Democracy Works When We Do: Hope, Reform, and How to Get Involved with Jenna Spinelle

Feeling discouraged about politics does not have to mean tuning out. Jenna Spinelle has spent years telling the stories of ordinary people who saw a problem, found like-minded neighbors, and started working on it, whether or not they won. In this conversation, Jenna traces her path from local newspapers and Penn State admissions to building a network of democracy podcasts, explains why city councils and school boards are the most accessible place to start, and shares what she is learning while writing a book about the democracy reform movement. You will leave with a short list of organizations, books, and one-hour actions that make participation feel doable. Episode Blog is here: https://caremorebebetter.com/democracy-works-when-we-do-hope-reform-and-how-to-get-involved-with-jenna-spinelle/ Topics Covered [00:00] Intro [02:30] Jenna's path from print journalism and Penn State admissions to the McCourtney Institute and Democracy Works [03:38] How The Democracy Group network came together, and why Care More Be Better is now part of it [05:02]Registering voters as a college freshman in 2004 and how student engagement has changed [07:33]Holding hope and concern at the same time, and limiting news to protect your mental health [10:00] Why local government (city council, school board) is where you are most likely to effect change [12:51] Stories from When the People Decide: everyday people working on grassroots democracy reform [15:33] Ballot measures as a messy but useful tool, and the Citizens Initiative Review [17:20] Why the 25th and 26th Amendment stories show that one person can start something [20:07] A Florida resident who raised concerns about Flock cameras with his city council [22:22] Jenna's forthcoming book and the 96% of Americans frustrated with the status quo (Pew) [25:40] Umbrella organizations to start with: National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers, Bridge Alliance, iCivics [28:02] Finding common ground on clean air, clean water, and public lands, and Jenna's work with Common Ground USA [30:27]Low-lift ways to connect: democracy happy hours, Zoom and Slack groups, and Podcast Brunch Club [33:02] If you have one hour this month: preview your ballot, plan to vote, learn about being a poll worker [35:30] Why Jenna is hopeful about Gen Z, and her Agora Institute project connecting creators and democracy organizations [38:00] Five-year outlook: campaign finance reform, open primaries, ranked choice voting, and the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact [40:20] Ranked choice voting explained in plain language [44:50] A closing challenge: pick something that matters to you and join with your neighbors Resources and Links Jenna Spinelle: https://jennaspinelle.com/ The Democracy Group: https://democracygroup.org/ NOTE: Get a free guide from The Democracy Group: nine ways to take action as a citizen (when you subscribe on their website) When the People Decide: https://democracygroup.org/shows/when-the-people-decide Democracy Works: https://www.democracyworkspodcast.com/ National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers: https://www.nonpartisanreformers.org/ Bridge Alliance: https://www.bridgealliance.us/ iCivics: https://www.icivics.org/ Vote411 (League of Women Voters): https://www.vote411.org/ Ballotpedia sample ballot lookup: https://ballotpedia.org/Sample_ballot_lookup_tools Katharine Hayhoe: https://www.katharinehayhoe.com/ Common Ground USA https://www.cg-usa.org/ The Pennsylvania Resilient State Working Group: https://www.resilientpa.org/ I Never Thought of It That Way by Monica Guzman High Conflict by Amanda Ripley Citizens Initiative Review: https://healthydemocracy.org/home/services/cir/ Podcast Brunch Club: https://podcastbrunchclub.com/ CONNECT & SUPPORT CARE MORE BE BETTER Substack: https://caremorebebetter.substack.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/caremorebebetter TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caremorebebetter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caremorebebetter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CareMoreBeBetter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/care-more-be-better CAUSE PARTNER: If you value open dialogue, sustainability, and social equity, I invite you to support our new cause partner —Prescott College. To learn more about this effort and to support the show, visit: https://caremorebebetter.com/support/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.