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Democracy Decoded
Campaign Legal Center
40 episodes
1 day ago
Let’s face it: This is an unprecedented time for our democracy. Many of our government’s checks and balances are being challenged or outright ignored. We did not arrive here because of one person or one policy, but rather the erosion of numerous safeguards, which, over time, have allowed some persistent issues with our system of government to be exploited. Decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court in recent years have favored secretive political donations and restrictive voting laws, reshaping our political landscape. Corruption and executive overreach are on the rise, and gerrymandering in states across the country continues to prevent many Americans from making their voices heard. If you follow us at Campaign Legal Center, you’ll have heard us repeatedly calling out these issues — and proposing ways to fix them. Because that’s what we’re all about: solving the wide range of challenges facing American democracy. This season of our award-winning podcast, Democracy Decoded, will focus on a handful of key factors that have led us to this point — and we’ll outline solutions for how we can begin to repair the cracks in our system. Each episode will spotlight the story of an individual client, organization, case, or specific problem indicating where these cracks have formed. Drawing from Campaign Legal Center’s experts and other distinguished guests, we will diagnose the underlying problems democracy faces and chart ways that we can hold our government accountable, ensuring everyone can participate fully in our democracy and we continue to have free and fair elections for years to come. Listeners will come away understanding the solutions Campaign Legal Center is advancing nationwide to shore up these crucial aspects of our democracy. Democracy Decoded will encourage listeners to better grasp how we, as citizens, can change things for the better.
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History,
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All content for Democracy Decoded is the property of Campaign Legal Center and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Let’s face it: This is an unprecedented time for our democracy. Many of our government’s checks and balances are being challenged or outright ignored. We did not arrive here because of one person or one policy, but rather the erosion of numerous safeguards, which, over time, have allowed some persistent issues with our system of government to be exploited. Decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court in recent years have favored secretive political donations and restrictive voting laws, reshaping our political landscape. Corruption and executive overreach are on the rise, and gerrymandering in states across the country continues to prevent many Americans from making their voices heard. If you follow us at Campaign Legal Center, you’ll have heard us repeatedly calling out these issues — and proposing ways to fix them. Because that’s what we’re all about: solving the wide range of challenges facing American democracy. This season of our award-winning podcast, Democracy Decoded, will focus on a handful of key factors that have led us to this point — and we’ll outline solutions for how we can begin to repair the cracks in our system. Each episode will spotlight the story of an individual client, organization, case, or specific problem indicating where these cracks have formed. Drawing from Campaign Legal Center’s experts and other distinguished guests, we will diagnose the underlying problems democracy faces and chart ways that we can hold our government accountable, ensuring everyone can participate fully in our democracy and we continue to have free and fair elections for years to come. Listeners will come away understanding the solutions Campaign Legal Center is advancing nationwide to shore up these crucial aspects of our democracy. Democracy Decoded will encourage listeners to better grasp how we, as citizens, can change things for the better.
Show more...
Government
History,
News,
Politics
Episodes (20/40)
Democracy Decoded
The Latest: What Trump's First 100 Days Mean for American Democracy
Donald Trump took office as president on January 20, 2025, having already served one term. Immediately, however, he made clear his second term would be even more unpredictable than his first. He put one of the world's richest men — and his biggest campaign donor — in charge of a shadowy new entity with seemingly unfettered access to government data. Trump also blitzed the system with a barrage of executive orders, which have seemingly upended the government. He has done everything from threatening judges and lawyers to attacking the very concept of birthright citizenship, while Congress has remained largely on the sidelines. In short, Trump has moved aggressively against many of the checks and balances that American democracy has built in. As he works to consolidate power for the executive branch, other players have stepped up to challenge the president's moves — Campaign Legal Center among them. In this special episode of Democracy Decoded, our host Simone Leeper speaks with Trevor Potter, the president and founder of Campaign Legal Center, and Adav Noti, the executive director of Campaign Legal Center, to discuss what they’ve seen and what they’re doing during this unprecedented moment.
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3 months ago
42 minutes 22 seconds

