Donald Trump took office as president on January 20, 2025, having already served one term. Immediately, however, he made clear his second term would be even more unpredictable than his first. He put one of the world's richest men — and his biggest campaign donor — in charge of a shadowy new entity with seemingly unfettered access to government data. Trump also blitzed the system with a barrage of executive orders, which have seemingly upended the government. He has done everything from threateni...
Apr 30, 2025•42 min
In the end, the worst of everyone’s election fears — political violence, overt foreign interference or a razor-thin margin between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump leading to a hotly contested legal battle — did not come to pass. Instead, Donald Trump won a plurality of votes for president, and did so decisively. On January 20, 2025, he will once again become the country’s most powerful executive. His victory raises weighty questions for the experts at Campaign Legal Center. Trump ran explicitly o...
Nov 12, 2024•31 min•Season 4Ep. 9
This week’s episode is short, sweet, and to the point: It’s Election Day, and if you haven’t yet cast your vote, let us be your friendly reminder. Like many of her CLC colleagues, Simone will spend the day monitoring elections. Next week she’ll be back with the final episode of the season, with a look at how this most dramatic election is playing out. Until then, it’s up to you. Nationwide nonpartisan Election Protection (EP) hotline: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) Host: Simone Leeper litigates a w...
Nov 05, 2024•2 min•Season 4Ep. 8
An incumbent president drops out, mid-race. A former president becomes a party’s nominee for the first time in more than a century. There are multiple occurrences of political violence against a candidate. Newly emergent AI tools spread disinformation. And a Supreme Court that may be called upon to decide the race is perceived by the electorate as increasingly politicized. The 2024 election cycle has already made its share of history. With Election Day now just a week away, we bring you another ...
Oct 29, 2024•32 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Imagine you’re at home when you hear a knock. At your door are people who want you to share, in detail, who you voted for in the last election, months ago. When you ask them who they are and where they’re from, they remain vague and perhaps even aggressive. This was the case for some Americans in the years after the 2020 election, part of a spate of behaviors by election skeptics and deniers that, in some cases, amounted to voter intimidation. The history of voter intimidation in the United Stat...
Oct 22, 2024•27 min•Season 4Ep. 6
When New Hampshire voters picked up the phone earlier this year and heard what sounded like the voice of President Joe Biden asking them not to vote in that state’s primary election, the stage was set for an unprecedented election year. The call was a deepfake — and the first major instance of artificial intelligence being used in the 2024 election. With the rise of AI tools that can credibly synthesize voices, images and videos, how are voters supposed to determine what they can trust as they p...
Oct 15, 2024•33 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Election certification has traditionally been a mostly symbolic process in the United States. You vote, your vote gets counted, your precinct and others get tallied together (“canvassed” is the term of art) and, within a few days, everyone looks at the counts and agrees on a winner. But lately, this banal, bland procedure has become a political flashpoint, as people who question the election process impose unrealistic requirements on certification — and, in some cases, outright refuse to certify...
Oct 08, 2024•30 min•Season 4Ep. 4
The peaceful transfer of power is a hallmark of American democracy that sets the United States apart — the so-called north star of our electoral system. Yet the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 challenged that tradition profoundly. In the lead-up to this November, we answer the question that is on the minds of many voters: Will the months after this presidential election look like the aftermath of the last one? Fortunately, lawmakers who were caught in the eye of that storm seized t...
Oct 01, 2024•26 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Voter registration is the number one obstacle to voting in the United States. It should be easy, accessible and secure, but too often, states are moving backwards; making voter registration more difficult and less equitable. Here, we introduce a new type of episode: an up-to-the-minute interview with an expert to help you better understand some of the most important issues affecting elections. Danielle Lang, a voting rights attorney at CLC, joins Simone to explain why major actions in Arizona an...
Sep 24, 2024•31 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Election workers are the people in your neighborhood. They’re our friends, neighbors and co-workers who help keep American democracy safe and secure... But in 2020, many of them were maligned, harassed and threatened in battleground states — the targets of bad actors who sought to sow distrust in the electoral process. How can we better protect and support the many dedicated civil servants and volunteers who provide such crucial work? The thousands of election workers who will staff this Novembe...
