Episodes
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This episode features a conversation with Grace Cowan of Frogmore Stew, a podcast focused on South Carolina politics. Nancy and Grace thought it would be interesting, on the cusp of this momentous election, to see how life looks like on the other side of our red state and blue state fences. They talk about how when it comes down to everyday issues there really is a lot more blurring of the partisan lines than the media and national party propaganda would have us believe. They also discuss how certain issues like climate change can transcend party, and that, in the end, there is much more that unites us than divides us. Sure, we have different opinions, but in a nation dominated by an us vs. them mentality, this conversation will make you feel better about the prospect of coming together as a country again. We just have to keep talking.
Frogmore Stew is a podcast about South Carolina politics, political history and political culture. Grace and her guests talk through the intersection of national and state politics, she feature guests that give deep insight into a variety of topics, and she looks at how pop culture has become intertwined in our political vernacular. Frogmore Stew is a realistic and educated approach to the policy issues that affect South Carolinians everyday.
Thank you for being a listener!
Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here. If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send an email to [email protected] you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!
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What if Trump wins? On this episode, Nancy has a conversation with Mark Bergman about something none of us want to think about: what would happen to the rule of law and American democracy in a second Trump term. Last spring, Mark was an observer at a series of large scale simulated exercises (aka war games) stress testing democracy under an authoritarian ruler. Hosted by the Brennan Center, a nonpartisan think tank at NYU Law School, the exercises were conducted as part of theDemocracy Futures Project. Nancy and Mark discuss the outcome of the games, our lack of preparedness for an unfettered Trump, a few positive takeaways and important groups defending democracy that need our support. The number one most important lesson of these exercises? Elect Kamala Harris on November 5th.
Mark S. Bergman is a former international corporate lawyer who, through 7Pillars Global Insights, LLC, comments, briefs and convenes on a range of political, geopolitical and democracy-related topics. He is a member of the Advisory Council of the International Crisis Group, a Director of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to reversing the rising tide of polarization, extremism, weaponization of hate and disinformation worldwide), a Director of Bellingcat US and a Director of TIM Cooperative (an NGO focused on information quality). Mark is also a member of the National Finance Committee of the Democratic National Committee.
Pro-Democracy Organizations Recommended by Mark
Protect Democracy
Democracy Forward
Principles First
State Democracy Defenders Action
ACLU
The National Immigration Law Center
Thank you for being a listener!
Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here.If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send an email to [email protected] you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!
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This episode features a conversation with Nimit Sawhney of Voatz, a mobile voting app that uses cutting edge technology to make voting more accessible, secure and auditable. Spelled V-O-A-T-Z, the app is already in use in elections around the world and has the potential to transform our electoral system here in the U.S. Nimit and Nancy discuss the appâs blockchain-based technology; they do a deep dive on security concerns; and Nimit explains how Voatz has the potential to restore public trust in the voting process.
This episode is the third in a series on the transformative power of mobile voting. The first was Episode 47 with Ramon Perez of the Digital Democracy Project, followed by Jocelyn Bucaro of the Mobile Voting Project in Episode 48. Taken together, these three conversations address the security of mobile voting, different applications for the technology, and why making it easier for people to vote may be the key to reinvigorating American democracy.
You can try out the Voatz app for yourself by participating in the Digital Democracy Project, where you can tell your legislators how you want them to vote on upcoming legislation. Itâs currently available for Florida residents only but will soon expand nationwide.
Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here.
If you like this podcast, please subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!
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This episode features a conversation with Nathaniel Stinnett of the Environmental Voter Project, a nonprofit that is building political power for climate issues not by changing minds but by changing behavior. As a political campaign veteran, Nathaniel noticed that an enormous number of registered voters lists the environment as a top priority but does not vote. So he came up with the brilliant idea of turning them into consistent voters to build the political power to fix the climate crisis. Nathaniel and Nancy discuss the highly accurate predictive models that they use to identify these voters; how to turn these super environmentalists into super voters using behavioral science; and how once this environmental electorate is in place, politicians will have no choice but to act on climate and the environment. If youâre looking for a meaningful way to have a big impact on elections, including the ones right around the corner, there are many ways to get involved.
