The Democratic Constitution Podcast

Lucas De Hart and Luke Pickrell

The United States is not a democracy. We need a democratic constitution! A media wing of the Democratic Constitution Blog.

  1. 1d ago

    Ep. 91: Kate Masur on Washington D.C. and Civil Rights Struggles in the 19th Century

    Author and scholar Kate Masur joins the podcast to talk about the struggles for equality during the Antebellum and Reconstruction periods. Our conversation focuses on two of Kate’s works: An Example for All the Land: Emancipation and the Struggle Over Equality in Washington, D.C. and Until Justice Be Done: America's First Civil Rights Movement, from the Revolution to Reconstruction. We cover slavery and the abolitionists’ struggles in the nation’s capital, questions of state versus national authority, the prewar or “first” civil rights movement, and how the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were used in these debates. The cover image is a painting by Frank Wright depicting a celebration of the end of the war on May 23rd and 24th, 1865. Over 150,000 men marched down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House.

  2. Oct 2

    Ep. 90: Ajamu Baraka on the Green Party, Proportional Representation, and the Black Radical Tradition

    In this episode, we talk with Ajamu Baraka, an author, educator, and political activist. Topics include the Green Party and the two-party duopoly; proportional representation and the need for political change; the Black Agenda Report and the importance of independent media projects; human rights and the Black Alliance for Peace; and the Black radical tradition, including the legacy of Reconstruction.

  3. Sep 18

    Where We've Been and Where We're Going (Ft. John Mulkins)

    In this episode, John Mulkins and I put our heads together and discuss how people understand the demand for a democratic constitution, who will get involved in the struggle, the role of socialism in the demand for democracy, and the counterrevolution of 1787. John last appeared on the show in August.

  4. Sep 11

    Ep. 89: Julie Suk on Alternatives to the Supreme Court’s Dominance

    Professor Julie Suk joins the show to discuss the Supreme Court’s immense power, the challenges of invoking Article V, the general constraints on necessary change posed by the Constitution, and a possible solution in alternative bodies like a shadow court. Julie is the author of several books on constitutional reform, particularly regarding gender equality and patriarchy. Her forthcoming book is The Shadow Court: Rescuing Democracy from the Supreme Court. Julie’s recent interview with Dissent is also discussed. A friendly reminder that you can support the show by becoming a free or paid subscriber on the Blog or on Patreon.

  5. Aug 28

    Ep. 88: Jeremy Popkin on the French Revolution and the Long Road to Emancipation

    “No legislative assembly ever debated constitutional issues more thoroughly and more loudly and more angrily than the French National Assembly of 1789 to 1791. Imagine a group of 1,200 people meeting in a hall with no amplification equipment, shouting at each other and trying to work out the details of the Constitution.” Luke talks with Professor Jeremy Popkin, author of several books on the French Revolution, including A Short History of the French Revolution, A New World Begins: The History of the French Revolution, and The First Emancipation: The Forgotten History of Abolition in Revolutionary France. They discuss constitutional debates during the Revolution; state intervention in the economy and Babeuf’s communism; Thomas Paine’s insistence on the importance of equal suffrage in the face of the Thermidorian Reaction; the continuities between 1793, 1848, and 1871; the Revolution’s international repercussions, including its impact on slavery in the French colonies; and Herbert Marcuse’s course on “Social Philosophy.” It takes a lot of work to plan, record, and edit each episode. If you enjoy these conversations with guests like Professor Popkin, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Your support is the motivation we need to keep going.

  6. Aug 21

    Ep. 87: Geoffrey Robertson on the Levellers, Democracy, and the English Civil War

    “The poorest he that is in England hath a right to live as the greatest he” - Col. Thomas Rainborowe, Leveller. In this episode, I speak with Geoffrey Robertson, an English barrister, historian, and the author of several works on the English Civil War and the Levellers, including The Tyrannicide Brief: The Story of the Man who sent Charles I to the Scaffold, and the introduction to Verso books’ The Putney Debates. We’ve published blog articles on the Levellers (here and here), and they have come up in many other conversations, particularly with Gil Schaeffer and around our reader, Equal Human and Political Rights and Democratic Republicanism, but this is the first time I’ve had a guest dedicated to the topic. So much has been written about the Levellers and the English Civil War more generally. Besides Geoffrey’s work, I’d recommend John Rees’ The Leveller Revolution, Anna Keay’s The Restless Republic: Britain Without a Crown, and a much older collection of Leveller documents called Leveller Manifestoes of the Puritan Revolution—especially the introduction. The foreword to that book was written by Charles Beard, who folks might remember from our conversation with Clyde Barrow. It’s a fun demonstration of how these ideas and thinkers all connect.

  7. Aug 17

    Audio Article: The Senate Is Begging to Be Abolished

    The hubbub surrounding McConnell, Platner, and Graham stems from the undemocratic Senate, argues Steven Raney. In a democratic political system, McConnell and Graham would be historical footnotes, and their life’s work would be nothing. But thanks to the radically anti-egalitarian Senate, a President who lost the popular vote (who they helped shield from meaningful consequences for trying to remain in power by force), and an unelected and unaccountable Supreme Court they helped shape, McConnell and Graham enjoyed more than a decade of free rein to remake the world according to their designs. Hundreds of millions of people across the globe live tangibly worse lives as a result."

  8. Aug 14

    Ep. 86: John Mulkins on Building the Movement for a New Constitution

    “We don’t need two legislatures to enact a piece of legislation. You want to have representation? Create an assembly of people who can faithfully represent the people and let them deliberate about whatever legislation they have in mind and let them make their own decisions. You’d need someone across the hall saying ‘No, the people can’t do that… the people are dangerous.’” Luke talks with John Mulkins, creator and host of the Peaceful Political Revolution in America podcast. Luke and John share how they each came to fight for a democratic constitution, the necessity of ideological and strategic leadership, and what will be important to keep in mind in the many struggles ahead. John also shares the knowledge he has gained through his podcast, and how he approached the work of educating the public. It takes a lot of work to plan, record, and edit each episode. If you enjoy these conversations with guests like John, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Your support is the motivation we need to keep going.

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About

The United States is not a democracy. We need a democratic constitution! A media wing of the Democratic Constitution Blog.

Information

  • Creator
    Lucas De Hart and Luke Pickrell
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    144
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Lucas De Hart and Luke Pickrell
  • Show Website
    The Democratic Constitution Podcast

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