We had the privilege of an incredible conversation with MP Jake Sawatzky, Member of Parliament for New Westminster—Burnaby—Maillardville. Our discussion touches on MP Sawatzky’s journey into politics and his remarkable uphill election victory in the 2025 federal election, where he defeated a two decade long incumbent. Drawing on his extensive background in neuroscience and counselling psychology, we discussed the current state of mental health and addiction in Canada and the importance of implementing step-down services and rehabilitation centres. As one of only four Members of Parliament born in the 21st century, MP Sawatzky also shares the reality of serving as a young leader in government, the challenges he has faced, his priorities as chair of the Liberal Youth Caucus, and his thoughts on strengthening youth engagement in Canadian democracy. Stay until the end to hear about MP Sawatzky’s concert booking agency, We Outside, and the most memorable concert he has ever hosted! Check it out!

It was an honor speaking with Professor Patrick Heller, Lyn Crost Professor of Social Sciences, Professor of International and Public Affairs and Sociology, and the newly appointed Director of the Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia at Brown University. He is one of the world’s leading experts on social inequality, democracy, and civil societies, with groundbreaking research spanning India, Brazil, and South Africa. Our conversation began with Professor Heller’s work on democracy, drawing on “Deliberation and Development: Rethinking the Role of Voice and Collective Action in Unequal Societies.” We discussed democracy beyond elections, the intrinsic value of participation, and how structured participation builds effective citizenship, particularly for marginalized voices. We then transitioned to participatory budgeting (PB), drawing on Professor Heller’s “Bootstrapping Democracy: Transforming Local Governance and Civil Society in Brazil” to investigate why PB succeeded in Brazil, what this model reveals about deepening democratic practices even in contexts of immense inequality, and the possible institutional designs that can mitigate growth machine politics. Our conversation then diverged into Professor Heller’s incredible work on the Cities of Delhi and Citizenship, Inequality, and Urban Governance (CIUG) projects, focusing on the concept of differentiated citizenship and the specific mechanisms through which inequality shapes urban democracy. To conclude, we discussed the impact of entrenched colonial legacies still shaping urban life today across Brazil, South Africa, and India, as well as how the fate of democratic deepening depends on the intricate balance between political parties and civil society. Stay until the end to hear about Professor Heller’s favourite memories in India, along with his recommended Indian cuisine! 

P.S. A huge thank you to Professor Heller for surviving a fire drill with us! :) 

We had the absolute privilege of speaking with Professor Nolan McCarty, Susan Dod Brown Professor of Politics and Public Affairs, and Vice Dean for Academic Affairs in the Office of the Dean of the Faculty at Princeton University. He is one of, if not the, leading scholar in polarization, democratic institutions, and political economy. Our conversation began with polarization, analyzing the self-reinforcing “doom loop” explored in Professor ​​McCarty’s Polarization: What Everyone Needs to Know and its implications for citizens’ trust in public institutions. We then discussed the inseparable link between economic inequality and affective polarization, exploring how individuals’ willingness to engage in cross group cooperation shifts during economic upswings and downturns. Our conversation then ranged from the historical formation of polarization among political elites to today's fragmented media environment, which rewards conflict and partisan attacks, as well as potential solutions such as revitalizing local journalism and altering the systemic incentive structures of big media. Looking to the present, we discussed Professor McCarty’s book Political Bubbles: Financial Crises and the Failure of American Democracy. We examined policy capture, how the 2008 financial crash parallels the concept of political bubbles, and how similar bubbles may be forming in areas such as crypto and AI. We then transitioned to discussing representation and voting, with a focus on ranked-choice voting and its potential drawbacks, including the possibility of non-majority winners, high rates of ballot exhaustion, and the weakening of political power among minority communities. Lastly, we capped off our discussion by looking at the paradox of transparency, where increased transparency and sunshine laws in congressional negotiations can actually reduce the chances of compromise, and the importance of balancing democratic accountability with the pragmatic need for private bargaining. Stay until the end to hear about Professor McCarty’s remarkable and almost superhuman running regimen, his journey, and best advice for runners along the way!

