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Artwork for The Future of Our Former Democracy 

The Future of Our Former Democracy 

MED and Mori Strategies
Northern Ireland
Germany
Proportional Representation
The Troubles
United States
Ireland
Voting Rights
Civil Rights Movement
Good Friday Agreement
Power Sharing
Dublin City Council
Local Elections
Sunningdale Agreement
Ulster Unionist Party
Immigration
Racism
Political Representation
Provisional IRA
Bloody Sunday
Electoral Systems

Australia built its democracy on the American model, then kept revising it: the secret ballot, ranked-choice voting, proportional representation, and elections that Australians across the political spectrum actually trust. In our new season, we travel Down Under to explore how a country so similar to ours, including in its history of white supremacy and Indigenous genocide, ended up with a democra... more

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes23Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
HistoryDocumentarySociety & Culture

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Artwork for The Future of Our Former Democracy 

Latest Episodes

Australia built its democracy on the American model, then kept revising it: the secret ballot, ranked-choice voting, proportional representation, and elections that Australians across the political spectrum actually trust. In our new season, we trave... more

Mila Atmos and Melissa Murray discuss the hidden power inside the U.S. Constitution, what it was designed to protect against, and how it can fortify American democracy today.

Melissa Murray is the Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law at N... more

This bonus episode is a recording of a panel presentation from More Equitable Democracy's 2025 learning tour to Germany. The panel featured four international voices - immigrants, international students, and refugees - living in Germany today.

Speci... more

In this bonus episode, Berit, born in East Germany, and Khuê, born in West Berlin, share their respective perspectives and stories of growing up during German reunification.

Special thanks to the experts featured in this episode:

- ⁠⁠⁠Dr. Berit Ebe... more

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Recent Guests

Melissa Murray
law professor at NYU School of Law; author and MS Now legal analyst
New York University School of Law
Episode: Future Hindsight | The People's Document: Melissa Murray
Hesham Moadamani
Refugee from Syria, Bard College Berlin student, civic engagement initiatives lead
Bard College Berlin
Episode: Bonus: Who Gets To Belong? Voices from Ukraine and Syria
Liza Nezhyva
Ukrainian student active in Ukrainian refugee support and campus politics
Bard College Berlin
Episode: Bonus: Who Gets To Belong? Voices from Ukraine and Syria
Khalil Hammod
Syrian-born refugee, translator, researcher, and journalist focusing on civil society and technology ethics
Bard College Berlin
Episode: Bonus: Who Gets To Belong? Voices from Ukraine and Syria
Mariia Krychevska
Fourth-year politics and ethics student at Bard College Berlin, Ukrainian student club leader
Bard College Berlin
Episode: Bonus: Who Gets To Belong? Voices from Ukraine and Syria
Khuê Pham
Author and journalist
Episode: Bonus: Berit and Khuê: Growing Up During German Reunification
Deb Otis
Representative, FairVote
FairVote
Episode: From the Black Forest to the Rose City: Seeding PR at Home
Kevin Deegan-Krause
Member, Voters Not Politicians
Voters Not Politicians
Episode: From the Black Forest to the Rose City: Seeding PR at Home
LaShanda Jackson
Philanthropic advisor promoting democracy
More Equitable Democracy
Episode: From the Black Forest to the Rose City: Seeding PR at Home

Hosts

Colin
Host involved in political analysis and learning-tour storytelling
Heather Villanueva
Co-host focusing on democracy and equitable participation

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 125 ratings
  • Incredible!

    I had never considered how malleable democracy was. The first season really brought that to light. This new season is so good! The production is amazing, I just loved feeling like I was getting an on the ground look at what’s happening in Germany. Five stars!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Micah Smarts 2012
    United States5 months ago
  • Thought-provoking look at elections

    The Future of Our Former Democracy is a thought-provoking podcast focusing on distilling learnings from other electoral systems around the world, Ireland (Season 1) and Germany (Season 2), and how the USA can improve our own electoral system to reach more representative and equitable outcomes. After listening to the discussions on Ireland's voting system, it motivated me to get involved with local organizations focusing on improving voter outcomes. I highly recommend this podcast to anyone who i... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    crahrig
    United States6 months ago
  • Cursory conclusions

    Didn’t lay good foundation of explaining the 2 systems from the beginning. Episodes don’t delve deep enough into main points of episode. Cursory conclusions abound without adequate intellectual exploration.

