It’s not a stretch to say that the Supreme Court plays an outsized role in our democracy, determining the scope of various rights, such as abortion, immigration, and the right to vote. We hear a lot about how the current Supreme Court focuses on originalism, or the idea that it must interpret the Constitution just how the Framers would have understood it. Under this theory, judges should not really consider how a constitutional principle might operate in today’s society. Instead, they must figure out the original public meaning of a word or clause and interpret the phrase consistently with that understanding. Supporters of originalism say that it limits judges, forcing them to consider the Framers’ views instead of their own opinions.

How did the Court fully embrace this idea? Is it the proper way to construe the Constitution? Joining Josh Douglas to discuss the reasons behind the Court’s current approach is Madiba Dennie. She’s the Deputy Editor and Senior Contributor at the critical legal commentary outlet Balls and Strikes. She’s also the author of the new book, “The Originalism Trap: How Extremists Stole the Constitution and How We the People Can Take It Back.”

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As the saying goes, history is bound to repeat itself. America has gone through tumultuous periods in its past. The Constitutional Convention included heated debates about the core ideals of our democracy. We have endured the Civil War, the Jim Crow era, the Great Depression, the Civil Rights movement, and so much more. Many think we are in another significant period of change and turmoil. How should history inform our understanding of today’s Democracy? What lessons can we learn to help sustain our system, particularly in light of the current threats? Joining Josh Douglas to discuss those issues is author, historian, and professor Heather Cox Richardson. Heather is a professor at Boston College, teaching several courses on American history. Her most recent book is Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America, where she traces the history of our democracy to its roots, using the past as a lesson for our future. She also publishes the newsletter Letters from an American, where she examines current political developments

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American democracy requires both major political parties to embrace the core idea of democracy. And young people are the key to sustaining a democracy movement that can endure. Scott Warren has spent his career working on both issues—creating a culture of youth engagement and fostering a democracy movement for all sides of the political spectrum. Scott co-founded the organization “Generation Citizen,” which empowers young people by improving local civics education all across the country. He also launched Democracy Moves, an international network of youth activists pushing for democratic change. Now he is a visiting fellow at Johns Hopkins University, where he is focused on building a pro-democracy conservative movement in the United States.

Democracy must have at least two robust parties that both agree on certain core values—in particular, the importance of democratic institutions and accepting election outcomes. From 2021 to early 2025, Stephen Richer served as the County Recorder, administering elections in Maricopa County, Arizona, which includes Phoenix. After strongly defending the integrity of the 2020 election, he lost the 2024 Republican primary election for his office but continued to serve voters admirably in running the 2024 election in the nation’s second-largest voting jurisdiction. Richer is currently a senior practice fellow in American democracy at the Ash Center of Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Offering an international perspective on elections and democracy is Dr. Fernanda Buril, the Deputy Director of the Center for Applied Research and Learning at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems. She’s an expert on sustaining democracy.

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It’s early 2025, but plans are already underway for the 2026 midterm elections and the 2028 presidential election. Joining series host Josh Douglas to discuss the inner workings of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission is Ben Hovland, one of the four Commissioners on the EAC and its current Chair.

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This week on the Eastern Standard series, “Democracy Optimist”:

Taped live before a student audience at the University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law, the final installment in this 17-part election year series focuses on key interviews about election integrity and security, voting access, and voter rights. And host Josh Douglas, a research professor of election law and voting rights at UK, fields questions about voting and elections from students in the audience.

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Since the enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the law has been steadily diluted by a series of Supreme Court decisions. We take you back to President Lyndon Johnson's appeal for passage of the Act before a joint session of Congress, look at the subsequent actions of the Supreme Court, and offer perspectives from a series of guests on why it's important to vote.

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What is it like to serve in a state legislature, be the Missouri secretary of state, run for U.S. Senate, create a voting rights organization, and flirt with running for president? Our guest, Jason Kander, has seemingly done it all, with a particular focus on improving our election system and expanding the right to vote.

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It’s often been said that election officials were the heroes of the 2020 election. Facing unprecedented attacks on the election system and a global pandemic, they managed to pull off an impressive feat: a secure election with the most voters ever. Election officials are a vital part of the administration of voting. It’s a year-round job as they prepare for upcoming elections, audit previous ones, and make sure everything goes smoothly. In this episode of Democracy Optimist, Josh Douglas' guest is Jennifer Morrell, a former election official and now CEO and Co-Founder of The Elections Group, an organization that helps to support election officials, offering resources and support to better professionalize the role.

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