We discuss how ballot measures give voters the opportunity to take power and agency. It is about citizens putting issues that are important to their communities, gathering signatures, and then putting them on the ballot directly to effect policy change.

Her civic action toolkit recommendations are:  

1. Voting is the starting line, not the finish line.

2. Hold your elected officials accountable after elections by reaching out to them about the issues that matter to you, and making sure they are keeping their promises.

Chris Melody Fields Figueredo is the Executive Director of The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, which works to strengthen American democracy using ballot initiatives. 

Follow Chris on X: 

https://x.com/fieldsy 

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Read the transcript here:  

https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/people-power-on-the-ballot-chris-melody-fields-figueredo 

Credits: 

Host: Mila Atmos 

Guests: Chris Melody Fields Figueredo

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss how two parties alone cannot represent the diversity of views in American society, how fusion voting could solve for better representation, and who exactly should get engaged in our civic lives.

His civic action toolkit recommendations are: 

1. Support political parties and reforms that create more choices.

2. Be a good neighbor and participate in a local meeting.

Lee Drutman is Senior Fellow in the Political Reform program at New America, co-host of the Politics in Question podcast (a fellow Democracy Group podcast!), and author of Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America. 

Follow Lee on X: 

https://x.com/leedrutman 

Read Lee’s Paper: 

https://protectdemocracy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/The-Case-for-Multiparty-Presidentialism.pdf

Follow Mila on X: 

https://x.com/milaatmos 

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Read the transcript here:  

https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/break-up-the-two-party-system-lee-drutman 

Credits: 

Host: Mila Atmos 

Guests: Lee Drutman

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

We discuss what it takes for citizens to take action and run for elected office. Wendy ran as a Democrat in Utah because she wanted to give voters a viable, different choice. She knew it was going to be difficult to win as a first time candidate, but she ran so hard that she left a body mark in the wall. She lost by a mere 78 votes.

Her civic action toolkit recommendations are: 

1. Vote and encourage other people to vote

2. Work or volunteer for a candidate during an election year

Wendy Davis is a former candidate for Utah House of Representatives and the author of The Fight You Don’t See – an honest memoir about her campaign. 

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https://x.com/wendydavisutah 

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Sponsor: 

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Read the transcript here:  

https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/what-is-it-like-to-run-for-office-wendy-davis 

Credits: 

Host: Mila Atmos 

Guests: Wendy Davis

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

Joe Spielberger is the policy counsel for the Effective and Accountable Government team at the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), where he advocates in Congress and the executive branch to strengthen whistleblower rights, protect a merit based civil service, and promote government ethics and transparency. We discuss how government can be transparent and accountable to us, the People. 

All Americans need to be confident that federal employees are hired based on their qualifications and not because of their partisan political ideology. In retaliation to the whistleblower on Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian president Zelensky, Trump signed Schedule F, an executive order that could have allowed a complete purge of the civil service of nonpartisan career civil servants. Because whistleblower retaliation is rampant, protecting whistleblowers and civil servants is one of the best ways to protect the public from harm. The Supreme Court does not have a binding code of ethics because the Supreme Court refuses to adopt one. However, Congress has clear and direct mechanisms to hold the Supreme Court accountable and can pass legislation that would implement a binding code of ethics. 

Follow Joe on X: 

https://x.com/jdspielberger 

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https://x.com/POGOwatchdog 

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Sponsor: 

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Read the transcript here:  

https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/protect-whistleblowers-joe-spielberger 

Credits: 

Host: Mila Atmos 

Guest: Joe Spielberger

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

Daniel Alvarenga is a journalist who covers issues pertaining to immigration, racial equity, and Latinx cultures – with a special emphasis on Central America and its diasporas. He’s also the English language podcast host of Humo: Murder and Silence in El Salvador. We discuss the intersection of foreign policy, immigration policy, and democracy.

US foreign interference in Central America has had a huge impact on destabilizing the region. During the civil war in El Salvador between 1980 and 1992, the US contributed $1 billion in military aid. This destabilization is one reason Central Americans migrate to the United States, which in turn creates problems in the US. For example, MS-13 was started by Salvadoran children who moved to Los Angeles. In response, the US government has deported many of them back to El Salvador where the cycle of violence continues. El Salvador has the largest number of murders and disappearances in the world. 

Listen to Humo: 

https://sonoromedia.com/podcasts/humo 

Follow Mila on X: 

https://x.com/milaatmos 

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Sponsor: 

Thanks to Shopify for supporting Future Hindsight! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.

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Want to support the show and get it early? 

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Read the transcript here:  

https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/us-influence-in-central-america-daniel-alvarenga 

Credits: 

Host: Mila Atmos 

Guests: Daniel Alvarenga

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

Barbara McQuade is a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, co-host of the podcast #SistersinLaw, and a professor at the University of Michigan Law School. Her first book is Attack From Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging America. We discuss the dangers of disinformation and how we can defeat it.

Democracy depends on truth, and as Americans we should prize truth over tribe. A lot of disinformation is hiding behind the First Amendment – telling lies as a right to free speech. We are overrun with disinformation. One of the strategies is to exhaust us by constantly pumping false claims into the media ecosphere, so that we become cynical or disengage. That is fertile ground for would-be authoritarian regimes. For example, in response to the big lie that the 2020 election was stolen, a number of states have passed laws making it more difficult to vote. Defending truth is vitally important when it is under attack. 

