Former Ohio Democratic Party Chair David Pepper joins us to discuss the state of U.S. politics through the lens of Ohio. David shares the work he’s done to hold the line against the disturbing trend of autocracy emerging across the state and in national politics at large. He breaks down the role state houses play in either helping or hurting our democracy.

We also discuss David’s new book Laboratories of Autocracy, in which he outlines the dangerous strategic shift and development of white nationalism across the country—a backlash he attributes to the election of the first Black President.

REFERENCES:

David Pepper - @DavidPepper - http://davidpepper.com

Stacey Abrams - https://staceyabrams.com

All In: Fight for Democracy - https://allinforvoting.com

David Pepper’s Books:

The People’s House (2016) - https://bookshop.org/books/the-people-s-house/9781619845121

The Wingman (2018) - https://bookshop.org/books/the-wingman-9781619848719/9781619848719

The Voter File (2020) - https://bookshop.org/books/the-voter-file/9780593083956

The Laboratories of Autocracy (2021) - https://bookshop.org/books/laboratories-of-autocracy-a-wake-up-call-from-behind-the-lines/9781662919572

A Simple Choice (2022) - https://bookshop.org/books/a-simple-choice-9780593419731/9780593419731