Is American Democracy Broken? Midterm Warnings and Fixes

Why does democracy feel rigged — even before you vote?Joe sits down with Travis Misurell, founder of Think Futures Now (https://futureis.org/), to explain why voters feel locked out of the political process and how leaders are really chosen behind the scenes.This isn’t left vs right. It’s a systems-level conversation about money, candidate selection, fear-based voting, and whether fixing how leaders are chosen matters more than who wins the next election.If you’ve ever felt like you’re voting against someone instead of for something, this episode explains why.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Crisis in Democracy01:37 Travis Misurell's Vision for Change03:30 The Disconnect Between Voters and Politicians06:29 The Role of Money in Politics10:05 The Need for a Digital Democracy15:33 Building a Transparent Political System19:37 What Think Futures Now Coalition Aims to Achieve23:06 Building a New Political Infrastructure24:32 The Role of Transparency in Politics27:22 Empowering Citizens Through Technology29:11 Breaking the Two-Party Trap31:45 Connecting Citizens and Candidates35:05 The Future of Political Engagement38:06 Creating a Civic Internet This episode is brought to you by Brio. Most trimmers are built to fail after a year or two. Loose guards. Weak batteries. Uneven cuts. The Brio Beardscape V1 changes that completely with a ceramic blade system, powerful motor, long battery life, and the precision to hit the spots cheap trimmers always miss.Use code MIDDLEGROUND for 10% off your order.Brio Beardscape V1 Support the show