3 episodes

THE DEMOCRACY TEST
with Heather Cox Richardson and Neal Conan
The presidency of Donald Trump has sparked a national conversation .Is our democracy at risk? Across the country, scholars, activists and citizens are taking stock.  With an eye on how democracies have failed throughout history, and on the rise of authoritarian leaders across the globe, they ask the question … can it happen here? The Democracy Test gives a broad and diverse national platform to this work as we seek to understand what is truly unique in this moment of our nation’s history, what brought us here, and what it would take to emerge with an even stronger understanding of what democracy means in America and what we can do now to move toward an even stronger expression of  its ideals.

Truth, Politics and Power TRUTH, POLITICS AND POWER

    • News
    • 4.7 • 116 Ratings

THE DEMOCRACY TEST
with Heather Cox Richardson and Neal Conan
The presidency of Donald Trump has sparked a national conversation .Is our democracy at risk? Across the country, scholars, activists and citizens are taking stock.  With an eye on how democracies have failed throughout history, and on the rise of authoritarian leaders across the globe, they ask the question … can it happen here? The Democracy Test gives a broad and diverse national platform to this work as we seek to understand what is truly unique in this moment of our nation’s history, what brought us here, and what it would take to emerge with an even stronger understanding of what democracy means in America and what we can do now to move toward an even stronger expression of  its ideals.

    Big Fella: Special Edition of Truth, Politics and Power

    Big Fella: Special Edition of Truth, Politics and Power

    A hundred years ago, a young man was about to become famous on an entirely new scale. The dawning engines of mass communication, advertising and public relations elevated Babe Ruth into a national phenomenon. When asked why he earned more money than the President of the United States, Ruth honestly answered “I had a better year.” That marked the birth of the celebrity culture that paved the way for everyone from Charles Lindbergh to Donald Trump. In a special edition of Truth, Politics and Power, host Neal Conan speaks with Jane Leavy, author of “The Big Fella: Babe Ruth and the World He Created.”

    • 59 min
    TRUTH AND FAITH: The Sixth and Final Episode of The Democracy Test

    TRUTH AND FAITH: The Sixth and Final Episode of The Democracy Test

    Donald Trump lied routinely as a businessman and as a presidential candidate: their frequency did not change once he took office, but, on the next episode of “The Democracy Test,” co-hosts Neal Conan and Heather Cox Richardson hear an argument that the character of his lies took a turn to autocracy when he took office. The corrosive effect of a President’s lies, and why we can’t rely on checks and balances will not constrain the president on their own, but need to be animated by men and women of virtue. Plus Neal and Heather review what we’ve learned in this series and explain their enduring faith in democracy in these dark times. “Truth and Faith” is the final episode of “The Democracy Test.”

    • 53 min
    CHECKS AND BALANCES: Episode Five of The Democracy Test

    CHECKS AND BALANCES: Episode Five of The Democracy Test

    A key innovation of the American constitution, is a system of checks and balances to make sure the President can’t govern like a king. In the next Episode of “The Democracy Test,” co-hosts Neal Conan and Heather Cox Richardson explore how that system works, and what happens when Congress and the courts fail to check the chief executive. The program also delves into the unwritten rules that can lubricate the machinery of government - the “norms,” and finds some unexpected lessons from Watergate, where congress, the courts, the free press and the federal bureaucracy exposed and defeated a criminal president.

    • 52 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
116 Ratings

116 Ratings

sarahbargs ,

Timely and timeless

This is a welcome change from the breaking-news podcasts I usually listen to. Well-researched, with great guests, The Democracy Test makes the effort to place our current absurdity into historical context. How bad is it today, Neal Conan asks? Pretty bad! But we’ve come through worse.

This is a realistic but measured look at politics and American life today. It leaves me feeling inspired instead of exhausted.

SnuggleBearRunner ,

Relevant and engaging

The democracy test brought me to this gem of a podcast. I am not a huge history fan yet I find the material in this podcast leaves me understanding more about the similarities between politics today and those in the past. I’m also interested to learn more about the past and inspired to deal constructively with people who have different political views. Thank you!

SammyNM ,

Come back!

I’m so sad this podcast couldn’t get enough funding to keep going. I found it late and am still working through older episodes but it is outstanding. I hope they’ll find a way to make it back on-air.

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