This is Democracy
The future of democracy is uncertain, but we are committed to its urgent renewal today. This podcast will draw on historical knowledge to inspire a contemporary democratic renaissance. The past offers hope for the present and the future, if only we can escape the negativity of our current moment — and each show will offer a serious way to do that! This podcast will bring together thoughtful voices from different generations to help make sense of current challenges and propose positive steps forward. Our goal is to advance democratic change, one show at a time. Dr. Jeremi Suri, a renown scholar of democracy, will host the podcast and moderate discussions.
Episodes
In today's episode, Jeremi and Zachary discuss how U.S. universities are changing, delving into shifts in campus political culture, administrative growth around DEI, viewpoint diversity and ideological siloing. They also discuss the financial and policy pressures such as federal research funding cuts, visa changes for international students, and endowment taxes, and what exactly these changes mean for ...
This week, Jeremi and Zachary speak with Dr. Daniel Hummel to address the claim of the US as a "Christian Nation" by many of its citizens, and how this notion relates to our democracy.
Dr. Daniel Hummel is the director of the Lumen Center in Madison, WI, and a research fellow in the History Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research and writing are ...
This week, Jeremi and Zachary interview Brown University historian Dr. Omer Bartov about his book, Israel: What Went Wrong?, written after October 7 amid his efforts to understand Israeli society, media narratives, and the war in Gaza informed by his visits to Israel in 2024.
Dr. Omer Bartov is the Dean’s Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University. ...
This week, Zachary and Jeremi speak with UT Austin professor Lorinc Redei about Hungary’s recent election, in which longtime prime minister Viktor Orbán was defeated by opposition leader Péter Magyar, and what may come next.
Lorinc Redei is the assistant dean for undergraduate education and an associate professor of instruction at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the...
This week, Jeremi and Zachary host historian Mark Peterson to discuss his book, The Making and Breaking of the American Constitution: A Thousand-Year History, and to rethink the Constitution as a long-evolving relationship among people, government institutions, land, and written instruments rather than a single 1787 text.
Mark Peterson is the Edmund S. Morgan Professor ...
This week, Zachary and Jeremi interview Atlantic writer and Johns Hopkins professor emeritus Eliot Cohen about his article “One War Two Mistakes” and how to think about the current U.S. war with Iran.
Eliot Cohen is a contributing writer at The Atlantic. He is a professor emeritus at Johns Hopkins University, author of the forthcoming book The Strategist: How to Think A...
This week, Zachary and Jeremi have a conversation with Dr. Michael Dennis about the current war with Iran and the United States and Israel with a focus on the historical perspective.
Michael Dennis is an Associate Professor of Practice at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. Dr. Dennis served as Chief of Intelligence Operations and Chief of Strategic Futures ...
Jeremi and Zachary speak with historian Heather Ann Thompson about her book "Fear and Fury," using the 1984 Bernie Goetz subway case to explore how Reagan-era, rising inequality, and a newly powerful conservative media reshaped public attitudes about crime, race, and self-defense. They connect the episode to figures like Rupert Murdoch, Donald Trump, and Rudy Giuliani, and to the often-overlooked lives...
Zachary Suri and Jeremi Suri invite Professor David Aiona Chang on to discuss the ongoing standoff between anti-ICE protesters and DHS officials in Minneapolis, exploring the historical roots, community solidarity, and broader implications for immigration policy and local resistance.
Zachary sets the scene with his original poem, "Nicollet Avenue".
This week, Jeremi and Zachary discuss the implications of US intervention in Venezuela with Professor Kurt Weyland, examining the Monroe Doctrine's historical context, the interplay of realist and idealist motives, and the uncertain future of Venezuelan politics. Dr. Kurt Weyland is the Mike Hogg Professor in Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. He has conducted original research in Arg...
Jeremi and Zachary discuss key lessons and impressions from 2025 to kick off the new year of 2026.
Zachary opens the episode with an excerpt from George Orwell's essay, "Can Socialists Be Happy?"
This week, Jeremi and Zachary speak with Professor Steven Mintz on the critical role of civics and history education in contemporary society. The discussion covers why civics education is crucial for understanding foundational facts of American history, the contentious nature of how history is taught today, and the challenges posed by ideological divides.
This week, Zachary and Jeremi revisit the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, discussing recent developments and potential diplomatic solutions. They are joined by Michael Kimmage, Professor of History at the Catholic University of America, who offers insights into the complex political landscape, the roles of Putin and Zelensky, and the intricate US-European alliance.
This week Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Professor Renata Keller from the University of Nevada Reno, whose work focuses on the Cuban Missile Crisis and its enduring impact in Latin America. They explore public reactions in Latin America during the crisis, analyze the diverging opinions within the region, and discuss the long-term consequences.
Jeremi sets the scene by...
This week, Zachary and Jeremi discuss the complexities and challenges surrounding the adaptability of the American Constitution with Professor Steven Skowronek. They delve into topics such as constitutional amendments, the role and evolution of the Supreme Court, and the potential need for a new constitutional framework to address contemporary issues.
Zachary sets the s...
This week, Jeremi and Zachary invite John Lawrence, a former senior staff member with extensive experience in the U.S. House of Representatives, to discuss the recent government shutdown. The conversation delves into the causes and impacts of these shutdowns, the role of partisanship, and historical precedents.
Jeremi opens the conversation with a powerful excerpt from ...
This week, Jeremi and Zachary sit down with Dr. Mikkel Runge Olesen, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, to discuss Greenland and its growing significance in global politics. Dr. Olesen offers a comprehensive overview of Greenland's history, its political relationship with Denmark, and its strategic importance to the United States. The conversation also explores the b...
Jeremi and Zachary have a conversation with Gryffin Wilkens-Plumley about his work designing assemblies of independent citizen governance. They have an in-depth discussion of deliberative democracy, a practice that is about citizen's individual participation, reasoning, and sense of duty to vote and make decisions in society, and how it could apply to our democracy today. Jeremi sets the stage with so...
This week, we have Prof. John Beckett Wallingford to discuss the current landscape of federal science funding, and the importance of science in American industry and society.
We set the scene with a reading of The Polio Vaccine, Chatham, Virginia, 1964, by Claudia Emerson.
John Beckett Wallingford is a developmental biologist with three ...
This week, Jeremi and Zachary sit down with Dr. Jack Loveridge, Vice President of the El Paso Independent School District (ISD) Board of Trustees, to discuss the start of the new school year, with a particular focus on American schools' challenges and opportunities at this moment. Dr. Loveridge shares insights into the primary issues facing his district, including budget constraints and declining enrol...
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