Democracy Optimist

Joshua Douglas
  • 4.9 (39)
  • NEWS
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Democracy Optimist is a thought-provoking public radio series and podcast that delves deep into the heart of democratic processes, elections, and voting rights to ask a simple but vital question: how do we sustain our democracy? The series is hosted by University of Kentucky Election Law research professor Joshua Douglas, a passionate advocate for civic engagement, and produced by WEKU.

  1. DEC 18

    Evan Weissman

    Joshua Douglas speaks to Evan Weissman, the founder of “Warm Cookies of the Revolution,” which he refers to as a “civic health club.”

    24 min

  2. DEC 11

    Carly Muetterties

    Joshua Douglas speaks to Carly Muetterties, chair of the Kentucky Civic Education Coalition, promoting civic education in public schools.

    25 min

  3. NOV 27

    Dan Wu

    Joshua Douglas speaks to Dan Wu, the first Asian American to serve as Vice Mayor of Lexington.

    24 min

  4. NOV 20

    Ben Sheehan

    Joshua Douglas speaks to Ben Sheehan, host, writer, and producer of “Civics Made Easy,” a series on PBS that empowers viewers with the knowledge necessary to participate in democracy

    26 min

  5. OCT 30

    Anne Donworth

    Joshua Douglas speaks to Anne Donworth, who represents the 76th district, which covers much of Lexington, in the Kentucky House of Representatives.

    24 min

  6. OCT 23

    Denise Lieberman

    Joshua Douglas speaks to Denise Lieberman Director & General Counsel of the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, a non-partisan organization that works to advance free, fair, and accessible elections in Missouri.

    28 min

  7. SEP 18

    Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon

    Joshua Douglas speaks to Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon about the state's high voter turnout

    28 min

  8. SEP 11

    Donna Cohen

    Joshua Douglas speaks to Donna Cohen, a former educator and librarian, about ways to ensure civics is not just something we discuss briefly in school, but instead is a lifelong endeavor

    24 min
See All (50)

4.9
out of 5
39 Ratings

About

Democracy Optimist is a thought-provoking public radio series and podcast that delves deep into the heart of democratic processes, elections, and voting rights to ask a simple but vital question: how do we sustain our democracy? The series is hosted by University of Kentucky Election Law research professor Joshua Douglas, a passionate advocate for civic engagement, and produced by WEKU.

Information

  • Creator
    Joshua Douglas
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    50
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Democracy Optimist