The origins and legacy of the New Deal   Terry Golway tells us how the Irish political machine known as Tammany Hall became the forerunner of the New Deal. Historian Harvey Kaye reminds us of FDR’s Four Freedoms speech and the legacy that remains unfulfilled.  Terry Golway Tammany Hall no longer exists, but when it did, the New York political machine created a social safety net at the neighborhood level long before government programs came along. Author Terry Golway thinks we still need strong political organizations like that. Harvey Kaye New Deal historian Harvey Kaye says Presiden ..read more

Former Cleveland mayor Dennis Kucinich on his battle to save the city’s public electric utility. Julie Kohn on lessons learned from the Texas power grid failure. Dennis Kucinich In his new memoir, Dennis Kucinich writes about how he took on powerful interests to save a public utility. That happened over forty years ago, but the story still carries critical relevance today. Julie Kohn After a historic winter storm left millions of Texans in the dark and without heat, energy experts are looking for ways to stop it from happening again.  Julie Kohn says that means rethinking the state’s isol ..read more

Can unions save democracy?     Author and organizer Jane McAlevey on her new book,  A Collective Bargain: Unions, Organizing, and the Fight for Democracy.  Plus, the millionaires who want to pay more taxes, not less.    Jane McAlevey Pt. 1 At a time when workers are under attack at historic levels, strikes are making a comeback. In that, Jane McAlevey sees an opportunity to reset power and politics in America, and clear a path to progressive change.    Jane McAlevey Pt. 2 Jane McAlevey about her powerful new book, A Collective Bargain: Unions ..read more

The complicated relationship between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and LBJ   Two historians of the civil rights movement assess the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Julian Zelizer Julian Zelizer is a Princeton scholar of Lyndon Johnson as well as the civil rights movement. He says civil rights activism is no longer as organized or coherent as it was when it sought, and won, passage of the Voting Rights Act. David Chappell Historian David Chappell explains the post-Martin Luther King Jr. trajectory of the civil rights movement, which he says may have been only a historical artifact with K ..read more

How Democrats forgot about state politics   Professor Theda Skocpol explains how the Democrats ceded control of state government to Republicans. Theda Skocpol Government professor Theda Skocpol says Democrats think the presidency is the biggest political prize and, unfortunately, ignore politics at the state level. Jim Hightower The Virginia Model   Last year’s gubernatorial race in Virginia was narrowly won by Republican Glenn Youngkin. An elite Wall Street multimillionaire, he was going to lose – until he discovered a right-wing racist bugaboo called Critical Race Theory. Glenn sud ..read more

The powerful influence of Lady Bird Johnson.   Julia Sweig on her book Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight. Her political acumen was key in guiding the Johnson administration through the turbulent times after John F Kennedy’s assasination. Julia Sweig In her biography of Lady Bird Johnson, Julia Sweig reveals the unappreciated impact of a remarkable first lady during a historic turning point in American politics.  Jim Hightower ASSORTED NUTS   Let me say one word to you: Nuts. Now, let me say one name to you: Ted Cruz.   They’ve become synonymous, with the Texas lawmak ..read more

Jim Tankersley on the untold story of America’s middle class and why it matters now.  Jim Tankersley Jim Tankersley’s newest book reveals the crucial role women and minorities played in building the post-war middle class. He says it’s an untold story that offers an essential roadmap to reviving the Golden Era of America’s middle class by making it possible again for all workers to reach their full potential. Jim Hightower Welcome To Our Future of “Digital Productivity Monitoring”   For generations, workers have been punished by corporate bosses for watching the clock. But now, the co ..read more

Keeping up the fight against voter suppression.    Jorge Vasquez, Jr. on why he will continue to fight against voter suppression.  Jorge L. Vasquez, Jr. Jorge L. Vasquez, Jr. is a long-time advocate for voting rights. He says that even with record turnout in the November election, there is still a long way to go before voter suppression is a thing of the past.  Jim Hightower The Embarrassment of Modern Corporate Managers   What makes a newspaper great? Many say it’s having street-savvy reporters and editors with the integrity to shine the light of investigative journal ..read more

Sam Berger of the Center for American Progress draws the parallels between Richard Nixon and Donald Trump, and asks us to take a lesson from how the nation recovered from Watergate. Karen Hobert Flynn, the President of Common Cause, explains why a national popular vote is a better way to pick the next president.  Sam Berger In the wake of Watergate, a wave of reforms were ushered in to repair a dysfunctional government and regain the public’s  trust in its leaders. Sam Berger is a policy analyst who says that moment in history has much to offer in the modern day.   Karen Hobert ..read more

The destructive influence of “dark money” in campaign finance.   The truth on how American elections are bought and sold. Plus, Fred Wertheimer and the movement to restore ethics and integrity to government. Kimberly Reed Kimberly Reed’s film, “Dark Money”, is a powerful expose of the influence of anonymous donors in political campaigns.  She says growing up in Montana gave her a front-row seat to the corrupting influence of money in politics and the perfect setting to tell that story. Fred Wertheimer Fred Wertheimer has played a key role in every major campaign finance reform and et ..read more