Episode 01In which we get stabby about the erosion of democracy
We humbly request patience and understanding with any errors or areas needing improvement. We are still learning and finding our groove.If you like what you hear, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, watch, follow, and share.
A note on links to books: Every book we discuss is linked to bookshop.org. We love buying books from this site because all profits go to your chosen local bookstore. If shopping in a brick and mortar establishment is not an option, please consider purchasing via this site.
-
-
Democracy doesn’t usually collapse in a blaze of glory. No tanks in the streets, no dramatic final speech - just a series of small, technical changes that slowly reshape how power works.
This week, Jamie and Mel dive into How Democracies Die and ask what it means to live through democratic erosion in real time. From election rules and judicial pressure to rising polarization and attacks on independent institutions, they explore how systems weaken not through high level events, but through ordinary procedures that start to feel anything but ordinary.
Key Themes
Democratic backsliding is often incremental, not dramatic
Institutions rely on unwritten norms, not just laws
Elections alone don’t guarantee democracy
Polarization can turn opponents into existential enemies
A free press and independent institutions can be gradually constrained
-
Segment 1: Incremental Democratic Change
Associated Press
Coverage of state-level election rule changes and certification disputesThe Texas Tribune
Dallas County dispute over countywide polling places
Segment 2: Norms vs. Laws
The New York Times
Coverage of political attacks on the judiciaryAmerican Bar Association
Statements on threats to judicial independence
Segment 3: Elections Are Not Enough
Associated Press
States act to limit armed presence at polling places
Segment 4: Polarization
The Washington Post
Coverage of Tommy Tuberville’s “enemy inside the gates” post about Zohran Mamdani
Segment 5: Press & Institutions Under Pressure
-
Jamie’s Rec: My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney
Mel’s Rec: Book and Dagger by Elyse Graham