Follow Barbara on X: 

https://x.com/BarbMcQuade 

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Read the transcript here:  

https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/disinformation-is-sabotaging-america-barbara-mcquade 

Credits: 

Host: Mila Atmos 

Guests: Barbara McQuade

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

Daria Dawson is the Executive Director of America Votes, which coordinates more than 400 partners to engage and mobilize voters for elections up and down the ballot across the country. We discuss why 2024 is - yet again - the most important election of our lifetimes. 

The biggest threat to American democracy is fascism and thus the most important issue in this election is preserving our democracy. Of course, democracy and protecting democracy is a process and never just one election. The top priority for America Votes this year is electing leaders who are committed to protecting the foundations of our democratic system, so that our voices can continue to be heard and counted. Every vote matters. Elections have been won or lost on the margins, so it’s imperative that everyone turns out to vote.

Follow Daria on X: 

https://twitter.com/DariaCharlei 

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https://x.com/milaatmos 

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https://twitter.com/AmericaVotes 

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Sponsor: 

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Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey! 

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Want to support the show and get it early? 

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Check out the Future Hindsight website! 

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Read the transcript here:  

https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/protecting-democracy-daria-dawson 

Credits: 

Host: Mila Atmos 

Guests: Daria Dawson

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

Alissa Quart is the executive director of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project and the author of Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream. We discuss what it really means to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps in America, “the land of the self-made.”

Humans are biologically wired to be interdependent. In fact, achievement is often accompanied with isolation and loneliness. Alissa reminds us that “People who are fighting for democracy shouldn't be leaning into their own self made myth, but instead they should be trying to dispel the myth entirely.” The counter narrative to the self-made myth is that being in community and mutual solidarity feels better than being an individualist.

Follow Alissa on X: 

https://twitter.com/lisquart 

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Sponsor: 

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Read the transcript here:  

https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/give-up-the-bootstrapping-myth-alissa-quart 

Credits: 

Host: Mila Atmos 

Guests: Alissa Quart

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

A.J. Jacobs is a journalist and author. His most recent book is The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution's Original Meaning. We discuss how the Founding Fathers prized humility, experimentation, and a willingness to change their own minds. 

The heart of our democracy is for the community to come together and cooperate. One example is to advocate for democratic reforms, which are nonpartisan. Being apathetic or cynical helps the slide into autocracy. Resisting the allure of quick, hot takes and practicing slower thinking are also crucial to democracy. The founding fathers were deeply invested in balance, especially when it comes to the power of a president being balanced by Congress. A.J. reminds us that everyday citizens can control whether the sun is rising or setting on democracy. 

Follow A.J. on X: 

https://x.com/ajjacobs 

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Sponsor: 

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Read the transcript here:  

https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/living-constitutionally-aj-jacobs 

Credits: 

Host: Mila Atmos 

Guests: A.J. Jacobs

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

Nationly is a limited election series podcast by Immigrantly Media. Join hosts Sara Sadhwani and Juan Diego Ramirez as they offer their unique perspectives on swing states pivotal in determining the 2024 election outcomes. Focusing on minority communities—specifically, immigrants and communities of color—'Nationly' uncovers the issues that truly matter to these voters, ranging from global events like the situation in Gaza to local races such as the showdown between Kari Lake v. Ruben Gallego.

The podcast asks: Who's spearheading the uncommitted movement in Michigan? What key issues are driving Latino support in Arizona? Why is Gen Z stepping up to run for office in Georgia? Delving into the "why" behind political issues, each episode explores vital defining moments in the lives of these voters, providing a comprehensive view of America's political spectrum and the diverse voices shaping it.

Follow Immigrantly Media on X: 

https://x.com/Immigrantly_pod 

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https://x.com/milaatmos 

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https://www.instagram.com/immigrantlymedia/ 

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Sponsor: 

Thanks to Shopify for supporting Future Hindsight! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.

Thanks AURA. Go to AURA.com/PROTECTION for a 14-day trial plus a check of your data to see if your personal information has been leaked online, all for FREE.

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Melanie D’Arrigo is the Executive Director of the Campaign for New York Health, which aims to win universal single-payer healthcare for all New Yorkers. We discuss the intersection of democracy and healthcare and what is necessary to create better health outcomes.

The New York Health Act is a current bill in the New York State Legislature that would implement a single payer healthcare system in New York, similar to Medicare for All. Instead of accessing health insurance, this bill would provide access to health care without the middleman, which is the insurance industry. The United States is the only industrialized country in the world that does not have universal health care. We spend the most amount of money with worse health outcomes. In addition, we allow millions of Americans to go into medical debt. More information on the Campaign for NY Health is here: https://www.nyhcampaign.org/

Follow Melanie on X: 

https://twitter.com/DarrigoMelanie 

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https://x.com/milaatmos 

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Sponsor: 

Thanks to Shopify for supporting Future Hindsight! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.

Thanks AURA. Go to AURA.com/PROTECTION for a 14-day trial plus a check of your data to see if your personal information has been leaked online, all for FREE.

Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey! 

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Read the transcript here:  

https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/healthcare-for-all-melanie-darrigo 

Credits: 

Host: Mila Atmos 

Guests: Melanie D’Arrigo

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis