We are collecting our thoughts about what's next for democracy following the 2024 election and will take up the question during our end-of-year episode in December.Democracy Works host Michael Berkman, director of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy and professor of political science at Penn State talks with <a href="http://chrisclaassen.com/" target="_blank">Christopher Claassen</a>, a political scientist at the University of Glasgow, about how to measure support for democracy across countries and across generations. Claassen grew up in South Africa and was 16 when the country held its first democratic elections. His interest in democracy continued through college and into his career as a political scientist. Today, he is a professor of political behavior at the University of Glasgow. One area of his research focuses on how to measure support for democracy. In a <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00104140241259458" target="_blank">recent paper</a>, he and colleagues developed 17 survey questions that cover all eight components of liberal democracy as defined by the V-Dem project in an effort to refine what people mean when they say the support or don't support democracy.Berkman and Claassen also discuss how support for democracy is part of the 2024 U.S. election. Note that this interview was recorded in late October 2024 before the election took place.Referenced in this episode:  <a href="https://democracy.psu.edu/research/mood-of-the-nation-poll/" target="_blank">McCourtney Institute for Democracy Mood of the Nation Poll</a> <a href="https://www.democracyworkspodcast.com/episodes/miller-idriss" target="_blank">Episode with Cynthia MIller-Idriss on communities and political extremism</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;We are collecting our thoughts about what's next for democracy following the 2024 election and will take up the question during our end-of-year episode in December.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Democracy Works host Michael Berkman, director of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy and professor of political science at Penn State talks with &lt;a href="http://chrisclaassen.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Christopher Claassen&lt;/a&gt;, a political scientist at the University of Glasgow, about how to measure support for democracy across countries and across generations. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Claassen grew up in South Africa and was 16 when the country held its first democratic elections. His interest in democracy continued through college and into his career as a political scientist. Today, he is a professor of political behavior at the University of Glasgow. One area of his research focuses on how to measure support for democracy. In a &lt;a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00104140241259458" target="_blank"&gt;recent paper&lt;/a&gt;, he and colleagues developed 17 survey questions that cover all eight components of liberal democracy as defined by the V-Dem project in an effort to refine what people mean when they say the support or don't support democracy.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Berkman and Claassen also discuss how support for democracy is part of the 2024 U.S. election. Note that this interview was recorded in late October 2024 before the election took place.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Referenced in this episode: &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="https://democracy.psu.edu/research/mood-of-the-nation-poll/" target="_blank"&gt;McCourtney Institute for Democracy Mood of the Nation Poll&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.democracyworkspodcast.com/episodes/miller-idriss" target="_blank"&gt;Episode with Cynthia MIller-Idriss on communities and political extremism&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

Democracy Works host Michael Berkman talks with Christopher Claassen, a political scientist at the University of Glasgow, about how to measure support for democracy across countries and across generations.

How strong is support for democracy?

Dahlia Lithwick has covered the Supreme Court since the landmark Bush v. Gore decision in 2000. In that time, she's seen a sea change in the court itself, as well as the way that journalists cover it. We discuss those trends in this episode, as well as how former President Trump's legal team has changed since the 2020 election.Lithwick is the host of <a href="https://slate.com/podcasts/amicus" target="_blank">Amicus</a>, Slate’s podcast about the law and the Supreme Court, and author of "Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America." She has held visiting faculty positions at the University of Georgia Law School, the University of Virginia School of Law, and the Hebrew University Law School in Jerusalem.Referenced in this episode:<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/15/us/justice-roberts-trump-supreme-court.html" target="_blank">How Chief Justice Roberts shaped Trump's Supreme Court winning streak</a> - New York Times<a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/09/trump-v-harris-stop-the-steal-2024.html" target="_blank">"Stop the Seal" 2.0 is here and it's scarily sophisticated </a>- Slate<a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/09/scotus-john-roberts-image-fail-phony-false.html" target="_blank">We helped John Roberts construct his image as a centrist. We were so wrong</a>. - Slate

