Daily News, the group's English language newspaper founded in 1961. In 2013 he left Turkey to return to the United States as editor in chief of Stratfor Geopolitical Forecasting, based in Austin. Judson left Stratfor in 2018 and now divides his time between the San Francisco-based forecasting firm Global Foresight where is a senior advisor and an Austin-based media start-up focused on the emerging role of cities as geopolitical actors. From the late 1980s to 2000, Judson was a political correspondent in Washington D.C., for Gannett Newspapers, America's largest newspaper chain. He is a graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles.

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary discuss the Puerto Rico U.S. statehood movement with Prof. Alberto Martinez. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "To Puerto Rico." Alberto Martinez is originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Most recently, he is the author of Burned Alive: Giordano Bruno, Galileo & the Inquisition (Reaktion, 2018). He is also the author of four other books: The Cult of Pythagoras: Math and Myths (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2012), on the evolution of myths in the history of mathematics. Science Secrets: The Truth About Darwin's Finches, Einstein's Wife, and Other Myths (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2011). And previously, he published Kinematics: The Lost Origins of Einstein's Relativity(Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009), and Negative Math: How Mathematical Rules Can Be Positively Bent (Princeton University Press, 2005).   

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary sit down with Professor Alon Tal to talk environmental activism across the world and the ways we all can help build a better future for our planet. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Nothing." Alon Tal (Hebrew: אלון טל‎, born 12 July 1960) is a leading Israeli environmental activist and academic; founder of the Israel Union for Environmental Defense, and the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies; and a co-founder of Ecopeace: Friends of the Earth, Middle East; This is My Earth; the Israel Forum for Demography, Environment and Society; Aytzim: Ecological Judaism; and the Green Movement political party. Tal was appointed chair of the department of Public Policy at Tel Aviv University in 2017.

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary speak with Tom Mueller about whistleblowing and its role in our government and society. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "A Voice Calling in the Desert." Tom Mueller is the author of a new book, Crisis of Conscience, on the history of whistleblowing and fraud in the United States. His articles have appeared in the New Yorker, National Geographic Magazine, New York Times Magazine, Atlantic Monthly, and elsewhere, and have been included in anthologies like Best American Science Writing and Best American Travel Writing. He was educated at Oxford (DPhil, Rhodes Scholar), Harvard (BA, summa cum laude), and Alief Hastings High School in rural east Texas, home of the Fighting Bears.

Today a very special guest joins Jeremi and Zachary in the studio. Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations under President Barack Obama's second term shares her experience growing up as an immigrant in the United States, the evolution of her career, and her outlook on toolkits and morality in foreign intervention on behalf of the United States. Zachary introduces the episode with his poem, "To the Rest of Humanity." Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power is a leading voice internationally for principled American engagement in the world. One of TIME’s“100 Most Influential People,” she is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, war correspondent, and the Anna Lindh Professor of Practice at Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Law School. Her latest book, The Education of an Idealist, chronicles her years in public service and reflects on the role of human rights and humanitarian ideals in contemporary geopolitics.

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary speak with Professor Jorge Cañizares-Esguerra to discuss issues of racial discrimination against the Hispanic community within American universities and society. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Exclusion is a Funny Word." Professor Jorge Cañizares-Esguerra is the Alice Drysdale Sheffield Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin He is the author of numerous ground-breaking and prize-winning books and papers, including: How to Write the History of the New World; Puritan Conquistadors; and Nature, Empire, and Nation.  The core of his intellectual project has been to demonstrate the deep formative role of "Latin America” to the colonial history of the USA and to the history of "Western" modernity as a whole, not just slavery, globalization, and capitalism but also science, abolitionism, and democracy.