We had the absolute honour of speaking with MLA Rob Botterell, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Saanich North and the Islands, whom we first had the pleasure of meeting in person at the Special Committee on Democratic and Electoral Reform this summer. In this episode, we explored MLA Botterell’s leadership on British Columbia’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and how it helped open up a long-standing “black box” within government. We also discussed the BC Green Party’s core values, priorities in the next legislative sitting, and the misconception that prioritizing people and protecting the environment are mutually exclusive. Drawing on his 25 years as an Indigenous rights lawyer, MLA Botterell also shared his perspective on key Indigenous concerns, from major challenges plaguing Indigenous communities today to his critique of Bill 15, including its bypass of Indigenous consultation and the risk it poses to years of reconciliation efforts. We then discussed CARGA, the Cooperation and Responsible Government Accord between the BC NDP and BC Green Caucuses in British Columbia, especially in terms of interparty collaboration on tariff response policies, and what comes next for youth engagement and Vote16 following the Special Committee on Democratic and Electoral Reform. Stay to the end to hear which creative social media challenge has been MLA Botterell’s favourite! 

We had the absolute privilege of speaking with Professor Wendy Schiller, Alison S. Ressler Professor of Political Science at Brown University and one of the most prominent voices in American politics. You have likely seen her across major outlets including MSNBC, NPR, CNN, and Bloomberg News, among countless others. Our conversation explored her work on the Senate, beginning with Electing the Senate: Indirect Democracy before the Seventeenth Amendment, where we discussed the original system of indirect elections and the new challenges introduced by direct statewide campaigns. We then turned to the modern dual representation system and how it creates both opportunities and tensions in accountability. We next shifted to polarization, drawing on her work Dynamics of American Democracy: Partisan Polarization, Political Competition, and Government Performance, where we examined the line between healthy competition that strengthens democracy and destructive competition that rewards obstruction. We talked about its roots dating back to Jefferson and Hamilton, the role of digital media in accelerating division, and how voters can still meaningfully hold governments to account even in periods of gridlock and policy oscillation. To conclude, we turned to her current scholarship on domestic violence, drawing on Inequality Across State Lines to explore how structural gaps and uneven state enforcement allow key protections to erode, particularly in preventing firearm access and limiting the conditions that allow violence to persist. We also challenged the misconception that the digital age has simply improved help-seeking, since technology often strengthens abusers’ control rather than weakening it. Stay until the end to hear who Professor Schiller would choose to have dinner with in all of history and why. Check it out!

We had the honor of sitting down with Professor Paul Starr, the Stuart Chair in Communications and Public Affairs at Princeton and recipient of the Pulitzer Prize. So it comes as no surprise that he is a leading scholar across countless fields, including democracy, healthcare, and media. We began our conversation discussing his new work, American Contradiction: Revolution and Revenge from the 1950s to Now, which can be purchased now! We chatted about what drove Professor Starr to this project, the oscillating clash between the politics of revolution and the politics of revenge, and how these historical forces continue to shape our democracy today. We also chatted about the ongoing tariff wars and the implications for Canada and U.S. relations, before transitioning to universal healthcare. Drawing on his experience as senior health policy advisor to President Clinton during the Health Security Act push, we spoke about the forces that have prevented the United States from adopting such a system and the future of healthcare reform in the Trump era. Lastly, we spoke about media, a subject in which Professor Starr has plenty of experience, having co-founded The American Prospect, one of the most prominent public-policy magazines. We spoke about the degradation of the media landscape, the growing vulnerability of democracies to disinformation, and how to preserve trust while advancing genuine pluralistic debates on public policy. To wrap things up, we also got to learn about the Renaissance man side of Professor Starr and why he is truly a “trespasser” across disciplines! Check it out!