<description>&lt;p&gt;Dahlia Lithwick has covered the Supreme Court since the landmark &lt;i&gt;Bush v. Gore &lt;/i&gt;decision in 2000. In that time, she's seen a sea change in the court itself, as well as the way that journalists cover it. We discuss those trends in this episode, as well as how former President Trump's legal team has changed since the 2020 election.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Lithwick is the host of &lt;a href="https://slate.com/podcasts/amicus" target="_blank"&gt;Amicus&lt;/a&gt;, Slate’s podcast about the law and the Supreme Court, and author of "Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America." She has held visiting faculty positions at the University of Georgia Law School, the University of Virginia School of Law, and the Hebrew University Law School in Jerusalem.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Referenced in this episode:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/15/us/justice-roberts-trump-supreme-court.html" target="_blank"&gt;How Chief Justice Roberts shaped Trump's Supreme Court winning streak&lt;/a&gt; - New York Times&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/09/trump-v-harris-stop-the-steal-2024.html" target="_blank"&gt;"Stop the Seal" 2.0 is here and it's scarily sophisticated &lt;/a&gt;- Slate&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/09/scotus-john-roberts-image-fail-phony-false.html" target="_blank"&gt;We helped John Roberts construct his image as a centrist. We were so wrong&lt;/a&gt;. - Slate&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

Dahlia Lithwick, Slate's senior legal correspondent, joins us to discuss how the Supreme Court has shaped — and could continue to shape the 2024 presidential election.

How the Supreme Court could shape the 2024 election

With just weeks to go before the election, voting and candidates are top of mind of many of us. It's easy to think that once our preferred candidates win, our obligations to democracy are finished until the next election. Scholar and author Eddie Glaude Jr. has spent his career studying the perils of that approach throughout history, particularly when it comes to Black politics and power. Glaude joins us to discuss how he's thinking about the 2024 election, the difference between hope and joy, and why we can't outsource democracy solely to elected representatives. One of the nation's most prominent scholars, Glaude's work examines the complex dynamics of the American experience. He is the author of "<a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674737600" target="_blank">We are the Leaders We Have Been Looking For,</a>" "<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/228365/democracy-in-black-by-eddie-s-glaude-jr/" target="_blank">Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul</a>,"and "<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/575725/begin-again-by-eddie-s-glaude-jr/" target="_blank">Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for our Own</a>." He is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of African American Studies, a program he first became involved with shaping as a doctoral candidate in Religion at Princeton. He is also on the Morehouse College Board of Trustees. He frequently appears in the media, as a columnist for TIME Magazine and as an MSNBC contributor.

<description>&lt;p&gt;With just weeks to go before the election, voting and candidates are top of mind of many of us. It's easy to think that once our preferred candidates win, our obligations to democracy are finished until the next election. Scholar and author Eddie Glaude Jr. has spent his career studying the perils of that approach throughout history, particularly when it comes to Black politics and power. Glaude joins us to discuss how he's thinking about the 2024 election, the difference between hope and joy, and why we can't outsource democracy solely to elected representatives. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;One of the nation's most prominent scholars, Glaude's work examines the complex dynamics of the American experience. He is the author of "&lt;a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674737600" target="_blank"&gt;We are the Leaders We Have Been Looking For,&lt;/a&gt;" "&lt;a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/228365/democracy-in-black-by-eddie-s-glaude-jr/" target="_blank"&gt;Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul&lt;/a&gt;,"and "&lt;a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/575725/begin-again-by-eddie-s-glaude-jr/" target="_blank"&gt;Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for our Own&lt;/a&gt;." He is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of African American Studies, a program he first became involved with shaping as a doctoral candidate in Religion at Princeton. He is also on the Morehouse College Board of Trustees. He frequently appears in the media, as a columnist for TIME Magazine and as an MSNBC contributor.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

Author and scholar Eddue Glaude Jr. joins us to discuss what happens when we let the heavy democratic lifting fall to just a few elected officials.