To volunteer for or donate to the Environmental Voter Project, go to www.environmentalvoter.org.
Sign up for the New Faces of Democracy newsletter here.
If you like this podcast, please subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!
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Nancy catches up with activist Margie Stein of 140 Florida Blue who continues to work tirelessly to make Florida blue again. Nancy and Margie speak about why she is once again recruiting and funding Democrats to run in every single Florida district, even where Democrats donât normally win; the reverse coattails effect; the abortion amendment on the ballot; and the path to making Florida a swing state once again. It does cost money to help a candidate run, but the long term impact could be priceless. Click here to donate and click here to watch David Pepperâs video on 140 Florida Blue.
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This episode features a conversation with Jason Springer about how the Education Truth Project, a New Jersey super PAC, is keeping school boards free of extremist voices. Jason and Nancy discuss how, in recent years, out of state groups have been infiltrating local school boards, using children as pawns to advance political agendas; how we need to return to dialogue versus the âmy way or the highwayâ mentality; and the importance of local solutions to local issues. For more information on the Education Truth Project, visit their website.
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On this episode, Nancy speaks with Drew Kromer, Chairman of the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party in North Carolina. Could Mecklenburg County hold the key to flipping North Carolina blue? According to Drew, the answer is yes. Nancy and Drew talk about the huge numbers of Democrats in the county and the slim margins needed to win state-wide races; why people have historically not shown up to the polls; and how to scale up their volunteer operation in time for November and create lasting Democratic infrastructure for the future. To donate or volunteer, see the links below.
https://www.meckdems.org/
https://swingbluealliance.org/northcarolina/
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This episode features a conversation with Jocelyn Bucaro of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Mobile Voting Project. Could mobile voting save democracy? Jocelyn and Nancy speak about how itâs already being used in many jurisdictions in the US and around the world; creating public trust in the technology; and how it has the potential to transform our hyper partisan political landscape and help our democracy work better for us all. For more information, go to the Mobile Voting Project website where you can also sign up to volunteer or follow them on social media.
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This episode features a conversation with Ramon Perez of the Digital Democracy Project. Imagine a world where you have the same access to your representatives as a lobbyist or a wealthy donor, where you get to say how you would like them to vote on a bill and see how they vote in real time. And itâs all on an app on the phone in your pocket. Thatâs called the Digital Democracy Project, and itâs currently a reality in Florida with plans to expand to all 50 states. Ramon and Nancy speak about how tools like blockchain keep the app safe and secure; how most people are more nuanced than our partisan system would have you believe; and why we shouldnât have to wait four years to have a say in the running of our government. To learn more about the Digital Democracy Project or watch Ramonâs TED talk, visit their website.
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Who among us isnât feeling at least a tinge, if not a tsunami, of panic right now, with a disastrous debate, dystopian Supreme Court decisions and Project 2025 lurking in our nightmares? Iâm not good at sitting with anxiety, so my reaction is always to get to work â and right now that means more new episodes of the New Faces of Democracy podcast. So if youâre looking for a balm for your frazzled soul, check out the new season thatâs well underway featuring conversations with people who are nothing short of warriors for democracy.
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What to do after a disastrous presidential debate and devastating Supreme Court rulings? This episode features a conversation with Brian Derrick of Oath, who has one solution: smart, impactful giving to candidates up and down the ballot who will protect democracy and defend our most cherished rights. Oath is an online fundraising platform that helps Democratic donors identify where their money is most needed in the races that mean the most to them, whether their focus is flipping the House, state legislatures, reproductive rights and more. Nancy and Brian talk about the problem of wasted donations to long shot candidates; the nimble, data-driven scoring system they use at Oath to make their recommendations; and one side benefit of using Oath which is ending the nonstop barrage of emails and text messages from campaigns. Listen to the end to hear how to stay positive during whatâs shaping up to be a challenging summer. To learn more about Oath, check out their website at oath.vote.
