Future Hindsight
A weekly show that takes big ideas about civic life and democracy and turns them into action items for you.
Episodes
We discuss the unavoidable intersection between our capitalist economy and democratic governance, and how their relationship plays out through campaign finance and other political transactions.
Hilary’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:
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Get the data of your state, locality, and elected officials at opensecrets.org
We discuss how the struggle for transparency is really a struggle for the soul of American democracy.
Miranda’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:
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Look up the agendas of your local school board and city council, and attend the public meetings
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Learn how your local an...
We discuss the basics of organizing and the fruits of that work. Michael reminds us that “organizers organize organizations.”
Michael’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:
1) Gather 4-5 friends to talk about what’s happening
2) Share ideas on what you can do to resist
Michael Ansara is a seasoned community organizer ...
We discuss the enduring power of protesting and the significance of the Ferguson uprising in the long arc of the Black liberation movement.
Jonathan’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:
1) Speak with a young person in your life about what they’re wrestling with
2) Emphasize community engagement
Jonathan Pulphus is a...
We discuss the importance of shifting our mindset to one that is infused with hope. Positive change comes when we choose hope. Though nobody can fix it all, we can all do something and make an impact. Sharon reminds us that if something is worth doing for everyone, it’s worth doing for one person.
Sharon’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:
1) Choose hope.
We discuss the role of collective memory in the myth-making of American exceptionalism.
Hajar’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:
1) Advocate
2) Relate
3) Create
Hajar Yazdiha is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences and the a...
We discuss how ungoverning is the equivalent of a bull in a china shop. We have already seen the destruction of many institutions and many functions of the administrative state, but we don't yet know how much there is still to come.
Nancy’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:
1) Don’t let unpredictability strip you of your agency
2)...
We discuss the long history of vigilante democracy in the US and its return in our current politics. The playing field is currently tilted in favor of these vigilante policies, but blue states can level the playing field by playing constitutional hardball. David reminds us that the American people have beat back movements to use vigilante power to enforce a reactionary agenda time and again.
David’s civi...
We discuss how out of date immigration laws are and why the only cure is comprehensive immigration reform from Congress. In the face of rising arrests and deportations by ICE, this is the perfect episode to remind us that we still need immigration reform.
Aaron’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:
1) Be welcoming and model inclusion in your communities
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We discuss how certain radical acts of justice by everyday people challenge the legitimacy of the criminal system and form the underpinning of a new collective legal thought, demosprudence. Collective understanding of justice and safety is changing away from the concept that justice equals cages.
Jocelyn’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:
1) Be a court watcher!
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We discuss deliberative polling as a way to assess the will of the people and then to make it consequential. This is what democracy is all about.
James’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:
1) Question your own beliefs and assumptions
2) Learn to listen to people whom you would not normally talk to
James Fishkin is t...
We discuss the main goals of copaganda: narrowing our conception of safety and threat, constantly warning us that those harms are increasing, and telling us that the solution to our fears is more investment in the punishment bureaucracy.
Alec’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:
1) Educate yourself on how copaganda works
2) Read th...
We discuss how multisolving is a way to address the multiple issues that are currently facing our democracy at the same time, ranging from pollution and sustainable energy to civil rights and collective governance.
Elizabeth’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:
1) Learn about multisolving
2) Learn together in a group
We discuss Inclusive Constitutionalism, a fresh way to interpret the Constitution that makes inclusive democracy real. By contrast, originalism interprets the meaning of the Constitution as fixed in time in the 1800s and ignores the constitutional amendments during reconstruction that were designed to foster a multiracial democracy.
Madiba’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:
We discuss why the Constitution—the document we've been taught to revere as the very foundation of American democracy—might actually be responsible for the current crisis in government. It might be leading us away from a more perfect union and toward destruction or even secession.
Erwin’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:
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Be in...
We discuss how the Supreme Court’s lawlessness is fueled by the conservative grievance mindset where Republicans believe they are victims of laws they don’t agree with. The Supreme Court has played an important role in enabling the current administration’s actions.
Leah’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:
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Get educated on the Su...
We discuss why housing insecurity undermines our democracy. We cover the evolution from Reagan, when homelessness was blamed on the individual, to the increasing recognition that housing is a human right.
Maria’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:
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Be an advocate against criminalization and call your representatives
We discuss "calling in" as a practice rooted in a human rights framework that can transform how we engage across our divide and potentially be the bridge that helps our democracy survive.
Loretta’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:
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Do an integrity audit: pause and self assess before responding
We discuss what it takes to build worker power from scratch and how these efforts can reshape not only our workplaces, but democracy itself.
Jaz’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:
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Organize a union in your workplace
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Train at Inside Organizer School
Read more
We discuss reclaiming the narrative of democracy. Democracy is a tool to deliver on our values in the realm of justice, dignity, fairness, and freedom.
Stacey’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:
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Refuse to pre-capitulate
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Take action on one issue you care about once ...
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