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We Can Do Better

Fran Quigley
Poverty
Housing Policy
Military Spending
Housing
SNAP
Public Pharma
Supplemental Security Income
HR1
Universal Child Care
Affordable Care Act
Faith-Based Advocacy
Tax Policy
Defense Contractors
Center On Budget Policy Priorities
Food Insecurity
One Big Beautiful Bill Act
California Calrx
SSI Restoration Act
Disability
21st Century Road To Housing Act

Fran Quigley is a law professor who goes with his students every week to eviction court, representing people facing forcible removal from their homes. They are among the tens of millions of people in the U.S. who are behind on their rent or already homeless, who are forced to skip filling prescriptions, and who often go hungry—despite living in the richest nation in the world.We can do better.

Oth... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes11Founded2 months ago
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Latest Episodes

Many of the people we see in eviction court losing their homes are working long hours at difficult jobs. But they work in retail, the home healthcare sector, in food service work, etc.--where their employers do not pay them wages high enough to keep ... more

Last November, New Mexico became the first state in the country to launch free, universal child care for children from birth through age 13, regardless of household income. The program is exactly what working parents have been hoping for: there are n... more

Earlier this month, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act became law. It is the first substantial housing bill to pass Congress in decades, and it is . . . OK.

In this episode, Jack and Fran discuss how the new law, like so many other reforms aimed ... more

In this episode, we examine a true silver bullet that can dramatically reduce poverty in the United States: pass a proposed law to update and improve our SSI program.

We start out the episode with the story of Dorothy (not her real name), one of ou... more

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Recent Guests

Jacob Vigil
Chief Legislative Officer, New Mexico Voices for Children
Episode: Universal Childcare is Possible – New Mexico Proves It
Jack Quigley
Journalist and Chief Marketing Officer for 14 Regional Construction Trade magazines
14 Regional Construction Trade magazines
Episode: The Housing Bill We Needed… Sort Of
Stephen Nuñez
Director of Stratification Economics at the Roosevelt Institute
Roosevelt Institute
Episode: How One Law Change Can Dramatically Reduce Poverty
Jesse Brown
First openly socialist candidate elected to the City Council of Indianapolis; former high school teacher
Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)
Episode: Might You Already be a Democratic Socialist?
Mara Heneghan
Director of the Health and Political Economy Project at The New School's Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy
The New School
Episode: How Public Pharma Can Fix Our Prescription Drug Crisis
Catlin Nchako
Research associate in the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Food Assistance Division
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Episode: How Millions Are Losing Food Assistance
Stephen Semler
Co-founder of the Security Policy Reform Institute; data journalist
Security Policy Reform Institute
Episode: The Arms Industry: Robbing the Working Class of a Better Life
Sister Emily TeKolste
Member of NETWORK Advocates and Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
NETWORK Advocates
Episode: Giving Up Billionaires for Lent
Devon Gray
President of Ending Poverty in California (EPIC)
Ending Poverty in California (EPIC)
Episode: Ending Poverty in California and Beyond

Host

Fran Quigley
Host of the podcast and law professor who accompanies eviction court with students; focuses on housing rights, poverty, and economic justice.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Universal Childcare is Possible – New Mexico Proves It
Q: So what kind of messaging worked best with legislators and policymakers, and what messaging resonated with the general public to gain 70 percent support?
Messaging with lawmakers centered on framing child care as an economic and workforce issue, highlighting benefits to businesses, workers, and communities, while with the public the focus was on affordability, economic justice, and the broader societal benefits of supporting families and children.
Universal Childcare is Possible – New Mexico Proves It
Q: So, Jacob, welcome to We Can Do Better. All right, so Jacob, if we may start off and not bury the lead here, how did this wonderful thing come to be?
Jacob explains that the universal childcare initiative grew from years of advocacy and a coalition focused on children and families, culminating in a constitutional amendment and funding from the Land Grant Permanent Fund. The transition from a broad campaign to a reform that could be funded without new taxes involved building a diversified funding structure, including the Early Childhood Trust Fund and a dedicated department, and leveraging federal ARPA funds before sustaining the program through state funds.
The Housing Bill We Needed… Sort Of
Q: Is increasing supply likely to benefit those at the bottom who struggle to afford housing?
Supply increases may lower market-rate rents only marginally and not solve the affordability crisis for those on fixed incomes or reliant on subsidies; subsidies and public housing remain critical for truly affordable options.
The Housing Bill We Needed… Sort Of
Q: Could you explain what the law actually changes and what led up to this passing?
The act shifts focus toward more market-rate housing, uses Community Development Block Grant funds for housing construction, and tweaks the Housing Choice Voucher program to make it easier for landlords to participate, but it does not address universal subsidies or robust public housing funding.
How Public Pharma Can Fix Our Prescription Drug Crisis
Q: What concrete steps could the federal government take to enable generic manufacturing of medicines that are under patent?
The government could use its authority under section 1498 to compel licensing of patented medicines to generic producers with fair compensation, allowing government-backed or contracted manufacturers to produce affordable versions, especially for crisis drugs like GLP-1 therapies.

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Frequently Asked Questions About We Can Do Better

What is We Can Do Better about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thought-provoking series that centers housing justice, economic rights, and pragmatic policy reform. Episodes mix host-led analysis with interviews and first-person stories to illuminate how policy choices—ranging from eviction and housing policy to healthcare access, nutrition assistance, and social safety nets—shape everyday lives. The show frequently connects macro-budget and political dynamics to concrete, lived experiences, advocating for a more equitable economy through data, storytelling, and coalition-building. A distinctive angle is the host's hands-on method—often accompanying students or collaborating with advocacy groups—to explore practical pathways for lasting change, such as expanding affordable housing, improving access to... more

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1. 5-4
2. The Ezra Klein Show
3. Interesting Times with Ross Douthat
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We Can Do Better launched 2 months ago and published 11 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 We Can Do Better?

Recent guests on We Can Do Better include:

1. Jacob Vigil
2. Jack Quigley
3. Stephen Nuñez
4. Jesse Brown
5. Mara Heneghan
6. Catlin Nchako
7. Stephen Semler
8. Sister Emily TeKolste

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