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary sit down with Professor Paul Stekler to discuss the topic of presidential debates. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "The War of the Botox." Paul Stekler is a nationally recognized documentary filmmaker whose critically praised and award-winning work includes George Wallace: Settin' the Woods on Fire; Last Man Standing: Politics, Texas Style; Vote for Me: Politics in America, a four-hour PBS special about grassroots electoral politics; two segments of the Eyes on the Prize II series on the history of civil rights; Last Stand at Little Big Horn (broadcast as part of PBS's series The American Experience); Louisiana Boys: Raised on Politics (broadcast on PBS's P.O.V. series); Getting Back to Abnormal (which aired on P.O.V. in 2014); and 2016’s Postcards from the Great Divide, a web series about politics for The Washington Post and PBS Digital. Overall, his films have won two George Foster Peabody Awards, three Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Journalism Awards, three national Emmy Awards, and a special jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival. https://rtf.utexas.edu/faculty/paul-stekler

Jeremi sits down with William Inboden to reflect on the lessons and legacies of 9/11. As always, Zachary kicks off the discussion with his poem, "Ghosts of 9/11/2001." Professor William Inboden is the Executive Director and William Powers, Jr. Chair of the Clements Center for National Security as well as a Distinguished Scholar of the Strauss Center for International Security and Law. He is also an Associate Professor at the LBJ School and Editor-in-Chief of the Texas National Security Review. https://www.clementscenter.org/people/item/12-william-inboden

In this episode, Jeremi discusses unions with Yvonne Flores, President of AFSCME Local 1624, and Jackie Jones, the Chair of the Department of History at UT, to discuss unions. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Images of Madison 2011." Yvonne Flores is the President of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees AFSCME Local 1624 Representing the City of Austin and Travis County employees. Jackie Jones is the Chair of the Department of History at UT, and the Incoming President of the American Historical Association, and a Leading Expert on the history of unions in the United States.

Jeremi sits down with Matthew Kim and Councilwoman Alison Alter to discuss climate change activism among America's youth. This week, Zachary kicks off the episode with his poem, "The Only Ones." Matthew Kim is a junior in high school and the president of the Austin chapter of Students for Climate Action and a member of the Austin Youth Council. Alison Alter was elected in 2016 as the City Council representative for District 10 in Austin, Texas.

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Natalie Suri. The trio talks about what it means to be a student today, and how school is changing. Zachary reads his poem, "Ode to My School."

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Shery Chanis. The trio talk about the protests and current happenings in Hong Kong. Zachary presents his poem, "Hanging Between." Shery Chanis is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of History at the University of Texas at Austin. She is completing her dissertation on the identity formation of the southern maritime province of Guangdong in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Hong Kong is her hometown.

This week Jeremi and Zachary sit down for an extended discussion on gun violence in America with two guests, Hilary Rand Whitfield and Ed Scruggs. Zachary's poem for the week is simply titled, "So Many." Hilary Rand Whitfield is a volunteer state leader for the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. Stay-at-home mother of 2 (16yo boy and 13yo girl), and Austin resident for the last 12 years. Ed Scruggs is a Realtor, Community Organizer, former journalist and 27 year Austin resident who ran for Austin City Council in 2014. He is currently an appointed member of the City of Austin's Public Safety Commission. Ed joined the board of Texas Gun Sense in 2015 and currently serves as Vice Chair and Media Representative.

Jeremi sits down in an English pub with Professor Charlie Laderman to discuss British-American relations and their effects on the two democracies. Dr. Charlie Laderman is a lecturer in international history at King’s College, London. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, and his new book is: Sharing the Burden: Armenia, Humanitarian Intervention and the Search for an Anglo-American Alliance, 1895-1923 (Oxford University Press.)

Zachary sits down with Jeremi and Natalie to discuss the Bombing of Guernica. The trio touch on Picasso's Guernica and other related pieces of history.

Zachary sits down with Jeremi to discuss George Orwell's 1938 memoir, Homage to Catalonia, and its accounts of the Spanish Civil War, particularly those in Barcelona.

Jeremi sits down with Zachary and Natalie Suri first in Siena and then Florence, Italy to discuss the Renaissance and republicanism in these historic former city-states.

Jeremi sits down with Alessia Morigi in Rome, Italy, to discuss the origins of democracy and its influences into democracy today. Professor Alessia Morigi is an Associate Professor in Greek and Roman Archeology at the University of Parma, Italy.