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This episode features a conversation with Emily White of #iVoted Concerts. For all the technology in our world today, voter turnout tactics, like door knocking and phone banking, have seen remarkably little innovation in decades. But when, in 2016, Wisconsin native and music industry insider Emily White first heard about the narrow vote margin that helped Donald Trump win the White House in her home state, she thought, âWait a minute, thatâs the size of a concert venue!â. That was the lightbulb moment when Emily came up with the idea of organizing election night concerts with free tickets for people who show a selfie in front of their polling place. The result has been a beautiful marriage of music and data to engage more voters and strengthen democracy. Emily and Nancy talk about the fact that young people are twice as likely to attend a concert than vote; the MIT analysis showing the remarkable increase in voter turnout that resulted from #iVoted Concerts; and the highly targeted, data-driven events planned for this year around the country, particularly in swing states. If you want to learn more about #iVoted Concerts or to support their work, check out their website where you can donate and find links to their social media.
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This episode features a conversation with Claire Atkin of the ad tech watchdog Check My Ads. Our online world has become incredibly complex, bringing with it myriad opportunities for bad actors to manipulate opinions, ideas and ultimately our political system. You may not know what ad tech is or why we need a watchdog, but the bottom line is that Claire and her colleagues at Check My Ads have ventured deep into the weeds to defund online platforms that promote hate and disinformation by taking away their revenue sources: ads. Claire and Nancy talk about the âdonut of griftersâ on the internet who have monetized the politics of hate through digital advertising; the intentional opacity of the ad tech industry that keeps advertisers from knowing where their online ads are placed; and the great successes that this small but mighty team at Check My Ads have had thus far. If you want to learn more about Check My Ads, you can check out their website where you can make a donation or sign up for their newsletter with regular calls to action.
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Four years ago, Jordan Zaslow was busy with her life running an advertising and entertainment production company, but when things shut down during covid in 2020, she found herself with time on her hands and lots of worries about the upcoming election. So she and her team decided to channel that anxiety into making pro bono campaign ads for female Democrats running for office, and Her Bold Move was born. Her Bold Move is now in their fourth election cycle and dedicated to electing more âpro-womenâ women who will influence policy on issues that matter to women, like reproductive rights and affordable childcare. Jordan and Nancy speak about the unique challenges and pressures women face when running for office, why we canât leave behind women running in red state races, conquering imposter syndrome, and much more. If you want to learn more about Her Bold Move and help get more women into the rooms where it happens, check out their website, www.herboldmove.org, where you can also find links to their social media.
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On this episode, Nancy speaks with Philadelphia City Commissioner Seth Bluestein, a Republican whose office is in charge of election operations and voter registration in the Pennsylvania city. Nancy and Seth talk about why, despite enduring threats and harassment in 2020 from members of his own party, Seth remains committed to his mission of ensuring free, secure and transparent elections for all voters. They also discuss the importance of bipartisanship, what it means to be a principled Republican today, and why Seth has recently become affiliated with the Forward Party. This conversation will leave you feeling reassured about the prospects for this yearâs elections and the people who run them in Pennsylvania, where the thinnest of margins can have the largest of impacts.
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On this episode, Nancy welcomes back Melissa Walker of the States Project (formerly known as Future Now). Melissa appeared on the very first episode of this podcast, when deep in Covid lockdown, she schooled us on why we should be focusing on winning state races versus focusing on big, expensive federal seats. On this episode, Melissa is back to talk about why state elections matter now more than ever, how tiny margins can create huge policy and power shifts, and why this yearâs elections in Virginia are of vital importance. Melissa doesnât sugarcoat the fight that lies ahead, but she will give you the inspiration and information you need to be a fierce and focused warrior. For more information about the States Project and how to join or start a giving circle, check out their website at statesproject.org.