    Audible
    1
    Ferguson
    United States7 months ago
  • Didn’t lay good foundation of explaining the 2 systems from the beginning. Episodes don’t delve deep enough into main points of episode. Cursory conclusions abound without adequate intellectual exploration.

    Audible
    1
    Ferguson
    United States7 months ago
  • Incredibly poor, superficial performance

    Herr im Himmel! I was really looking forward to this podcast. I worked as a political journalist in Germany for more than 20 years. I just returned to the States in November after my last tour, which lasted ten years. I also studied German history and speak German. So I like to think that I have a reasonable understanding of the situation in Germany.

    This podcast is just so inferior and poor.

    It is one thing that it is clearly biased from a far-left perspective. Well, if you know that, you c... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Chris-747
    United States7 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Many note practical takeaways for US electoral improvements.
Some critique bias in expert selections or voices, depending on episode.
Listeners praise the thoughtful, historical lens on democracy and reform.
Audience finds international comparisons (Germany, Ireland) especially useful for understanding reform potential.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Project 1933: How to Dismantle a Democracy (and How to Rebuild)
Q: So is the judge saying you can only do this by constitutional means?
Yes, the judge confirms that Hitler could only proceed as long as he claimed to act within constitutional bounds, highlighting a dangerous edge where legal language is used to legitimize undemocratic goals.
Alternative für Amerika: MAGA, AfD, and the Politics of Division
Q: So Colin, the AFD, are they Nazis?
The guests and hosts discuss that while the AFD uses extreme nationalist rhetoric and has been labeled anti-constitutional by Germany's Verfassungsschutz, labeling them as Nazis is debated; some guests argue the party embodies Nazi-era methods and aims, while acknowledging it operates within a modern democratic framework.
Bonus: Pádraig Ó Tuama in Conversation
Q: What is the purpose of elections?
The purpose of elections is to choose temporary leadership to address contemporary concerns, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and compromise.
Bonus: Pádraig Ó Tuama in Conversation
Q: How have those conversations gone generally?
Ó Tuama notes that for some the Irish reunification is unwelcome, acknowledging varied perspectives and emphasizing the need for a moral reckoning around British presence in Ireland.
Bonus: A Conversation with Claire Hanna, MP for Belfast South and Mid Down
Q: What is the current political context regarding anti-immigrant sentiment?
Hanna notes that although Ireland has historically been a pro-immigration nation, the emergence of anti-immigrant sentiments and far-right candidates is concerning, though they did not achieve significant electoral breakthroughs.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Future of Our Former Democracy 

What is The Future of Our Former Democracy  about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful deep-dive into how different electoral systems shape democracy, with a strong emphasis on proportional representation, ranked-choice voting, and learning from international examples. Episodes feature historians, political scientists, tour guides, and refugees-turned-advocates who share concrete lessons on representation, voter engagement, and safeguarding democratic participation. The show blends historical context, on-the-ground narratives, and practical reforms, often drawing parallels between Germany, Ireland, and the United States to explore how institutions can both enable and constrain inclusive governance. A standout trait is the blend of rigorous analysis with personal, lived experiences, offering listeners a multi-dime... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Future of Our Former Democracy ?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Future of Our Former Democracy :

1. Deadline: White House
2. #SistersInLaw
3. The Rachel Maddow Show
4. The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart
5. Main Justice

How many episodes of The Future of Our Former Democracy  are there?

The Future of Our Former Democracy  launched 2 years ago and published 23 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Future of Our Former Democracy ?

Recent guests on The Future of Our Former Democracy  include:

1. Melissa Murray
2. Hesham Moadamani
3. Liza Nezhyva
4. Khalil Hammod
5. Mariia Krychevska
6. Khuê Pham
7. Deb Otis
8. Kevin Deegan-Krause

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