Democracy Decoded
The Latest: A Postelection Fight for Democracy
In the end, the worst of everyone’s election fears — political violence, overt foreign interference or a razor-thin margin between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump leading to a hotly contested legal battle — did not come to pass. Instead, Donald Trump won a plurality of votes for president, and did so decisively. On January 20, 2025, he will once again become the country’s most powerful executive. His victory raises weighty questions for the experts at Campaign Legal Center. Trump ran explicitly on a platform of behaving like an authoritarian, promising to fire U.S. civil servants, threatening opponents with jail, and brandishing military force against would-be dissenters. As his return to power approaches, we grapple with a paradoxical election, in which voters declared their preference for the candidate who repeatedly threatened the American system as we know it. Joining Simone in this episode are Trevor Potter, CLC’s president and founder, and CLC senior vice presidents Paul M. Smith and Bruce Spiva. They offer their forecasts for the uncertain years ahead and explain what this election did (and did not) signify about the health of American democracy.
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8 months ago
30 minutes 34 seconds

Democracy Decoded
Today’s the Day — Go Vote!
This week’s episode is short, sweet, and to the point: It’s Election Day, and if you haven’t yet cast your vote, let us be your friendly reminder. Like many of her CLC colleagues, Simone will spend the day monitoring elections. Next week she’ll be back with the final episode of the season, with a look at how this most dramatic election is playing out. Until then, it’s up to you. Nationwide nonpartisan Election Protection (EP) hotline: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)
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9 months ago
2 minutes 27 seconds

Democracy Decoded
The Latest: The 2024 Election, in a Nutshell
An incumbent president drops out, mid-race. A former president becomes a party’s nominee for the first time in more than a century. There are multiple occurrences of political violence against a candidate. Newly emergent AI tools spread disinformation. And a Supreme Court that may be called upon to decide the race is perceived by the electorate as increasingly politicized. The 2024 election cycle has already made its share of history. With Election Day now just a week away, we bring you another of this season’s up-to-the-minute episodes. This time we’re speaking with Trevor Potter, president of Campaign Legal Center, who joins Simone to explain how this election has been playing out, and what it all means for you, the voter, as the deadline nears to cast your ballot. Nationwide nonpartisan Election Protection (EP) hotline: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)
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9 months ago
32 minutes 4 seconds

Democracy Decoded
Know Your Rights as a Voter
Imagine you’re at home when you hear a knock. At your door are people who want you to share, in detail, who you voted for in the last election, months ago. When you ask them who they are and where they’re from, they remain vague and perhaps even aggressive. This was the case for some Americans in the years after the 2020 election, part of a spate of behaviors by election skeptics and deniers that, in some cases, amounted to voter intimidation. The history of voter intimidation in the United States is sordid and violent, especially in the century between the U.S. Civil War and the passage of strong voter protections in the 1960s. But it’s important to remember that voter intimidation is against the law. Whether you’re voting in-person, by mail or via election dropbox, you should never be made to feel unsafe or intimidated while exercising your freedom to vote.. Carly Koppes, the clerk and recorder of Colorado’s enormous Weld County, describes to us the steps she and fellow officials took when they received reports of unwelcome and unofficial vigilante election “auditors” going door to door in 2021. Christina Das of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund walks us through the bleak history of voter intimidation in America. And CLC’s Jonathan Diaz explains how voter intimidation has evolved to become sneakier and more subversive in the digital age — and the steps you can take if you encounter it.
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9 months ago
27 minutes 21 seconds

Democracy Decoded
Navigating Election Facts in the AI Era
When New Hampshire voters picked up the phone earlier this year and heard what sounded like the voice of President Joe Biden asking them not to vote in that state’s primary election, the stage was set for an unprecedented election year. The call was a deepfake — and the first major instance of artificial intelligence being used in the 2024 election. With the rise of AI tools that can credibly synthesize voices, images and videos, how are voters supposed to determine what they can trust as they prepare to cast their votes? To find out how lawmakers and civil society are pushing back against harmful false narratives and content, we talked with experts engaging the problem on several fronts. Stephen Richer, an elected Republican in Phoenix, posts on X (formerly Twitter) to engage misinformation head-on to protect Arizona voters. Adav Noti, the executive director of CLC, explains how good-governance advocates are hurrying to catch up with a profusion of new digital tools that make the age-old practices of misinformation and disinformation faster and cheaper than ever. And Mia Hoffman, a researcher who looks at the effects of AI on democracies, reminds voters not to panic — that bad information and malicious messaging don’t always have the power to reach their audience, let alone sway people’s opinions or actions.
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9 months ago
32 minutes 32 seconds

