TwinTalk Politics

Jerry and Jason Song
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TwinTalk Politics is a non-partisan podcast created by Jason and Jerry Song with the aim of increasing youth engagement in Canadian politics. We speak with parliamentarians from all political parties across Canada and democratic experts worldwide to gain their insights on the most pressing issues facing youth today and explore how we can effectively address these challenges. Our mission is to make politics accessible and engaging for the younger generation and put young voices at the forefront of political discussion!

  1. E41 Senator Dawn Arnold

    3 DAYS AGO

    E41 Senator Dawn Arnold

    We had the immense honour of speaking with Senator Dawn Arnold, Senator for New Brunswick. She is a recipient of the Order of New Brunswick, the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal, and has been named a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government. Our conversation spanned a wide range of issues, beginning with her work on the Senate Committee on Human Rights, examining the growing impact of artificial intelligence on human rights and economic security, including the need for strengthened guardrails and AI’s potential as public infrastructure. We then turned to Canada’s affordability crisis, from measures such as removing GST for first-time homebuyers to overlooked structural barriers like development charges within the housing system. Drawing on her trailblazing experience as Moncton’s first female mayor, she reflected on increasing women’s representation in politics and the importance of supporting women not only in getting elected but also once they are in office. We also explored how Budget 2025’s $503 million investment can boost long-term participation in the arts, alongside the paramount nature of bilingualism to national identity and the risks of not sustaining French across generations. Lastly, we discussed the role of youth in democracy today, including her support for S-222, the Vote16 Act. Stay until the end to hear Senator Arnold’s top three book recommendations (don’t worry, there’s a mix of French and English)!

    36 min
  2. E40 MP Amandeep Sodhi

    23 MAR

    E40 MP Amandeep Sodhi

    We had the immense privilege of speaking with the youngest MP in the House of Commons, MP Amandeep Sodhi, Member of Parliament for Brampton Centre. Our conversation began with the current efforts to address the affordability crisis facing young Canadians, with a particular focus on the effectiveness of youth employment programs such as the Student Work Placement Program, before transitioning to MP Sodhi’s roller coaster of emotions during her first federal campaign and the moment she secured victory. We also had the chance to explore her work on the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, where we discussed possible strategies to maintain affordable, high-quality post-secondary education in light of recent reductions to the international student program. In our final segment, we focused on youth. As one of only 4 MPs in Parliament born in the 21st century, MP Sodhi reflected on how her age has shaped her career, both positively and negatively, and shared her perspective on strengthening youth engagement, including her thoughts on whether Canada should extend the voting age to 16. Stay until the end to hear MP Sodhi’s recommendations on must-visit places in Brampton!

    21 min
  3. E39 Professor Beth Rubin

    9 MAR

    E39 Professor Beth Rubin

    It was an honour speaking with Professor Beth Rubin, Professor of Education and Social Studies Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is one of the leading scholars studying how young people develop civic understanding and identity, and her work has greatly informed our own youth civic campaigns. Our conversation began with Professor Rubin’s leadership in the Civically Engaged Districts Project, which partners with public school districts in New Jersey to embed student-led inquiry and civic voice in classrooms. We explored how schools can treat young people as “citizens of the now” by transforming them from passive recipients of civic education into active co-creators through Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR). We then transitioned to her scholarship that has directly influenced our Vote16 work, particularly “It’s Going to Go Beyond These Walls: Toward a More Expansive Vision of Civic Learning.” We explored her idea of cultivating bottom-up civic learning through “critical ecosystems of civic learning.” Professor Rubin explained how civic learning is inherently affective and relational, yet often suppressed in the name of neutrality. We discussed how recognizing the classroom as a “figured world,” where power, identity, and knowledge are socially and historically situated, can actually help educators avoid reinforcing dominant narratives and existing inequalities. To conclude, we touched on the challenges facing civic education today, from rising polarization and disinformation to growing political disillusionment, and how educators can better prepare students for meaningful civic participation. Stay until the end to hear Professor Rubin share which of the places she has studied and taught has the best food scene!

