Harnessing the power of juries
Juries have been at the center of some of the most emotionally charged moments of political life, especially in high profile cases like the trial of Derek Chauvin for George Floyd's murder in 2021. Th...
20 Mar 202346min
Civic learning amid the culture wars
More than ever, civic learning is needed to ensure each and every person across this country has the necessary tools to engage as members of our self-governing society. However, schools are also a gro...
6 Mar 202345min
Finding the "we" in civic engagement
People who want to improve the world often encounter problems of collective action (how to get many individuals to act in concert), of discourse (how to talk and think productively about contentious m...
27 Feb 202338min
Why politics makes us depressed — and what we can do about it
Many of us can conjure moments when politics made us feel sad. But how often do those feelings translate into more serious forms of depression or other mental health issues? And if politics does make ...
20 Feb 202343min
What will it take to make democracy more representative?
Why has the underrepresentation of women and racial minorities in elected office proved so persistent? Some experts suggest that women lack sufficient ambition to run for office relative to men, while...
6 Feb 202346min
Separating news from noise
How much news is too much? Or not enough? News Over Noise, the new podcast from Penn State's News Literacy Initiative explores that question and offers guidance on how to consume news that enhances yo...
23 Jan 202346min
What we learned from our guests in 2022
We've had some incredible guests on the show in 2022. For our final episode of the year, we're taking a look back at what we've learned from them. Michael Berkman, Chris Beem, Candis Watts Smith, and...
19 Des 202246min
Where do the parties go from here?
A few days after the midterms, a Substack post from Dave Karpf caught our eye. In it, he takes up the question of how the Republican and Democratic parties should move forward after the election. This...
12 Des 202245min
