Democracy Works
BookmarkPenn State McCourtney Institute for Democracy
Democracy Works is a government podcast hosted by Penn State McCourtney Institute for Democracy. It has 328 episodes, with the latest published April 2026.
The Democracy Works podcast seeks to answer that question by examining a different aspect of democratic life each week — from voting to criminal justice to the free press and everything in between. We interview experts who study democracy, as well as people who are out there doing the hard work of democracy day in and day out.The show’s name comes from Pennsylvania’s long tradition of iron and steel works — people coming together to build things greater than the sum of their parts. We believe that democracy is the same way. Each of us has a role to play in building and sustaining a healthy democracy and our show is all about helping people understand what that means.Democracy Works is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.
government ·en-us ·328 episodes
When politics enters the doctor's office
The Declaration of Independence and democracy renovation
Janet Napolitano on higher education and democracy
Is public media still public?
Embracing mindful democracy
How AI is changing democracy
How America's political divides affect foreign policy
The Context: Seven ways anyone can fight authoritarianism
Troubling times for higher education and democracy
Fixing the information ecosystem starts with us
The dismantling of USAID and the death of government oversight
Disorder: Democracy lessons from Europe and beyond
How AI is shaping the news
A Republic, if you can teach it
The new gerrymandering battles
How misogyny fuels political violence
Standing up for higher education
Ben Rhodes on America's changing role in a changed world
How mental health shapes democratic engagement [rebroadcast]
Inside the MAGA black hole
How 2020 changed America
An update on the states
The problem(s) with platforms
Lessons from Charlottesville and January 6
Christianity as a democratic institution
The power of practicing peace
Pushing back against political violence
Democracy reform in 2025 and beyond
Season finale: Reflecting on a new political era
Sustaining democracy during wartime
Telling America's story at the National Archives
Bad Watchdog: The Red Herring
How strong is support for democracy?
How the Supreme Court could shape the 2024 election
Eddie Glaude Jr. on the peril of outsourcing democracy
Liberalism is a lifestyle
The immigration stories that aren't told
How the National Popular Vote could change presidential elections
Making Peace Visible: In search of good conflict
Season finale: Protests, debates, and the "meh" election
How elected strongmen weaken democracy
30 years of democracy in South Africa
David Hogg on leaders we deserve
Democracy is the sum of us
Cassidy Hutchinson on what comes after January 6
How discontent destabilizes demoracy
A different take on social media and democracy
How to combat political extremism
A different kind of political divide
Tim Alberta on evangelicals and Republicans
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