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This episode features a conversation with Lindsey Drath, CEO of the Forward Party, a newly formed political party that intends to bring power back to the majority of Americans and take it away from the fringes. Imagine a world in which the will of the plurality rules, where the 70-80% of Americans who support things like gun laws and abortion and climate action have their say, instead of being governed by extremists. With the support of political luminaries from both major parties, like Andrew Yang, Evan McMullin, David Jolly, and Christine Todd Whitman, the Forward Party promises to return power back to the people with a bottom up approach where communities dictate policy, not the parties. How? Through the transformative power of electoral reforms like ranked choice voting, open primaries and independent redistricting committees that motivate candidates to appeal to the majority of voters. Listen to Lindsey and decide for yourself if this is a utopian pipedream or a realistic path out of our broken and polarized political system. For more information on the Forward Party, visit their website at www.forwardparty.com.
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This episode features a conversation with abortion rights activist Michelle Colon of SHERo (Sisters Helping Every Woman Rise and Organize), an organization dedicated to reproductive justice for black and brown women in Mississippi. While thereâs no sugarcoating the dire state of abortion rights in our country right now, this conversation will help you pick yourself up out of your puddle of tears and start to take action. Michelle and Nancy talk about how Mississippi, with its myriad abortion restrictions, is virtually already in a post-Roe universe and how it will only get harder; the fraught history of bodily autonomy for black and brown women; and why we need to support local abortion organizations that are able to help women with the daunting amount of resources they will need when Roe is gone for good. You can donate to support Michelle's work at SHERo here. And below is Michelleâs list of other worthy grassroots groups that help women with those resources.
ARC Southeast arc-southeast.org
Indigenous Women Rising https://www.iwrising.org/abortion-fund
Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund www.msreprofreedomfund.org
New Orleans Abortion Fund
www.neworleansabortionfund.org
Tampa Bay Abortion Fund tbafund.com
National Network of Abortion Funds
abortionfunds.org
Yellowhammer Fund
www.yellowhammerfund.org
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On the last episode with Stacy Kramer of Blueprint/Swing Left, we got a birdâs eye view of why we should support grassroots groups in swing states. This week, Nancy is following up with a âboots on the groundâ perspective from Diana Robinson, civic engagement director at Make the Road Pennsylvania. Diana discusses her groupâs support of working class Latinx communities year in and year out, and how that translates into votes for Democrats when elections roll around. Nancy and Diana also talk about what life is like in a deeply divided battleground state like Pennsylvania, how the groupâs advocacy is making a real impact, and why they need money now to knock on doors and educate voters before the elections.
To make a donation or learn more about Make the Road Pennsylvania (a 501(c)(3) organization), go to https://www.maketheroadpa.org/donate.
To make a donation or learn more about their electoral 501(c)(4) arm, Make the Road Action, go to www.maketheroadaction.org.
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This episode features Stacy Kramer who first came on the podcast two years ago as a newly activated Democratic fundraiser who was making fundraising more Democratic. But after the disappointing down ballot results for Democrats in 2020, she took a hard look at what had gone wrong and realized that giving large amounts of money directly to candidates and campaigns is not a winning strategy. Now she has changed activist gears and is a consultant at Blueprint, a division of the political action group Swing Left. At Blueprint, Stacy is dedicating her time to building up local grassroots civics groups in order to build Democratic infrastructure so that Democrats can win. Stacy and Nancy talk about the law of diminishing returns when it comes to campaign giving, how Republicans have been successfully cultivating the grassroots for decades, and the expertise that Blueprint provides, giving donors the assurance that their gifts will have maximum impact. To learn more about Blueprint, go to blueprint.swingleft.org or email Stacy at [email protected].
Stacy talks about the following resources on the podcast:
The Losing Democrats who Gobbled Up Money by Michael Sokolove in The New Republic
Kyle Spencerâs book Raising Them Right: The Untold Story of America's Ultraconservative Youth Movement--and Its Plot for Power will be published in the fall.
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