Jeremi speaks with Carl Forsberg on how the evolution of foreign policy in Iran affects its relationship with the United States. As always, Zachari sets the scene with his poem, "So Wrong." Carl Forsberg is an expert on the Middle East and U.S. Foreign Policy. He is completing a Ph.D. dissertation at the University of Texas at Austin on the evolution of foreign policy in the region since the 1960s, drawing on original research in multiple Middle Eastern societies.

Jeremi sits down with Stephen Ciullo to discuss how citizens with disabilities interact with our democracy and educational system. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Work to Be Done." Stephen Ciullo (Ph.D.) is an Associate Professor of Special Education at Texas State University. Before joining the faculty at Texas State, Stephen taught special education in Binghamton, NY. He then went on to earn his doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin. Stephen teaches classes that focus on providing educators with effective strategies for teaching students with learning disabilities. He is serving as Principal Investigator on a federally-funded project that focuses on investigating the writing instruction and support being provided to students with disabilities in fourth grade. The long-term goals of his research and teaching activities are to improve professional development for teachers, provide teachers with effective practices to support their students and to improve the long-term outcomes of students with learning disabilities.

Jeremi sits down with Renee Gadsden on diversity and other ethical issues surrounding college admission in the US. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Knowledge." Renee Gadsden has been a leader in higher education for nearly a decade. She has worked in admissions for three different private liberal arts colleges, directing and implementing recruitment initiatives and college access programming for students of color, first-generation students, and students from low-income families. Renee recently completed a Masters in Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs, where she served as an executive board member of the Public Affairs Alliance for Communities of Color and as an elected Student Representative of the Faculty Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Jeremi sits down with Robert Campbell to discuss the role of free enterprise in shaping our democracy. As always, Zachary kicks things off with his scene-setting poem, "Ambitions and Reality." Bob Campbell is a friend and business leader who has effectively straddled the public and private sectors in the US for over 45 years.  Close to home for me, Bob was a very early graduate of the LBJ School of Public Affairs where I teach, a Distinguished Alumnus Award winner, and a Chairman of the Board. Bob spent 39 years with the global firm Deloitte where he was a partner; led the public sector practice advising leaders at the Federal, state, and local levels; and served as a Vice-Chairman of the firm. Since retiring from Deloitte, Bob serves on corporate and non-profit Boards, runs his own consultancy, advises private equity groups, and is an active angel investor. He also is on the global Board Executive Committee of the East-West Institute focused on international conflict avoidance and resolution. He is a speaker and writer on public management issues and has served on Federal and state commissions and task forces.

In this episode, Jeremi speaks with Patrick Iber about democracy in Latin America. Zachary presents his poem, " Who Are You." Patrick Iber is an assistant professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the author of Neither Peace nor Freedom: The Cultural Cold War in Latin America, which was published by Harvard University Press in October 2015 and won the 2017 Luciano Tomassini book prize from the Latin American Studies Association. He is a member of the editorial board of Dissent magazine and writes regularly there, as well as in The Nation, The New Republic, and other publications.

What does it mean to have a democracy that is friendly and open to a true diversity of religious beliefs/experiences? Today, Jeremi speaks with Ashlyn Hand, a Ph.D. candidate in the LBJ School, to discuss religion in foreign and domestic politics. This week Zachary recites a poem titled "Life and Death." Ashlyn is an expert on religion and politics in the United States. She is currently researching and writing a dissertation on religion and American foreign policy since the end of the Cold War.