Eddie Glaude Jr. on the peril of outsourcing democracy

Chris Beem talks with political theorist <a href="https://www.alexlefebvre.com/" target="_blank">Alexandre Lefebvre</a> about why liberalism is more than just a political ideas and procedures, and how abiding by liberal principles can enhance your life far beyond politics. In his book <a href="https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691203744/liberalism-as-a-way-of-life?srsltid=AfmBOortJznbabkS1jnWxRmI2O04xFQHETGv7ESSNbG2gFp4ja0fmqRx" target="_blank">Liberalism as a Way of Life</a>, Lefebvre argues that liberalism isn’t just a set of neutral procedures; it’s a comprehensive way of life that shapes the way we live and think and work and love in innumerable ways. He also argues that it’s a way of life worth robustly defending, drawing on examples from pop culture and recent history.Lefebeve is a professor of politics and philosophy at the University of Sydney. He teaches and researches  political theory, the history of political thought, modern and contemporary French philosophy, and human rights.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Chris Beem talks with political theorist &lt;a href="https://www.alexlefebvre.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Alexandre Lefebvre&lt;/a&gt; about why liberalism is more than just a political ideas and procedures, and how abiding by liberal principles can enhance your life far beyond politics. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In his book &lt;a href="https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691203744/liberalism-as-a-way-of-life?srsltid=AfmBOortJznbabkS1jnWxRmI2O04xFQHETGv7ESSNbG2gFp4ja0fmqRx" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Liberalism as a Way of Life&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Lefebvre argues that liberalism isn’t just a set of neutral procedures; it’s a comprehensive way of life that shapes the way we live and think and work and love in innumerable ways. He also argues that it’s a way of life worth robustly defending, drawing on examples from pop culture and recent history.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Lefebeve is a professor of politics and philosophy at the University of Sydney. He teaches and researches  political theory, the history of political thought, modern and contemporary French philosophy, and human rights.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
</description>

Chris Beem talks with political theorist Alexandre Lefebvre about why liberalism is more than just a political ideas and procedures, and how abiding by liberal principles can enhance your life far beyond politics.

Liberalism is a lifestyle

Immigration is a perennial issue in American politics, but the rhetoric we hear from candidates on the campaign trail is often very different than the day-to-day experiences of migrants traveling from central America to the United States and the smugglers who help them make the often dangerous journey to get here. In an effort to better understand this essential yet extralegal billion dollar global industry, anthropologist Jason De León embedded with a group of smugglers moving migrants across Mexico over the course of seven years. The result is the book "<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/672038/soldiers-and-kings-by-jason-de-leon/" target="_blank">Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling</a>," which we discuss on this episode. The book is a finalist for the <a href="https://www.nationalbook.org/books/soldiers-and-kings-survival-and-hope-in-the-world-of-human-smuggling/" target="_blank">2024 National Book Award</a>!De León is Professor of Anthropology and Chicana/o Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles with his lab located in the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology and Executive Director of the <a href="http://undocumentedmigrationproject.com/">Undocumented Migration Project</a>, a research, arts, and education collective that seeks to raise awareness about migration issues globally while also assisting families of missing migrants be reunited with their loved ones. He is also a 2017 MacArthur Foundation Fellow and a Penn State alumnus.Finally, we are excited to welcome <a href="https://www.cyanneloyle.com/" target="_blank">Cyanne Loyle</a>, associate professor of political science at Penn State, to the Democracy Works team. She was a guest host in the spring and will be joining the permanent lineup with Michael Berkman, Chris Beem, and Candis Watts Smith.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Immigration is a perennial issue in American politics, but the rhetoric we hear from candidates on the campaign trail is often very different than the day-to-day experiences of migrants traveling from central America to the United States and the smugglers who help them make the often dangerous journey to get here. In an effort to better understand this essential yet extralegal billion dollar global industry, anthropologist Jason De León embedded with a group of smugglers moving migrants across Mexico over the course of seven years. The result is the book "&lt;a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/672038/soldiers-and-kings-by-jason-de-leon/" target="_blank"&gt;Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling&lt;/a&gt;," which we discuss on this episode. The book is a finalist for the &lt;a href="https://www.nationalbook.org/books/soldiers-and-kings-survival-and-hope-in-the-world-of-human-smuggling/" target="_blank"&gt;2024 National Book Award&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;De León is Professor of Anthropology and Chicana/o Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles with his lab located in the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology and Executive Director of the &lt;a href="http://undocumentedmigrationproject.com/"&gt;Undocumented Migration Project&lt;/a&gt;, a research, arts, and education collective that seeks to raise awareness about migration issues globally while also assisting families of missing migrants be reunited with their loved ones. He is also a 2017 MacArthur Foundation Fellow and a Penn State alumnus.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Finally, we are excited to welcome &lt;a href="https://www.cyanneloyle.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Cyanne Loyle&lt;/a&gt;, associate professor of political science at Penn State, to the Democracy Works team. She was a guest host in the spring and will be joining the permanent lineup with Michael Berkman, Chris Beem, and Candis Watts Smith.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

Anthropologist Jason De León joins us to discuss his book "Soldiers and Kings," which tells the stories of smugglers who help migrants make the journey from central America to Mexico and the United States.

The immigration stories that aren't told

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.

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