Studio C70

And we're back! Committee of Seventy CEO David Thornburgh talks with two of our new Buchholz Fellows - Harper Seldin of @cozen_oconnor and Kalie Wertz of @UACoalition . David also chats with @YIPhilly 's Bekah Gable and Kate McGlinchey about the State of Young Philly #SOYP Conference. In our final segment, David and C70's Civic Engagement Consultant Chris Satullo talk about why Philadelphians should #ExpectMore from their city and join the #AntiShrug Movement, plus a note on how you can make a difference through #WeVote70 and @DrawtheLinesPA

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What's new in Maine and unheard-of in much of America is old hat in Ireland. Ranked-choice voting lets voters express how they feel about multiple candidates, rather than just settling for the least-bad option. Here, it's just gaining a hard-won foothold in places like Maine and San Francisco. But it's been the norm for decades in Ireland. In this episode, we talk to Philadelphian and Irish national Siobhan Lyons about why she loves, just loves, the system known in her native land as "single transferable vote."

After years of waiting, Philadelphia has regained control of its school system and sworn in a new board of education. One of its nine members, Lee Huang, talks in-depth with Chris Satullo about the boot-camp-like training and the energetic "listening tour" of the city that board members experienced to get ready. Huang explains how he's thinking about addressing the challenges of a school system charged with educating the nation's poorest big city.

The old Philadelphia Democratic machine is clearly wearing out. But what might revive or supplant it? In this podcast, David Thornburgh talks to Ali Perelman of Philadelphia 3.0 about efforts to bring fresh blood into the old party committee structure. And Chris Satullo chats with Asian-American leader Andy Toy about what it might take to get the city's Asian and Hispanic minority populations to increase their impact at the polls.

Pennsylvanians went to the polls on May 15. Depending on where you sit, the results could be seen as a depressing show of apathy, a sign that 2018 will be the true "Year of the Woman" in politics, or an indicator that the so-called "blue wave" is mostly hype. In this episode, the dean of Harrisburg journalists, columnist John Baer of the Inquirer and philly.com, talks it all over with Seventy CEO David Thornburgh. Some of what this famously skeptical commentator has to say will surprise you.

On his last day in office as a U.S. congressman - and as one of the last GOP moderates on Capitol Hill - Charles Dent (R., Pa.) sat down with Chris Satullo to talk about his time in office, the plague of hyper-partisanship, the fight over Obamacare and other adventures. The setting was the 10th anniversary celebration of the Penn Project for Civic Engagement in Philadelphia, so some of the talk was about the the quest for rational political dialogue and the negative impact of social media. In this special bonus episode, listen in as one of Congress' most candid personalities gives you a peek inside the inner workings of Washington.

For the first time in a very long time, Philadelphia's diverse 184th House District will be getting a new state representative. Competing to replace the retiring Bill Keller are Nicholas DiDonato Jr., Elizabeth Fiedler and Tom Wyatt. Each stopped by 20 by Seventy to chat with David Thornburgh about their credentials, their sense of the district, what they'd fight for in Harrisburg, and what they'd never support, no matter what. David also chats with co-host Chris Satullo about the stakes in this year's state elections. Listening to this lively conversation is a great way to prepare for going to the polls on May 15.

In this episode, we dig into the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania's 177th House District, where long-time incumbent John Taylor has resigned, leaving an open seat. Host Chris Satullo interviews contenders Dan Martino, Maggie Borski and Joseph Hohenstein about what they've done, what they'd fight for and what they'd never support. If you live in the 177th, this is a great way to prepare to vote on May 15. Seventy CEO David Thornburgh gives you a short rundown of what generally is at stake in these state legislative elections.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Kristen Graham joins host Chris Satullo to talk about a topic she knows as well as anyone: the ins and outs of the Philadelphia schools, now poised to go back under city control after years of state oversight. The changeover puts a $1 billion budget shortfall squarely in the lap of city taxpayers. Then Seventy CEO David Thornburgh talks with Chris about Mayor Kenney's plan for coming up with the money. And David and Chris actually disagree!

Lawsuits. Dueling maps. Weird terms like "efficiency gap." Talk of impeachment. And endless partisan sniping. Want to be able to decipher what's going on in the fight over Pennsylvania's congressional map? Jonathan Lai of the Philadelphia Inquirer explains it all calmly and crisply in a conversation with host Chris Satullo. This is the one road map you'll need to follow the Great Map Fight of 2018.