Democracy Does: The Civic Power Playbook

What might someone become if the doors to opportunity were open?

That question stayed with me after my conversation with Johnisha Matthews Levi, author of Numbers Up: Cracking the Code of an American Family 

Host Robin Hamilton welcomes listeners to Democracy Does: A Civic Power Playbook and interviews artist, author, speaker, and activist Melissa Dinwiddie about her “Create the impossible” philosophy and how people can overcome the “gremlin voice” of self-doubt and perfectionism. Dinwiddie explains how she expanded from creative work into civic engagement by hosting letter- and postcard-writing events with her mother starting in 2018/2019, then pivoting to Zoom during COVID. After a difficult election on her birthday, she founded Indivisible Palo Alto Plus, which grew from 12 initial respondents to more than 1,000 people, emphasizing that action defeats despair. She describes local organizing tactics—coordinating city council advocacy, including campaigns against mass surveillance cameras—and stresses deep listening, curiosity, and probing questions to address misinformation. Her top “power plays” are: find community, take one small action, and choose action you enjoy; she also shares where to find her books, including Innovation at Work. 

History isn’t just about remembering the past. It helps us understand the present—and make more informed decisions about our future.

On this episode of Democracy Does: The Civic Power Playbook, I talk with Katie Kirkpatrick, founder of Off the Mall Tours DC, who brings Washington’s lesser-known history to life through stories of Black Georgetown, historic alleyways, women, vice, politics and more.

Katie reminds us that many of the policies and protections we live with today didn’t simply appear—they evolved from real struggles and the experiences of people who fought for change. As she puts it, to understand where we are, we have to understand where we’ve been. 

What would you do if someone called claiming your savings were in danger?

Mississippi dentist and author Ed “Doc” Holliday thought he was protecting his cryptocurrency investments. Instead, he was following instructions from scammers who ultimately stole approximately $200,000.

On this episode of Democracy Does: The Civic Power Playbook, Doc walks me through the calls, convincing emails, and carefully timed pressure that turned his trust into a devastating loss. The callers knew details about his investments, making their warnings feel credible.

Hidden in Plain Sight: Tanya Paperny on Club Madre, DC’s Overlooked Histories, and Why Saving Stories Matters

Host Robin Hamilton introduces the Democracy Does: Civic Power Playbook series “Hidden in Plain Sight: The Story of Odessa Madre,” focused on history, identity, and preserving erased voices, and interviews Tanya Paperny, Washington City Paper columnist behind “On Places,” which uncovers overlooked DC sites.

This week, we’re welcoming back a familiar voice. Professor Andrew Flachs was kind enough to join us last season, and we’re delighted to have him back again to help us make sense of another issue hitting nearly everyone’s wallet.

On this episode of Democracy Does: The Civic Power Playbook, the Purdue University professor and expert in agriculture and environmental anthropology unpacks what’s really driving higher food prices—and why the answer goes far beyond the grocery store.

Season 3 of Democracy Does: The Civic Power Playbook is coming back.

We've been working behind the scenes putting together new episodes, and honestly, this season might be the one I'm most excited about. Because the truth is, the things that shape our daily lives — they don't always show up as headlines. Sometimes they show up in your grocery receipt. In your rent. In the decisions being made in rooms you're not in, about things that affect you directly.

So this season, we're digging into it. Food prices. Housing prices. The policies that make the news — and the ones that don't, but probably should. We're going to break it all down and connect the dots between the policy and your actual life.

As we head into a short hiatus, host Robin takes a moment to say thank you — and to look back at some of the season's most powerful conversations on Democracy Does: The Civic Power Playbook.

We revisit the hidden economics of family caregiving with public health expert Dr. Maggie Ornstein, who breaks down how unpaid caregivers contribute billions in labor each year — $40 billion annually in New York State alone — even as Medicaid cuts threaten the fragile systems families depend on.

We also revisit our conversation with Professor Terri Friedline of the University of Michigan on the fight over the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and what a rollback of consumer protections — including a proposed cap on credit card interest rates — could mean for your wallet.

And we look back at our discussion with Greta Bedekovics of the Center for American Progress on the proposed SAVE Act, and how new voter registration requirements could create real barriers for millions of Americans.

Caregiving. Consumer protection. Voting rights. Three conversations, one throughline: power, and who's asked to carry the weight when it shifts.

While we're on hiatus, we're building new episodes to keep you informed — and we want your input. Visit Democracy Does to tell us what you want to hear next.

Democracy works when we all participate.

Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept—it's becoming part of how we work, learn, and even manage our health. But as with any powerful technology, the question isn't whether AI exists. It's whether we use it wisely.

On this week's episode of Democracy Does, I spoke with Emmy Hernandez, co-founder of the System and Soul AI Institute, whose remarkable story demonstrates both AI's promise and the importance of human judgment. After a life-threatening medical crisis left her with debilitating symptoms and no clear diagnosis, Hernandez used AI to organize years of medical records, identify patterns, and prepare better questions for her physicians. The technology didn't replace her doctors—it helped her become a stronger advocate for her own care.

One of the core messages of Democracy Does is that every voice matters. Whether you're participating in your community, engaging with elected officials, or making decisions that affect your family, your willingness to speak up has power. As I discovered in my recent conversation with board-certified oncologist Dr. Tiffany Trosso-Sandoval, that lesson may be just as important in the doctor's office as it is in our democracy.

Drawing on more than 25 years of caring for women with cancer, Dr. Trosso-Sandoval says too many patients—especially women—have been conditioned to be "good patients": agreeable, accommodating, and hesitant to question authority. But that instinct can come at a tremendous cost. Instead, she urges patients to become the CEO of their own healthcare by asking questions, understanding their diagnosis, and actively participating in treatment decisions.