    31 min
  4. E38 MP Jake Sawatzky

    30 JAN

    E38 MP Jake Sawatzky

    We had the privilege of an incredible conversation with MP Jake Sawatzky, Member of Parliament for New Westminster—Burnaby—Maillardville. Our discussion touches on MP Sawatzky’s journey into politics and his remarkable uphill election victory in the 2025 federal election, where he defeated a two decade long incumbent. Drawing on his extensive background in neuroscience and counselling psychology, we discussed the current state of mental health and addiction in Canada and the importance of implementing step-down services and rehabilitation centres. As one of only four Members of Parliament born in the 21st century, MP Sawatzky also shares the reality of serving as a young leader in government, the challenges he has faced, his priorities as chair of the Liberal Youth Caucus, and his thoughts on strengthening youth engagement in Canadian democracy. Stay until the end to hear about MP Sawatzky’s concert booking agency, We Outside, and the most memorable concert he has ever hosted! Check it out!

    28 min
  5. E37 Professor Patrick Heller

    23 JAN

    E37 Professor Patrick Heller

    It was an honor speaking with Professor Patrick Heller, Lyn Crost Professor of Social Sciences, Professor of International and Public Affairs and Sociology, and the newly appointed Director of the Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia at Brown University. He is one of the world’s leading experts on social inequality, democracy, and civil societies, with groundbreaking research spanning India, Brazil, and South Africa. Our conversation began with Professor Heller’s work on democracy, drawing on “Deliberation and Development: Rethinking the Role of Voice and Collective Action in Unequal Societies.” We discussed democracy beyond elections, the intrinsic value of participation, and how structured participation builds effective citizenship, particularly for marginalized voices. We then transitioned to participatory budgeting (PB), drawing on Professor Heller’s “Bootstrapping Democracy: Transforming Local Governance and Civil Society in Brazil” to investigate why PB succeeded in Brazil, what this model reveals about deepening democratic practices even in contexts of immense inequality, and the possible institutional designs that can mitigate growth machine politics. Our conversation then diverged into Professor Heller’s incredible work on the Cities of Delhi and Citizenship, Inequality, and Urban Governance (CIUG) projects, focusing on the concept of differentiated citizenship and the specific mechanisms through which inequality shapes urban democracy. To conclude, we discussed the impact of entrenched colonial legacies still shaping urban life today across Brazil, South Africa, and India, as well as how the fate of democratic deepening depends on the intricate balance between political parties and civil society. Stay until the end to hear about Professor Heller’s favourite memories in India, along with his recommended Indian cuisine!  P.S. A huge thank you to Professor Heller for surviving a fire drill with us! :)

    1hr 6min
  6. E36 Professor Nolan McCarty

    2 JAN

    E36 Professor Nolan McCarty

    We had the absolute privilege of speaking with Professor Nolan McCarty, Susan Dod Brown Professor of Politics and Public Affairs, and Vice Dean for Academic Affairs in the Office of the Dean of the Faculty at Princeton University. He is one of, if not the, leading scholar in polarization, democratic institutions, and political economy. Our conversation began with polarization, analyzing the self-reinforcing “doom loop” explored in Professor ​​McCarty’s Polarization: What Everyone Needs to Know and its implications for citizens’ trust in public institutions. We then discussed the inseparable link between economic inequality and affective polarization, exploring how individuals’ willingness to engage in cross group cooperation shifts during economic upswings and downturns. Our conversation then ranged from the historical formation of polarization among political elites to today's fragmented media environment, which rewards conflict and partisan attacks, as well as potential solutions such as revitalizing local journalism and altering the systemic incentive structures of big media. Looking to the present, we discussed Professor McCarty’s book Political Bubbles: Financial Crises and the Failure of American Democracy. We examined policy capture, how the 2008 financial crash parallels the concept of political bubbles, and how similar bubbles may be forming in areas such as crypto and AI. We then transitioned to discussing representation and voting, with a focus on ranked-choice voting and its potential drawbacks, including the possibility of non-majority winners, high rates of ballot exhaustion, and the weakening of political power among minority communities. Lastly, we capped off our discussion by looking at the paradox of transparency, where increased transparency and sunshine laws in congressional negotiations can actually reduce the chances of compromise, and the importance of balancing democratic accountability with the pragmatic need for private bargaining. Stay until the end to hear about Professor McCarty’s remarkable and almost superhuman running regimen, his journey, and best advice for runners along the way!