Today, Jeremi speaks with Professor Peniel Joseph and Celso Baez, III to talk about contemporary segregation in American society, voting and the school system. As always, Zachary recites an original poem, this week is "Overdue." Celso Baez, III is the Assistant Director of Community Engagement and External Communications for the Austin Independent School District. Professor Peniel Joseph is the Founding Director for the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy at UT. Peniel Joseph holds a joint professorship appointment at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the History Department in the College of Liberal Arts at The University of Texas at Austin. He is also the founding director of the LBJ School’s Center for the Study of Race and Democracy. His career focus has been on “Black Power Studies,” which encompasses interdisciplinary fields such as Africana studies, law and society, women’s and ethnic studies, and political science. Prior to joining the UT faculty, Joseph was a professor at Tufts University, where he founded the school’s Center for the Study of Race and Democracy to promote engaged research and scholarship focused on the ways issues of race and democracy affect people’s lives. In addition to being a frequent commentator on issues of race, democracy, and civil rights, Joseph wrote the award-winning books Waiting ‘Til the Midnight Hour: A Narrative History of Black Power in America and Dark Days, Bright Nights: From Black Power to Barack Obama. His most recent book, Stokely: A Life, has been called the definitive biography of Stokely Carmichael, the man who popularized the phrase “black power.” Included among Joseph’s other book credits is the editing of The Black Power Movement: Rethinking the Civil Rights-Black Power Era and Neighborhood Rebels: Black Power at the Local Level.

What are the Lessons for Democracy Today? Jeremi sits down with Professors Tatjana Lichtenstein and Michael Stoff to talk about World War II and its lasting implications on our democracy. As always, Zachary kicks things off with his poem, “Jerusalem.” Tatjana Lichtenstein holds degrees from the University of Toronto (Ph.D.), Brandeis University (MA), and the […]

How will this new generation improve American democracy? Zachary presents his poem, “Waiting Room.” Today’s guest is Steven Olikara, Founder and President of the Millennial Action Project. Internationally, Steven has advised two multi-platinum recording artists on youth issues and sustainable energy efforts, including the Akon Lighting Africa initiative that has electrified over 1 million homes […]

Anti-Semitism: Where does it come from? What can we do about it? Zachary’s poem today is, “Can’t feel the raindrops, a song for Pittsburgh 10/27/18.” Today’s guest on the podcast is Renee Lafair, Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League in Austin, Texas. As Director of the Austin regional office of the ADL, Renee Lafair consistently […]

Jeremi sits down with Professor Sumit Guha of University of Texas at Austin to discuss the upcoming democratic elections in India, and the culture of the world’s largest democracy. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, “Indian Soul.” From 1996 to 1999 Sumit Guha was Professor in the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and moved […]

What constitutes a human right? Jeremi has a conversation with Michael Cotey Morgan about human rights on a global scale. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, “The Dream.” Michael Cotey Morgan specializes in modern international and global history. His first book, The Final Act: The Helsinki Accords and the Transformation of the Cold War […]

Jeremi talks about the lasting effects of communism and Soviet influence on former Soviet countries and democracy with students, Maya Patel, Matt Maldonado, and Lauren Nyquist. As always, Zachary kicks things off with his poem entitled, “Song of a Post Cold War Child.” Maya Patel is working to create a civically engaged campus as the […]

Where does it come from and what can we do? Jeremi sits down with Augusta Dell’Omo to talk about white supremacy and what it means for our democracy. As always, Zachary sets the scene with his poem, “Torches Burning.” Augusta Dell’Omo is a doctoral student in History at the University of Texas at Austin. She […]

How do Americans interact with the wider world? What are the enduring strengths and weaknesses of US foreign policy? Jeremi sits down with Dr. Charles Edel to discuss US foreign policy in a historical context. Zachary kicks it off with his poem entitled, “An Old Forgotten Song.” Dr. Edel is the co-author (with Hal Brands) […]

Dr. Jeremi Suri calls up his colleague Dr. David Fields, a scholar and expert on North Korea to take an even-handed look at the state of the country and how the rest of the world can understand a society that seems so very different from our lives in America, Europe and elsewhere. How do we […]

Uses and Abuses by Young People Jeremi sits down with Aurin Bagchi and Lexi Marie Seay to discuss social media and its good and bad effects on young people. Zachary kicks it off with his poem, “A Social Species.” Aurin Bagchi is a student at the University of Texas at Austin and is enrolled in […]

