PODCAST · news
Civic Forum
by Rory Truex
Because democracy needs a pod. Informed conversations on the most important issues facing democracy, in the US and elsewhere, hosted by Rory Truex, Associate Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University.
Episodes
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Trump and the Autocrats: Our New Global Disorder| Michael McFaul (Stanford, former US Ambassador to Russia)
The Trump administration has shown a willingness to engage, and even embrace, authoritarian leaders like Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Viktor Orbán, Kim Jong Un, and Nayib Bukele. At the same time, Trump has been dismissive and threatening toward our allies and partners in Canada and Europe. This...
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A New Era or More of the Same? Debriefing the Trump-Xi Summit | Ryan Hass (Brookings)
Last week Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited President Donald Trump at the White House, with US-China relations at a critical juncture. This week's Civic Forum episode features an interview with Brookings Fellow Ryan Hass, who worked in the White House under President Obama and helped organize the...
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Will AI Break Universities? The Future of Teaching and Learning | Jill Dolan (Princeton) and Kate Stanton (Princeton)
AI is fundamentally changing the classroom, and colleges and universities are struggling to police AI use and preserve academic integrity. In this week's Civic Forum interview, host Rory Truex is joined by Jill Dolan, former Dean of the College at Princeton, and Kate Stanton, director of...
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What Both Parties Get Wrong About Immigration | Andrea Flores (former Biden National Security Council)
Immigration is the defining policy issue of the Trump era — and Biden's former border director says both parties are getting it wrong. Andrea Flores ran border policy on the National Security Council and resigned over the administration's handling of the border. She joins Rory Truex to explain…
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An Optimistic Take on American Democracy | Frances Lee (Princeton)
Americans are down about democracy. Congress is a particularly loathed institution, with approval ratings around 10%. In this episode, Rory Truex talks to Princeton professor Frances Lee about her new book, A Case For Congress, and why congress may be performing its functions better than we…
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After Orban: Lessons from Hungary on Democratic Healing | Kim Lane Scheppele (Princeton) and Peter Dosa (Hungary Report)
Rory interviews Princeton professor and Hungary expert Kim Lane Scheppele and writer Peter Dosa about Hungary’s election that ousted Viktor Orbán and brought Prime Minister Péter Magyar and the Tisza party to power with a supermajority. The conversation focuses on lessons Americans can learn from...
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Is the Pro-democracy Movement Working? | Jess Craven (Chop Wood, Carry Water) & Micah Sifry (The Connector)
Is the pro-democracy movement actually working? What are the gaps in current activism, and the most effective ways for normal citizens to get involved? Rory is joined by veteran activists Jess Craven and Micah Sifry to assess the state of the movement. The session focuses on notable wins and…
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Getting Workers on the Ballot | Nick Carnes (Duke) and Noam Lupu (Vanderbilt)
Across many democracies, workers comprise a majority of the labor force but only a small fraction of elected office-holders. Why does democracy consistently fail the working class? And what can be done to get more workers on the ballot? Rory interviews political scientists Noam Lupu and Nick…
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Will AI Create a Permanent Underclass? | Jasmine Sun (independent journalist)
On Civic Forum, Rory Truex interviews writer and journalist Jasmine Sun about how Silicon Valley is “bracing for a permanent underclass,” the belief among many AI insiders that AI will increase inequality, reduce economic mobility, and cause short-term mass job disruption that concentrates power...
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Will AI Create Permanent Dictatorships? | Margaret Roberts (UCSD) and Jennifer Pan (Stanford)
Will AI empower dictatorships to exert Orwellian level control over their citizens? In this session of Civic Forum, Rory is joined by two leading experts on China's censorship, propaganda, and surveillance practices, Margaret Roberts from UCSD, and Stanford's Jennifer Pan. The conversation…
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Can the FBI Be Saved? | Asha Rangappa (Yale)
Rory is joined by ex-FBI special agent and Yale lecturer Asha Rangappa to talk about how the FBI has lost its way. Asha discusses her own experience as an agent, and how the values of Fidelity, Bravery and Integrity are instilled in young agents. The conversation focuses on the guardrails that…
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Bonus Episode: The Prospects for Democracy in Iran | Daniel Tavana (Penn State)
What the prospects for democracy in Iran? What will happen to the regime after the death of Ayatollah Khamenei? What is the level of support for regime? In this "emergency" episode, Rory is joined by Daniel Tavana, a professor at Penn State University and expert on Iranian politics and society.…
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How Trump Has Changed the Presidency | Julia Azari (Marquette)
How has Donald Trump changed the American presidency? How does his challenge to the Constitution fit in context with other backlash presidents like Andrew Johnson and Richard Nixon? In this episode of The Civic Forum, Rory is joined by Julia Azari, a leading scholar of presidential politics. They...
