SpeechMatters

How can artificial intelligence be leveraged to strengthen democracy and empower citizens rather than serve purely corporate interests? In this episode, Nathan Sanders and Bruce Schneier, authors of Rewiring Democracy: How AI Will Transform Our Politics, Government, and Citizenship, explore AI’s evolving role in the democratic process and the importance of civic action in shaping the future of AI.

Resources:

• Rewiring Democracy
• genz_democracy_report_2025.pdf

From dynamic state voter ID requirements to campus polling access, the rules around student voting are constantly shifting. This webinar gives you the opportunity to engage directly with experts navigating today's student voting access landscape:

Brianna Cea, Executive Director, GenVote;

Peter McDonough, General Counsel, American Council on Education; and

Clarissa Unger, Executive Director, Students Learn Students Vote Coalition.

Resources:

• Generation Vote
• Access the Local Election Engagement Guide
• https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Student-voting-and-college-political-campaign-activities-issue-brief.pdf

From the swift ratification of the 26th Amendment to modern restrictions on campus polling places and student IDs, youth voting occupies a pivotal place in higher education. In this episode we explore the history of student voter engagement and discuss how administrators can navigate today’s regulatory friction leading up to the upcoming elections.

Resources:

• Youth Voting Rights...
• Give Them Ballots | AAC&U
• A Detour for Democracy | AAC&U
• The Struggle for Voting Rights at Colleges

In celebration of America’s 250th birthday, we explore defining moments in US history through the lens of music. Drawing from On the Record: Music That Changed America by Anna Harwell Celenza, we discuss how artists and songs have shaped the nation’s culture, politics and democracy.

Episode Resources:

• Book: On the Record: Music That Changed America
• On the Record: Music that Changed America: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2fO9y7ZLGPdIaHYFfm0SN7?si=4c5f98e9fa634220&nd=1&dlsi=440283afdb384518
• annacelenza.com

Having just completed his first year as president of the greatest public university, University of California President James B. Milliken joins the podcast to reflect on his decades-long career in higher education, the unique responsibilities of public universities and the state of free expression and academic freedom on today’s campuses.

Episode Resources:

• UC president: Proposed research bond critical for scientific progress | Opinion
• Science funding and immigration fuel America's innovation. They're at risk - Los Angeles Times
• Substack Preserving the Pillars of Free Speech on Campus

Explore the impact of state legislation on academic freedom, shared governance, curriculum and expression with guest Laura Benitez, senior manager, state policy and government affairs for U.S. Free Expression Programs at PEN America.

Episode Resources:

• PEN America Index of Educational Gag Orders and Higher Education Restrictions
• Expanding the Web of Control: America’s Censored Campuses 2025
• Snapshots of Censorship

In this month’s episode, we explore higher education governance — a topic that has drawn increasing attention and controversy in recent years. Drs. Demetri Morgan and Raquel Rall, co-directors of the Center for Strategic and Inclusive Governance, join us to discuss the role of governing boards and their impact on higher education’s ever-evolving landscape.

Episode Resources:

• CSIG Resource Hub
• New national center supports higher education governance | UCR News | UC Riverside
• https://strategicinclusivegovernance.org/about-us/

As schools of civic thought expand across campuses in the United States, debate continues over whether these centers foster open inquiry or advance particular ideological agendas. Christopher Tollefsen, professor of philosophy at the University of South Carolina and interim executive director of the Center for American Civic Leadership and Public Discourse, joins us to discuss what it means to be a good citizen and the responsibilities that requires.

Episode Resources:

• Center for American Civic Leadership and Public Discourse - McCausland College of Arts and Sciences | University of South Carolina
• Conservative(s) Teaching and Classroom Neutrality - Public Discourse
• Heterodox Civic Center Reading Guide 

This month we have the honor of talking with Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., California Secretary of State, about voting, education and the future of democracy. Dr. Weber draws on both her lived experience and her storied career as an educator and national leader in expanding voter access to discuss barriers facing college student voters and the vital role higher education plays in cultivating civic responsibility. Her insights offer hope and practical steps for strengthening democracy in 2026 and beyond.

Episode Resources:

• More official California voting locations and vote-by-mail ballot drop-off locations can be found at caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov once the election gets closer. 
• For more information on the upcoming election, visit vote.ca.gov 
• To learn more about California’s college civic engagement efforts, visit California Students Vote Project 

In the season five premiere of the SpeechMatters podcast, host Michelle Deutchman speaks with Center Co-chairs Howard Gillman, Chancellor of UC Irvine, and Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of Berkeley Law, about their upcoming book, Campus Speech and Academic Freedom: A Guide for Difficult Times. Against the backdrop of recent controversies — from legislative restrictions on teaching and campus protests to political pressure on colleges and universities — the episode explores how higher education leaders can navigate free speech, academic freedom and institutional governance in 2026. 

Resources:

• Campus Speech and Academic Freedom 
• Opinion | Trump’s ‘Compact’ With Universities Is Just Extortion - The New York Times