Democracy Works
Penn State McCourtney Institute for DemocracyThe Democracy Works podcast seeks to answer that question by examining a different aspect of democratic life each week — from voting to criminal justice to the free press and everything in between. We interview experts who study democracy, as well as people who are out there doing the hard work of democracy day in and day out. The show’s name comes from Pennsylvania’s long tradition of iron and st... more
| Publishes | Twice monthly | Episodes | 680 | Founded | 9 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | GovernmentEducation | |||
Listen to this Podcast
Latest Episodes
This episode explores how the relationship between national and state politics changed from the first Trump administration to the second one, and how the administration is using its levers of power differently this time around to target companies, la... more
From Brexit to the 2020 election, the United States and the United Kingdom seem more divided than ever as media, political polarization, and other factors combine to form what Mitchell Smith describes as "the Great Perceptual Divide."
Smith joined D... more
Our guest this week argues that you can't talk about the history of democracy in America without talking about the history of taxation in America. After listening to this interview, we agree and we think you will, too.
Vanessa Williamson is a senio... more
While we were away over the summer, it was hard to miss stories about Democratic primary elections and seeming rise of the Democratic Socialists of America — followed almost immediately about the challenges DSA candidates will face in November's elec... more
Key Facts
Similar Podcasts
People also subscribe to these shows.
Recent Guests
Hosts
Reviews
- Food for thought
This show approaches each topic from a thoughtful POV and offers up perspectives from people who have expert knowledge. They don’t hammer a point or yell and rant, but instead discuss and deliberate. A perfect example of how democracy works by Democracy Works!
Apple Podcasts5IvyVirginia
United States5 years ago - Leader in Podcasts on Democracy
Jenna has been a large help for my own podcast, Democracy Paradox. Her leadership of the Democracy Group has influenced many democracy podcasts. Eternal thanks to her contours work!
Apple Podcasts5justin kempfUnited States6 years ago - Deep Analysis; Better Than Anything on Mainstream
I appreciate this group’s analysis, as it seeks to understand our political culture dispassionately and not to fan the outrage we see in shoddy and “clickbait” journalism.
Apple Podcasts5MimiWujUnited States6 years ago While the podcast purportedly is about democracy as an institution, it really is nothing other than a exercise in reducing all of political science to Trump. Considering these are acedemics at Penn, it makes me worry about political science if this presestism is the whole of the field now. being that most of the analysis isn't even based is history more than the last news cycle, it is really just a pundit pod. That's fine, it's just not about 'Democracy'.
Podcast Addict26 years agophetus- More than just politics!
The Democracy Works podcast is a great snapshot of our country and how the workings of the government influences each of us as Americans. Jenna Spinelle is always on point bringing thought provoking content to her listeners with every episode.
Apple Podcasts5mizsimoneUnited States6 years ago
Listeners Say
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
Chart Rankings
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #213 |  Canada/Government |
Apple Podcasts | #216 |  Italy/Government |
Apple Podcasts | #237 |  Germany/Government |
Apple Podcasts | #248 |  France/Government |
Apple Podcasts | #35 |  Ireland/Government |
Apple Podcasts | #46 |  Argentina/Government |
Talking Points
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Audience Metrics
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
| Listeners per Episode | |
|---|---|
| Gender Skew | |
| Location | |
| Interests | |
| Professions | |
| Age Range | |
| Household Income | |
| Social Media Reach |
Frequently Asked Questions About Democracy Works
What is Democracy Works about and what kind of topics does it cover?
A thoughtful show that features researchers, policymakers, journalists, and activists discussing democracy from multiple angles—education, media, technology, polarization, and civic engagement. Episodes typically mix academic perspectives with real-world practice, offering practical guidance for those trying to improve democratic life, from voting and public policy to information ecosystems and higher education. Noteworthy strengths include a steady stream of high-profile guests, clear links between theory and actionable ideas, and a focus on constructive, nonpartisan dialogue that emphasizes shared civic work over partisan rancor.
Where can I find podcast stats for Democracy Works?
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Democracy Works. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Democracy Works and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
How many listeners does Democracy Works get?
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Democracy Works, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.
What are the audience demographics for Democracy Works?
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Democracy Works, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
How many subscribers and views does Democracy Works have?
To see how many followers or subscribers Democracy Works has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.
Which podcasts are similar to Democracy Works?
These podcasts share a similar audience with Democracy Works:
1. The David Frum Show
2. The Opinions
3. Radio Atlantic
4. The Daily
5. The Ezra Klein Show
How many episodes of Democracy Works are there?
Democracy Works launched 9 years ago and published 680 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
How do I contact Democracy Works?
Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.
Where can I see ratings and reviews for Democracy Works?
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Democracy Works from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Democracy Works?
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Democracy Works. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.
What guests have appeared on Democracy Works?
Recent guests on Democracy Works include:
1. Jake Grumbach
2. Mitchell Smith
3. Vanessa Williamson
4. Rory McVeigh
5. Michael Brownstein
6. Dan Kelly
7. Candis Watts Smith
8. Julianna Pacheco
To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.