    47 min
  7. E35 MLA Rob Botterell

    19/12/2025

    E35 MLA Rob Botterell

    We had the absolute honour of speaking with MLA Rob Botterell, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Saanich North and the Islands, whom we first had the pleasure of meeting in person at the Special Committee on Democratic and Electoral Reform this summer. In this episode, we explored MLA Botterell’s leadership on British Columbia’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and how it helped open up a long-standing “black box” within government. We also discussed the BC Green Party’s core values, priorities in the next legislative sitting, and the misconception that prioritizing people and protecting the environment are mutually exclusive. Drawing on his 25 years as an Indigenous rights lawyer, MLA Botterell also shared his perspective on key Indigenous concerns, from major challenges plaguing Indigenous communities today to his critique of Bill 15, including its bypass of Indigenous consultation and the risk it poses to years of reconciliation efforts. We then discussed CARGA, the Cooperation and Responsible Government Accord between the BC NDP and BC Green Caucuses in British Columbia, especially in terms of interparty collaboration on tariff response policies, and what comes next for youth engagement and Vote16 following the Special Committee on Democratic and Electoral Reform. Stay to the end to hear which creative social media challenge has been MLA Botterell’s favourite!

    24 min
  8. E34 Professor Wendy Schiller

    28/11/2025

    E34 Professor Wendy Schiller

    We had the absolute privilege of speaking with Professor Wendy Schiller, Alison S. Ressler Professor of Political Science at Brown University and one of the most prominent voices in American politics. You have likely seen her across major outlets including MSNBC, NPR, CNN, and Bloomberg News, among countless others. Our conversation explored her work on the Senate, beginning with Electing the Senate: Indirect Democracy before the Seventeenth Amendment, where we discussed the original system of indirect elections and the new challenges introduced by direct statewide campaigns. We then turned to the modern dual representation system and how it creates both opportunities and tensions in accountability. We next shifted to polarization, drawing on her work Dynamics of American Democracy: Partisan Polarization, Political Competition, and Government Performance, where we examined the line between healthy competition that strengthens democracy and destructive competition that rewards obstruction. We talked about its roots dating back to Jefferson and Hamilton, the role of digital media in accelerating division, and how voters can still meaningfully hold governments to account even in periods of gridlock and policy oscillation. To conclude, we turned to her current scholarship on domestic violence, drawing on Inequality Across State Lines to explore how structural gaps and uneven state enforcement allow key protections to erode, particularly in preventing firearm access and limiting the conditions that allow violence to persist. We also challenged the misconception that the digital age has simply improved help-seeking, since technology often strengthens abusers’ control rather than weakening it. Stay until the end to hear who Professor Schiller would choose to have dinner with in all of history and why. Check it out!

    39 min
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About

TwinTalk Politics is a non-partisan podcast created by Jason and Jerry Song with the aim of increasing youth engagement in Canadian politics. We speak with parliamentarians from all political parties across Canada and democratic experts worldwide to gain their insights on the most pressing issues facing youth today and explore how we can effectively address these challenges. Our mission is to make politics accessible and engaging for the younger generation and put young voices at the forefront of political discussion!

Information

  • Creator
    Jerry and Jason Song
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    42
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Jerry and Jason Song
  • Show Website
    TwinTalk Politics