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Trump's Authoritarianism: The View from Europe | Marcel Dirsus (The Next Best)
In this episode of The Civic Forum, Rory speaks with authoritarianism scholar Dr. Marcel Dirsus, author of How Tyrants Fall, about whether the US is entering a period of authoritarianism and what stands out as unique about Trump. They discuss democratic backsliding, how governments tilt the...
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National Security Leaders Sound the Alarm on Trump's Authoritarianism | Steven Cash, Steady State
Rory is joined by Ex-CIA official Steven Cash to discuss the threats posed by Donald Trump to American democracy. Cash is the director of the Steady State, a group of former national security professionals dedicated to nonpartisanship and the preservation of American democracy. They discuss the...
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Trump and the New International (Dis)order | Paul Poast, University of Chicago
Venezuela... Greenland... Iran... Denmark?. The list of Trump's foreign policy adventures seems to grow by the day. Rory Truex is joined by Paul Poast, Associate Professor at the University of Chicago, to help make sense of it all. They examine Trump as a ``19th-century president" operating in…
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2025 in Review: Our Authoritarian Year
In this solo episode, Rory examines the state of American democracy under Donald Trump. He discusses the four distinct chapters in Trump's authoritarian power grab. This episode also explores the resilience of American society, and closes with a note of optimism and predictions for 2026.
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Trump, Maduro, and the Crisis in Venezuela | Michael Albertus, UChicago
Is Venezuela heading toward regime change? Are the U.S. and Venezuela destined for war? Why is Trump so interested in Venezuela, and what will be the fate of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro? Rory Truex is joined on The Civic Forum by University of Chicago's Michael Albertus, a leading scholar...
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Who's Actually Solving Problems in Congress? | Brad Porteus, Bridge Grades
Bridge Grades founder Brad Porteus joins Rory Truex on The Civic Forum to explain how polarization is shaping Congress and why some lawmakers work across the aisle while others fuel division. The conversation breaks down how Bridge Grades scores members of Congress, what collaboration really…
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Laboratories Against Democracy: How the States Became the Front Line of American Authoritarianism | Jake Grumbach, UC Berkeley
American democracy isn’t unraveling in Washington—it’s happening in the states. In this episode, Rory Truex talks with political scientist Jake Grumbach, author of Laboratories Against Democracy, about how federalism, once a safeguard of liberty, has become a major engine of democratic…
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The State and Stakes of U.S.-China Relations | Jessica Chen Weiss, Johns Hopkins SAIS
What does a second Trump term actually mean for U.S.–China relations? Could Washington and Beijing find their way to a political truce, or are we headed toward a sharper, more dangerous phase of rivalry? In this episode of The Civic Forum, Rory Truex talks with Jessica Chen Weiss about the state...
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The Business Case for Democracy | Daniella Ballou-Aares, Leadership Now
In this episode of the Civic Forum, Rory Truex, an associate professor from Princeton University, discusses the intersection of democracy and the business community with Daniella Ballou-Aares, the founder of The Leadership Now Project. The conversation explores the importance of business…
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The Strategy Behind No Kings | Ezra Levin, Indivisible
Indivisible's Ezra Levin joins Rory Truex to reflect on No Kings, the Democrats' November 2025 election wins, and where the pro-democracy movement goes from here.
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How America is Losing the Law | Deborah Pearlstein, Princeton University
Are America’s courts still capable of protecting the rule of law in the face of Trump's authoritarian power grab? In this episode, Princeton constitutional scholar Deborah Pearlstein joins Rory Truex on The Civic Forum to break down the state of the courts — and whether legal institutions are...