Democracy Decoded
The Latest: The Fights Over Election Certification
Election certification has traditionally been a mostly symbolic process in the United States. You vote, your vote gets counted, your precinct and others get tallied together (“canvassed” is the term of art) and, within a few days, everyone looks at the counts and agrees on a winner. But lately, this banal, bland procedure has become a political flashpoint, as people who question the election process impose unrealistic requirements on certification — and, in some cases, outright refuse to certify elections, even when state law requires them to do so. In another of this season’s up-to-the-minute episodes, we are speaking with Jonathan Diaz, a litigator and voting rights advocate at CLC, who joins Simone to explain how election certification is supposed to work, how it’s being taken advantage of by bad actors and what CLC and other good-government advocates are doing to push back and see that election laws are carried out.
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10 months ago
30 minutes 2 seconds

Democracy Decoded
Safeguarding America’s Electoral Process
The peaceful transfer of power is a hallmark of American democracy that sets the United States apart — the so-called north star of our electoral system. Yet the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 challenged that tradition profoundly. In the lead-up to this November, we answer the question that is on the minds of many voters: Will the months after this presidential election look like the aftermath of the last one? Fortunately, lawmakers who were caught in the eye of that storm seized the opportunity to make updates to our election laws that were, by some accounts, about 150 years overdue. In 2021, Congress passed the bipartisan Electoral Count Reform Act, or ECRA, in an effort to curtail the tactics that bad actors could use to exploit the Electoral College and to define and streamline the procedures by which states count and certify election results. Catie Kelley of CLC joins us to explain how an otherwise deeply divided Congress pulled together to pass this important law, and why the passage of this new law will help ensure that this presidential election goes much more smoothly than the last one.
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10 months ago
26 minutes 25 seconds

Democracy Decoded
The Latest: Attacks on Voter Registration
Voter registration is the number one obstacle to voting in the United States. It should be easy, accessible and secure, but too often, states are moving backwards; making voter registration more difficult and less equitable. Here, we introduce a new type of episode: an up-to-the-minute interview with an expert to help you better understand some of the most important issues affecting elections. Danielle Lang, a voting rights attorney at CLC, joins Simone to explain why major actions in Arizona and Texas involve what should be a straightforward component of elections: voter registration. Danielle explains voter purges, mass challenges to voter registrations, and their effects on voters. And she lays out actions that states and individuals alike can take to ensure registering to vote is safe and secure ahead of Election Day.
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10 months ago
31 minutes 22 seconds

Democracy Decoded
Democracy’s Frontline Workers
Election workers are the people in your neighborhood. They’re our friends, neighbors and co-workers who help keep American democracy safe and secure... But in 2020, many of them were maligned, harassed and threatened in battleground states — the targets of bad actors who sought to sow distrust in the electoral process. How can we better protect and support the many dedicated civil servants and volunteers who provide such crucial work? The thousands of election workers who will staff this November's election are the front line of security and safety for voters. The processes they help carry out have been practiced and refined across nearly three centuries of American elections. Attacks on election workers are a threat to a functional democracy. In this episode, we talk with Kristina and Steve Reisinger — a wife and husband in eastern Pennsylvania who found a community in their local polling place and were inspired to volunteer. And we also speak with Kelsey Rogers, CLC's senior manager for state advocacy, about the threats being faced by election workers in recent years and the steps some states are taking to protect them.
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10 months ago
21 minutes

Democracy Decoded
Democracy Decoded, Season 4: The U.S. Election System Explained
American elections work because we have tried-and-tested systems in place to make sure votes are cast fairly and counted correctly, and that when threats arise, everyone has their part to play: lawmakers, poll workers, voting rights advocates, and everyday voters alike. To understand how our elections continue to evolve, this season of Democracy Decoded takes a deep dive into our electoral system, exploring the checks and balances that make the process safe, secure, and accurate. Host Simone Leeper will investigate the ways in which Congress took action after the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol to update an outmoded election law. She’ll also meet election workers who persevered through the thorny 2020 election, help you better understand your rights as a voter, learn how AI is impacting our democracy, and so much more. This season of Democracy Decoded will equip you, the American voter, with insights that will empower you to participate fully in our democracy. Join us in this timely journey, and stay up to date on every episode: follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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11 months ago
2 minutes 3 seconds

Democracy Decoded
Bonus: Peeling Back the Curtain on Local Government
In this bonus episode we’re featuring content from one of our favorite podcasts called “When the People Decide”. Host Jenna Spinelle explores what happens when neighbors and local government work together to make their communities stronger and more inclusive. The episode takes place in Decatur, Georgia and tells the story of “Decatur 101” a straightforward class open to anyone in Decatur to learn about how their city government worked. We hear from Linda Harris, the originator of the class, and Decatur 101 participants about why understanding how your government works, empowers you to begin advocating for changes you want to see in your community.
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1 year ago
26 minutes 34 seconds