New Approaches to Prevention and Prosecution — How can we do better? Hanna Senko is a sexual assault survivor whose case was closed via exceptional clearance by the Austin Police Department. She now serves as a survivor speaker, writer, and advocate fighting for change in the understanding, reporting, and handling of sex crimes. Alison Alter […]

What is it? How are people pursuing it today? This week, Jeremi discusses the American Dream with Professor Samuel J. Abrams. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, “After the Dreams.” Samuel J. Abrams is professor of politics at Sarah Lawrence College and a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. He is the author […]

Clarence Moses-El was wrongfully convicted and served 28 years in prison. Clarence will discuss his experiences in the criminal justice system — his imprisonment and his efforts to seek justice; Eric Klein will discuss his role as an attorney for the wrongfully accused. Zachary recites, “So Long.”

This week, Paul Stekler returns to the podcast to discuss the government shutdown and the media’s response to it. Zachary delights with his absurdist poem, “Golden Toilet Sank the Titanic.” Paul Stekler is an acclaimed documentary filmmaker and founder of the Center for Politics and Governance at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. His film work includes “George Wallace: Settin’ […]

How Do We Get Them to Vote and Participate More?  Jeremi sits down with Pam Bixby to discuss the issue of getting young people to the polls. Zachary recites his poem entitled, “If Not For Tomorrow.” Pam Bixby is a communications professional whose current job as the Director of External Relations for the National Trauma […]

What are the problems with the current system and how can we reform it? Jeremi talks prison reform with Michele Deitch and how the current system can be improved. Zachary kicks off the episode with his poem, “Roll Me Away.” Michele Deitch is an attorney with more than 30 years of experience working on criminal justice and […]

What are the challenges for prospective politicians in 2019? What are the opportunities for change? Jeremi sits down with Bryan Jones and discusses what 2019 has in store for our democracy. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, “Reflections on the New Year, 2019.” Bryan Jones, an entrepreneur and technologist, has started several companies and […]

This episode reprises many of the voices on our podcast from 2018 to emphasize the vibrance, diversity, resilience, and idealism of our democracy today. We are on the cusp of a moment of democratic renewal, and our podcast guests exemplify the bright future of reform in front of us. As Franklin Roosevelt advised in a […]

This week Jeremi sits down in conversation with Ann Howard, Executive Director of Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) to discuss homelessness. How do we understand the problem? What can we do as a society? Zachary Suri’s original poem, “Trees, Sleep and a Cold Christmas” sets the scene. Ann Howard is the first Executive Director of the […]

What have we learned about health care policy? What are reform pathways forward? Dr. Suri discusses with Dr. Stephen Sonnenberg how a healthy society makes for a healthy democracy. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, “Dear Doctor.” Stephen Sonnenberg has served as clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Howard University College of Medicine, adjunct […]

How are communities and democracies affected by the changing global environment? Dr. Suri talks with professor Sheila Olmstead on the lasting effects climate change will have on government policies, and human lives around the world. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, “So Fluorescently Away.” Sheila Olmstead is a professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson […]

What are the historical challenges of democratization in the Middle East? What are the possibilities? Dr. Suri, and Ph.D. candidate Emily Whalen, discuss why global perceptions can be damaging, and how the countries that comprise the Middle East could move towards a true democracy. Zachary sets up the conversation with his poem, “The Last Time […]

What are the legacies of the Great War for our world today? How can we avoid another terrible war in the 21st century? Dr. Suri talks with University of Texas history professor Michael Stoff about World War I, and what United States citizens should do to stay informed and care for its veterans. This episode […]

What did the 2018 elections mean? What are the results and why do they matter? Dr. Suri sits down with Bryan Jones and James Henson to deconstruct the results, bring context to them and look forward to 2019 and beyond. Bryan Jones, an entrepreneur and technologist, has started several companies and been issued multiple technology-based patents. […]

