New Faces of Democracy

This episode features Jackie Payne of Galvanize Action, an organization that focuses on moderate women living in rural, small town and suburban areas. These women want progress on key issues but aren’t reliably playing a role to get us there. Galvanize Action helps them connect with their values in a way that impacts their civic behavior. Nancy and Jackie talk about the neuroscience and behavioral psychology underlying the work at Galvanize Action; the nuanced concerns of this group of women that constitute the largest voting bloc in the country; and the challenges posed by misinformation and disinformation. To learn more about Galvanize Action and see examples of their top-performing messaging, check out their highlights page.Thank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here.If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send us an email at info@newfacesofdemocracy.org.If you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!Follow New Faces of Democracy on Instagram, Threads and Bluesky.

This episode features a conversation with Amanda Carpenter of Protect Democracy, a cross-ideological nonprofit devoted to stopping authoritarianism. Nancy first featured Protect Democracy on this podcast four years ago, shortly after the January 6th insurrection. Given the rollercoaster that we have been on since then, and the new and dangerous threats that we face as a country, this seemed like a good time to check back in. Amanda and Nancy discuss the challenges of imposing political consequences without political power, and how the pro-democracy coalition must channel the energy and anger of the current moment into meaningful pressure from the outside in and the bottom up. They also talk about he ways in which Trump is following the authoritarian playbook to dismantle democratic institutions, as well as specific, concrete actions that we can all do to protect democracy.Mentioned in the episode:Sign up for the If You Can Keep It newsletterThe Authoritarian Playbook for 2025How *You* Can Protect DemocracyHow to Pay AttentionThank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here.If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send us an email at info@newfacesofdemocracy.org.If you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!Follow New Faces of Democracy on Instagram, Threads and Bluesky.

This episode features a conversation with Dana Castner, founder of Choice Tracker, a new and important tool in the fight for reproductive freedom. When the Supreme Court ruled in June 2022  that abortion laws must be decided by the states, that put a lot of power in the hands of our state legislators, many of whom we had never heard of, let alone knew their stances on abortion. That’s what Dana discovered and led her to start the all-volunteer group Choice Tracker just two weeks after the Dobbs decision. Nancy and Dana discuss the value in providing voters all the available information on their state representatives in one place; what actions people can take both in election cycles and off years; and why constitutional abortion protections are not enough to save us on their own. Listen to the end if you want to know how to bring Choice Tracker to your state and other ways you can help now, not just right before the next election.Thank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here. If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send an email to info@newfacesofdemocracy.org.If you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!

This season is dedicated to helping you get your head out of the sand after a brutally disappointing election, finding strength through community and taking action that helps real people in palpable ways. If you’re looking for rage, this may not be the place for you, but if you seek inspiration, and maybe even hope, then tune into to Season 5 of the New Faces of Democracy podcast.

What if Trump wins? On this episode, Nancy has a conversation with Mark Bergman about something none of us want to think about: what would happen to the rule of law and American democracy in a second Trump term. Last spring, Mark was an observer at a series of large scale simulated exercises (aka war games) stress testing democracy under an authoritarian ruler. Hosted by the Brennan Center, a nonpartisan think tank at NYU Law School, the exercises were conducted as part of theDemocracy Futures Project. Nancy and Mark discuss the outcome of the games, our lack of preparedness for an unfettered Trump, a few positive takeaways and important groups defending democracy that need our support. The number one most important lesson of these exercises? Elect Kamala Harris on November 5th.Mark S. Bergman is a former international corporate lawyer who, through 7Pillars Global Insights, LLC, comments, briefs and convenes on a range of political, geopolitical and democracy-related topics. He is a member of the Advisory Council of the International Crisis Group, a Director of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to reversing the rising tide of polarization, extremism, weaponization of hate and disinformation worldwide), a Director of Bellingcat US and a Director of TIM Cooperative (an NGO focused on information quality). Mark is also a member of the National Finance Committee of the Democratic National Committee.Pro-Democracy Organizations Recommended by MarkProtect DemocracyDemocracy ForwardPrinciples FirstState Democracy Defenders ActionACLUThe National Immigration Law CenterThank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here.If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send an email to info@newfacesofdemocracy.org.If you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!

This episode features a conversation with Nathaniel Stinnett of the Environmental Voter Project, a nonprofit that is building political power for climate issues not by changing minds but by changing behavior. As a political campaign veteran, Nathaniel noticed that an enormous number of registered voters lists the environment as a top priority but does not vote. So he came up with the brilliant idea of turning them into consistent voters to build the political power to fix the climate crisis. Nathaniel and Nancy discuss the highly accurate predictive models that they use to identify these voters; how to turn these super environmentalists into super voters using behavioral science; and how once this environmental electorate is in place, politicians will have no choice but to act on climate and the environment. If you’re looking for a meaningful way to have a big impact on elections, including the ones right around the corner, there are many ways to get involved.To volunteer for or donate to the Environmental Voter Project, go to www.environmentalvoter.org.Sign up for the New Faces of Democracy newsletter here.If you like this podcast, please subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!

This episode features a conversation with Jason Springer about how the Education Truth Project, a New Jersey super PAC, is keeping school boards free of extremist voices. Jason and Nancy discuss how, in recent years, out of state groups have been infiltrating  local school boards, using children as pawns to advance political agendas; how we need to return to dialogue versus the “my way or the highway” mentality; and the importance of local solutions to local issues. For more information on the Education Truth Project, visit their website.