Democracy Decoded
Better Choices, Better Elections
Across the country, voters are organizing to protect their right to elect candidates of their choice. In the final episode of Season 3 of Democracy Decoded, host Simone Leeper explores the changing landscape of state and local elections, and some of the initiatives that can help ensure voters can choose candidates who truly represent their interests. This forward-looking episode offers a glimpse into innovative reforms that hold the promise of strengthening democracy. Simone speaks with Susan Soto Palmer, a community advocate and plaintiff that Campaign Legal Center represented in a landmark discrimination case in Yakima County, Washington. Mark Gaber, Senior Director for Redistricting at CLC delves into the problems with at-large districts and how they dilute the voting power of communities of color. Then, the Executive Director of Alaskans for Better Elections, Juli Lucky, explains to Simone how Alaska has enacted ranked choice voting and why states around the country are using this tool to improve democratic elections. Alexandra Copper, Legal Counsel for Litigation at CLC, breaks down how ranked choice voting can ensure that voters' voices are being heard.
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1 year ago
26 minutes 13 seconds

Democracy Decoded
Keeping an Eye on Ethics
When we elect representatives, we expect them to be held accountable to the people they represent and the laws they are subject to. But how can voters be sure that elected officials are acting with their best interests in mind? In this enlightening episode of Democracy Decoded, host Simone Leeper explores the pivotal role that state and local ethics commissions play in safeguarding the integrity of the democratic process and dives into some of the scandals that have brought about their creation. This episode underscores how independent oversight is crucial in preventing corruption. Simone begins by talking to Jeremy Farris who shares his first hand experiences with the creation of an ethics commission in New Mexico. Kedric Payne, the Vice President, General Counsel and Senior Director of Ethics at Campaign Legal Center, explains how commissions fight corruption and offers insights on how they can be implemented across the country. Senior Legal Counsel for Ethics at CLC, Delaney Marsco, describes the mechanisms that allow ethics commissions to hold government officials accountable. Simone then speaks with LeeAnn Pelham, a longtime democracy advocate who directed ethics commissions in California, who tells the story of the scandal that sparked the creation of the ethics commission in Los Angeles.
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1 year ago
21 minutes 33 seconds

Democracy Decoded
Contribution Limits (and Lack Thereof)
Campaign contribution limits are one of the few mechanisms in place to prevent wealthy special interests from spending unlimited money to rig the political system in their favor. But there are some states where it’s just too easy to skirt around these limits and other states that actually don’t have limits at all. In this episode of Democracy Decoded, host Simone Leeper highlights how without campaign contribution limits, the vast financial resources of special interests can outweigh the priorities of everyday citizens. Experts and advocates discuss the intricacies of the electoral playing field, and how to best protect the voter’s right to elect candidates who truly represent their values. They highlight the work of grassroots coalitions and advocacy groups working together for fair and equitable campaign finance laws in states like Illinois and Oregon. Simone speaks with Alisa Kaplan, the Executive Director of Reform for Illinois, who illustrates how a provision in state law allows candidates to amass unlimited campaign contributions. Campaign Legal Center’s founder and President Trevor Potter, and Patrick Llewellyn, Director of State Campaign Finance, offer insights into the broader landscape of states without contribution limits, and the importance of these laws in preserving the integrity of the democratic process. Simone also speaks with Kate Titus, the executive director of Common Cause Oregon, about a recent amendment in Oregon that introduced the possibility of contribution limits in the state, and the years of advocacy by voters that led to change.
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1 year ago
29 minutes 19 seconds

Democracy Decoded
The Questions on Your Ballot
When elected officials aren’t prioritizing the needs of their constituents, voters can make their voices heard on a state and local level through ballot initiatives.  In this episode of Democracy Decoded, host Simone Leeper breaks down the power of ballot initiatives, showcasing how everyday citizens can use this tool of direct democracy to bring about significant change. She speaks with advocates, politicians and experts who have had first-hand experience in crafting and enacting these ballot measures. This episode serves as an inspiring reminder that through the ballot initiative process, ordinary people have the ability to make an impact in their community. Simone talks to Micheal Davis Jr., the Executive Director of Promote The Vote, about the ballot initiatives in Michigan that have expanded voting access. She then brings in Lata Nott, Senior Legal Counsel of Voting Rights at Campaign Legal Center, who explains how ballot initiatives allow voters to circumvent their state legislatures when they feel that they are not being truly represented. Simone then turns to Arizona, where former Attorney General of Arizona Terry Goddard and CLC Senior Legal Counsel for Campaign Finance Elizabeth Shimek discuss Proposition 211, also known as the Voters’ Right to Know Act, an initiative designed to help shine light on the original sources of secret campaign spending in Arizona and ensure voters know who is spending big money to influence their ballots.
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1 year ago
20 minutes 48 seconds