This week, Jeremi meets with UT freshman Juliet Suarez and first time voter Jillian B. Smith. They discuss the importance of voting in the midterm elections, and how the right to vote could extend further to all U.S. residents in the future. Zachary sets up the interview with his poem, “Vote for Me.” Juliet Suarez […]

How has Congress changed in the last few decades? How can new, young leaders (hopefully elected this November) reform Congress to serve our democracy better? This week, Jeremi talks to domestic policy specialist and LBJ School professor, Ruth Ellen Wasem. They discuss how Congress could adapt to a changing political climate, and if it truly […]

How has media coverage of politics changed in the last 30 years? How can it change for better in the future? Jeremi Suri sits down with renowned film producer Paul Stekler to get an expert opinion about how drastically American media has changed over the past decades – but also in many ways how it […]

This week’s topic covers the Supreme Court and Democracy. How has the the Supreme Court contributed to and detracted from American democracy? What are the prospects for the coming years? Zachary begins with a scene-setting poem, “Closing the Tab.” Sanford Levinson, who holds the W. St. John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood, Jr. Centennial […]

Dr. Suri spends today’s episode with Sean Hassan and Alison Tate discussing Catholicism, Islam, and how to represent communities of minority faiths – particularly in Texas, where leadership roles are usually held by people of the majority holding traditional Christian beliefs. Zachary Suri recites his poem “An American Jew.” Alison Tate serves the Catholic Church […]

Jeremi sits down with Professor Aaron O’Connell to discuss the evolving identity of America’s military from 1776 to the present day. Zachary Suri reads an original poem, “America.” Aaron O’Connell joined the faculty of UT Austin from Washington D.C., where he served in the Obama Administration as Director for Defense Policy & Strategy on the […]

Dr. Jeremi Suri speaks with Augusta Dell’Omo and Chris Rose of the University of Texas at Austin about gender. As always, Zachary Suri reads an original poem, “A Rochester Summer.” Augusta Dell’Omo is a doctoral student in History at the University of Texas at Austin. She specializes in U.S. foreign policy during the late Cold […]

Dr. Suri has an extended conversation this week with Dr. Peniel Jospeh about race, Black Lives Matter, the post-Civil Rights era, and how to remain optimistic. Zachary Suri reads an original poem, “Vicksburg to Montgomery to Chapel Hill.” Peniel Joseph holds a joint professorship appointment at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the History Department […]

Natalie Suri joins Jeremi in the studio today to discuss the role of athletes, sports and competition in the realm of democracy. In the wake of Kaepernick’s Nike advertising deal, Naomi Osaka’s victory over Serena Williams at the US Open, and Lebron James’ criticism of the Trump Administration, a national conversation has opened up about […]

This week Dr. Suri speaks Sophie Wysocki and Meena Anderson to discuss the importance for young citizens to be politically aware and engage in democratic resolution. Zachary Suri reads an original poem, “If I’m Lost.” Sophie Wysocki is a senior at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy in Austin, Texas. She’s been involved in a […]

This week Dr. Suri speaks with Amber Pleasant and Melissa Scheinfeld to discuss educating citizenship. Zachary Suri also reads his original poem, “With Every Breath.” Amber Pleasant is an Austin educator. She spent nine years teaching 3rd-8th grade in local public schools. For the past four years, Amber worked for Austin ISD as a Social […]

How should young citizens blend their traditional spiritual values with their strong commitments to progressive change in a time when our polarized politics demand that they choose one or the other? How can young, talented, patriotic citizens make a difference in national policy as they pursue ideas for reform? We will discuss these difficult and […]

In this inaugural episode of This is Democracy, Dr. Jeremi Suri sits down with his son, Zachary Suri, to lay out the groundwork for what this podcast hopes to achieve. They begin by reviewing President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s November 2, 1940 speech in Cleveland, Ohio. Roosevelt declares that, “We Americans of today—all of us—we are […]

The future of democracy is uncertain, but we are committed to its urgent renewal today. This podcast will draw on historical knowledge to inspire a contemporary democratic renaissance. The past offers hope for the present and the future, if only we can escape the negativity of our current moment — and each show will offer […]