We had the honor of sitting down with Professor Paul Starr, the Stuart Chair in Communications and Public Affairs at Princeton and recipient of the Pulitzer Prize. So it comes as no surprise that he is a leading scholar across countless fields, including democracy, healthcare, and media. We began our conversation discussing his new work, American Contradiction: Revolution and Revenge from the 1950s to Now, which can be purchased now! We chatted about what drove Professor Starr to this project, the oscillating clash between the politics of revolution and the politics of revenge, and how these historical forces continue to shape our democracy today. We also chatted about the ongoing tariff wars and the implications for Canada and U.S. relations, before transitioning to universal healthcare. Drawing on his experience as senior health policy advisor to President Clinton during the Health Security Act push, we spoke about the forces that have prevented the United States from adopting such a system and the future of healthcare reform in the Trump era. Lastly, we spoke about media, a subject in which Professor Starr has plenty of experience, having co-founded The American Prospect, one of the most prominent public-policy magazines. We spoke about the degradation of the media landscape, the growing vulnerability of democracies to disinformation, and how to preserve trust while advancing genuine pluralistic debates on public policy. To wrap things up, we also got to learn about the Renaissance man side of Professor Starr and why he is truly a “trespasser” across disciplines! Check it out!

What a wonderful conversation we had with Minister Jessie Sunner, the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Surrey-Newton and the Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, whom we first had the pleasure of meeting in person at the Special Committee on Democratic and Electoral Reforms this summer.​​ We discussed the affordability crisis, mental health, and the K to 12 Anti-Racism Action Plan before shifting to post secondary issues. We addressed the province’s commitment to making education more accessible and affordable through programs such as the B.C. Access Grants and StudentAid BC, and we also explored how curriculum change can better prepare students with the skills needed for the future as AI and automation advance at an unprecedented pace. Lastly, we ended our conversation by discussing how to strengthen youth engagement in democracy. Stay until the end to hear Minister Sunner’s recommendations for must-visit destinations in Surrey!

We had the privilege of speaking with Professor Eric Patashnik, Julis-Rabinowitz Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Political Science at Brown University, described by The New York Times as a leading scholar on why policies succeed or fail. Our conversation explored his work “Countermobilization: Policy Feedback and Backlash in a Polarized Age,” examining how policymakers navigate backlash strategies, the evolution of backlash from a consequence of reform to a weapon in partisan politics, and how it simultaneously functions as a form of policy feedback. We also delved into one of the most interesting political science works out there, “Unhealthy Politics: The Battle over Evidence-Based Medicine.” We discussed how limited political incentives and slow adoption rates within medical society hinder reform, and what solutions might drive effective progress. To conclude, we examined the structural factors that enable policies to endure by satisfying diverse stakeholders, fostering reconfiguration through new coalitions, interest groups, and sustained investment, and how social media can now shape or undermine this process. To wrap things up, we talked about the new era of tennis and who Professor Patashnik predicts will have the upper hand in the Sinner–Alcaraz rivalry! Check it out!

What an insightful conversation we had with Professor Ian Shapiro, Sterling Professor of Political Science at Yale University. Even before our episode, we had long been his students through the Devane lectures, so it was our immense privilege to speak with him! We began with his book “Politics Against Domination,” discussing the idea that domination is the central problem politics must confront, then moved to exploring democracy as a conditioning good and how this understanding informs both the protection and promotion of democracy, as well as the lessons drawn from its successes and failures abroad. Then we turned to his acclaimed work “The Wolf at the Door: The Menace of Economic Insecurity and How to Fight It,” exploring ideas such as the role of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) in reducing political insecurity and creating a race-to-the-top effect, the potential of a bottom up expansion in healthcare starting with a public Medicare option for younger adults, and the importance of building strong coalitions. We then turned to the topic of elections, discussing how polarization often arises from structural factors like safe seats and ideologically extreme primaries that distort representation. Finally, we explored voting reforms to better include marginalized communities and how political parties can reconnect with voters in an era where political branding often overshadows party platforms. In the end, we had the chance to learn what still surprises Professor Shapiro, even after his long and distinguished teaching career. Check it out!