Democracy Decoded
Your Community, Your Election
An enormous amount of work goes into planning for Election Day. For months, poll workers and election administrators prepare to run their local elections smoothly to ensure that no one is left out of the democratic process. In this episode, host Simone Leeper takes listeners on a journey through the intricate process of running a local election, from its initial stages to the final vote tally. This comprehensive exploration highlights the checks and balances in place to facilitate voter participation and to guarantee that the final results will be accurate. In interviews with election administrators and experts, this episode underscores the commitment to ensuring free, fair and secure elections while promoting inclusivity and accessibility for all eligible voters. Simone engages in a captivating conversation with two experienced election workers: Scott Jarrett from Maricopa County, Arizona, and Lorena Portillo of Las Vegas, Nevada. They provide a valuable insider's perspective on the behind-the-scenes workings of the electoral process. Simone also speaks with Campaign Legal Center’s Director of Voting, Advocacy and Partnerships, Jonathan Diaz, who breaks down the election process, from voter registration and polling station setup to ballot counting and result certification. Each guest offers a detailed glimpse into the meticulous planning and execution that goes into safeguarding the democratic process.
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1 year ago
24 minutes 38 seconds

Democracy Decoded
Voting Begins Here
One of the most crucial but often overlooked aspects of American democracy is voter registration. Host Simone Leeper speaks with expert guests that provide a comprehensive view of the challenges that ordinary citizens face in registering to vote, from convoluted registration processes to restrictive laws and administrative hurdles. Julie Hilberg tells her story of how her name was illegally purged from the voting rolls along with 100,000 other voters in Texas. CLC’s Senior Director of Voting Rights, Danielle Lang, guides listeners through the labyrinth of barriers that many Americans encounter when attempting to register to vote. And Nimrod Chapel Jr. shares how his work with the NAACP in Missouri examines the on-the-ground challenges faced by voter registration groups across the country. With a sobering yet hopeful perspective on voter registration, this episode also explores the efforts being made across the U.S. to modernize this fundamental democratic process.
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1 year ago
24 minutes 34 seconds

Democracy Decoded
All Politics Is Local
Why do local and state elections matter, and how can voters be sure that their voices are being represented in the lawmaking process? We open the third season of Democracy Decoded with an overview of democracy at the state and local level, and how we can ensure that all citizens can have their voices heard.
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1 year ago
17 minutes 44 seconds

Democracy Decoded
Season 3: Democracy at the State and Local Level
1 year ago
2 minutes 33 seconds

Democracy Decoded
Let’s face it: This is an unprecedented time for our democracy. Many of our government’s checks and balances are being challenged or outright ignored. We did not arrive here because of one person or one policy, but rather the erosion of numerous safeguards, which, over time, have allowed some persistent issues with our system of government to be exploited. Decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court in recent years have favored secretive political donations and restrictive voting laws, reshaping our political landscape. Corruption and executive overreach are on the rise, and gerrymandering in states across the country continues to prevent many Americans from making their voices heard. If you follow us at Campaign Legal Center, you’ll have heard us repeatedly calling out these issues — and proposing ways to fix them. Because that’s what we’re all about: solving the wide range of challenges facing American democracy. This season of our award-winning podcast, Democracy Decoded, will focus on a handful of key factors that have led us to this point — and we’ll outline solutions for how we can begin to repair the cracks in our system. Each episode will spotlight the story of an individual client, organization, case, or specific problem indicating where these cracks have formed. Drawing from Campaign Legal Center’s experts and other distinguished guests, we will diagnose the underlying problems democracy faces and chart ways that we can hold our government accountable, ensuring everyone can participate fully in our democracy and we continue to have free and fair elections for years to come. Listeners will come away understanding the solutions Campaign Legal Center is advancing nationwide to shore up these crucial aspects of our democracy. Democracy Decoded will encourage listeners to better grasp how we, as citizens, can change things for the better.