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Our Politics Can Be Better | Lee Drutman, New America
New America's Lee Drutman joins Rory Truex to explain how the U.S. two-party system fuels polarization, gridlock, and democratic decline—and how reforms like proportional representation and fusion voting could help fix it.
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The State of American Science | Holden Thorp, Science Magazine
In this week’s episode of The Civic Forum, Rory Truex is joined by Holden Thorp, the Editor-in-Chief of the Science family of journals. They discuss the state of American science and how Trump's attacks on universities may make U.S. science fall behind. They also discuss ways universities must...
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The State of American Democracy | Steven Levitsky, Adam Przeworski, Susan Stokes and Daniel Ziblatt
In this episode of The Civic Forum, Rory leads a conversation with four leading scholars of democratic erosion — Steven Levitsky (Harvard), Adam Przeworski (NYU), Susan Stokes (UChicago), and Daniel Ziblatt (Harvard) — on the current state of American democracy. They discuss what's surprising and...
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Do Americans Support Violence and Authoritarianism? | Kevin Arceneaux, Sciences Po
In this week’s episode of The Civic Forum, Rory Truex is joined by Kevin Arceneaux, professor at Sciences Po and leading expert on political psychology, to explore how Americans really think about democracy, authoritarianism, and political violence.They discuss:- Why most Americans support...
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Tracking American Democratic Decline | John Carey & Brendan Nyhan, Dartmouth College
Is American democracy in crisis? In this week’s episode of The Civic Forum, Rory Truex is joined by Dartmouth professors John Carey and Brendan Nyhan, co-founders of Bright Line Watch, the project tracking democratic backsliding in America.They discuss: Why expert ratings of U.S. democracy have...
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Ending the Gerontocracy | Amanda Litman, Run For Something
In this week’s session of The Civic Forum, Rory Truex is joined by Amanda Litman, co-founder of Run for Something. Amanda explains why America’s political system is dominated by older leaders, and how young people can step up.We discuss: Why the U.S. is a gerontocracy, and how it affects…
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What Trump Learned From Orbán | Kim Lane Scheppele, Princeton University
In this week’s session of The Civic Forum, Rory is joined by Princeton professor Kim Lane Scheppele, who explains how Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz Party consolidated power in Hungary — and how Donald Trump and his allies are adopting Orbán’s authoritarian playbook in the United States through...
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The Science of Protest | Erica Chenoweth, Harvard University
In this week's session, Rory is joined by Erica Chenoweth, a professor in the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and one the country's leading experts on social movements and nonviolent resistance. Erica provides opening remarks about what we know about when social movements and...
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What's Ahead For Russia & Ukraine? | Mark Beissinger, Princeton University
In this week's session, Rory Truex is joined by Princeton Professor Mark Beissinger, an expert on Russia and post-communist countries. Mark provides an update on the state of the war in Ukraine, focusing on the political calculations of Putin, Zelenskyy, and Trump. Mark and Rory then discuss the...
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MAGA and Race, What's Different This Time | Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Princeton University
In this week's session, Rory Truex is joined by Princeton Professor Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor for a short lecture about MAGA, Race, and Black History. Keeanga's opening remarks focus on how race is being constructed differently in the second Trump administration. Keeanga and Rory discuss how…
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What's New In Trump's Authoritarian Playbook | Ruth Ben-Ghiat, NYU
In this week's session, Rory Truex is joined by NYU Professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a leading scholar of fascism and author of the popular book Strongmen. Ruth focuses her opening remarks on what's innovative about Trump's authoritarian playbook. The conversation then turns to the distinction between...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Civic Forum have?
Civic Forum currently has 35 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Civic Forum about?
Because democracy needs a pod. Informed conversations on the most important issues facing democracy, in the US and elsewhere, hosted by Rory Truex, Associate Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University.
How often does Civic Forum release new episodes?
Civic Forum has 35 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Civic Forum?
You can listen to Civic Forum on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Civic Forum?
Civic Forum is created and hosted by Rory Truex.
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