Introducing Democracy in Question, a new podcast on the state of democracy

On Democracy in Question, host Katie Dunn Tenpas—a visiting fellow in Governance Studies and director of the Katzmann Initiative on Improving Interbranch Relations and Government—interviews expert guests about American politics and the future of democracy. Each episode poses a different question to better understand the contours of our democratic system and what is at stake.

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VANESSA WILLIAMSON: Democracy is an act of faith. We have to have a faith in one another. And so, to me, the most damaging thing of all is encouraging people to not see one another as citizens. We don’t have to agree, but we can’t see each other as enemies.

RASHAWN RAY: For Black Americans, or for just most Americans, going to go vote should be how you express your Americanness, it’s how you participate in democracy. But when Black people go vote, it becomes more about thinking about a collective identity or responsibility to buy into that collective identity in terms of Black people having to vote as a collective instead of their own individuality.  

E.J. DIONNE: And it’s really hard to hope that we can unite to defend our democracy when there is this kind of division over what defending democracy means.

KATIE DUNN TENPAS: Hi. I’m Katie Dunn Tenpas, a visiting fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution and director of the Katzmann Initiative on Improving Interbranch Relations and Government. And this is Democracy in Question. Join me and my expert guests as we unpack the state of American democracy.

There’s a lot happening in U.S. politics at the moment, including a highly contested presidential race. But in this podcast, I’m trying to get at the deeper questions of democracy—analyzing its strengths, weaknesses, and what needs improvement.

Subscribe now on your favorite podcast app or visit us at Brookings dot edu slash Democracy in Question to learn more and start getting episodes as soon as they are published in the coming weeks.