Sep 17, 2024•21 min•Season 4Ep. 1
American elections work because we have tried-and-tested systems in place to make sure votes are cast fairly and counted correctly, and that when threats arise, everyone has their part to play: lawmakers, poll workers, voting rights advocates, and everyday voters alike. To understand how our elections continue to evolve, this season of Democracy Decoded takes a deep dive into our electoral system, exploring the checks and balances that make the process safe, secure, and accurate. Host Simone Lee...
Sep 03, 2024•2 min
In this bonus episode we’re featuring content from one of our favorite podcasts called “When the People Decide”. Host Jenna Spinelle explores what happens when neighbors and local government work together to make their communities stronger and more inclusive. The episode takes place in Decatur, Georgia and tells the story of “Decatur 101” a straightforward class open to anyone in Decatur to learn about how their city government worked. We hear from Linda Harris, the originator of the class, and ...
Jun 25, 2024•27 min
We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey . Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $50 American Express gift card. We appreciate your time! -------------------------------------- Across the country, voters are organizing to protect their right to elect candidates of their choice. In the final episode of Season 3 of ...
Oct 19, 2023•26 min•Season 3Ep. 7
We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey . Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $50 American Express gift card. We appreciate your time! ---------------- When we elect representatives, we expect them to be held accountable to the people they represent and the laws they are subject to. But how can voters be sure t...
Oct 12, 2023•22 min•Season 3Ep. 6
We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey . Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $50 American Express gift card. We appreciate your time! ---------------- Campaign contribution limits are one of the few mechanisms in place to prevent wealthy special interests from spending unlimited money to rig the political syst...
Oct 05, 2023•29 min•Season 3Ep. 5
We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey . Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $50 American Express gift card. We appreciate your time! ---------------- When elected officials aren’t prioritizing the needs of their constituents, voters can make their voices heard on a state and local level through ballot initiat...
Sep 28, 2023•21 min•Season 3Ep. 4
We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey . Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $50 American Express gift card. We appreciate your time! ---------------- An enormous amount of work goes into planning for Election Day. For months, poll workers and election administrators prepare to run their local elections smooth...
Sep 21, 2023•25 min•Season 3Ep. 3
We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey . Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $50 American Express gift card. We appreciate your time! ---------------- One of the most crucial but often overlooked aspects of American democracy is voter registration. Host Simone Leeper speaks with expert guests that provide a co...
Sep 14, 2023•25 min•Season 3Ep. 2
We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey . Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $50 American Express gift card. We appreciate your time! ---------------- Why do local and state elections matter, and how can voters be sure that their voices are being represented in the lawmaking process? We open the third season o...
Sep 07, 2023•18 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Federal elections–and their results–play a huge role in how our democracy operates. But decisions made at state and local elections have the most direct impact on people’s everyday lives. The local and state level also influences the way elections are run, and how citizens hold their elected officials accountable. Democracy Decoded is a podcast by Campaign Legal Center that examines our government and discusses innovative ideas that could lead to a stronger, more transparent, accountable and inc...
Aug 24, 2023•3 min
In this bonus episode we’re featuring content from our friends at Future Hindsight, an award-winning podcast that takes big ideas about civic life and democracy and turns them into action items for all of us. Host Mila Atmos is passionate about unlocking the power of everyday citizens, and each week you can join her on the show as she zeroes in on what you can do to get engaged and stay engaged. In this episode, Mila Atmos interviews Kelly Dittmar, the Director of Research at the Center for Amer...
Jul 06, 2023•36 min
We are beyond thrilled to announce that our podcast “Democracy Decoded” has been nominated for a Webby Award in the category of Public Service & Activism podcasts! Please visit this link and vote now for “Democracy Decoded” to help these important conversations reach even more ears! How to vote: Click the green “vote” button under Democracy Decoded. Register with the Webby Awards website when prompted. Check your email for an email from Webby that says “Action Required” and click the green “...
Apr 13, 2023•2 min
The 2020 election was…unique. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many states took steps to make voting safer and more accessible. After that, we saw a backlash and some states erected barriers to voting access. The 2022 midterm election then offered an opportunity to assess our voting landscape. In this episode, we discuss what we learned from the 2020 presidential election, the 2022 midterms, and how we can work together to make the promise of democracy real for us all. Host and Guests: Simone Leepe...
Dec 13, 2022•23 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Voting in person is still the most popular way to vote for many people. Whether it’s a personal preference, a cultural experience in one's community, or an opportunity to get help from poll workers, millions of Americans head to the polls in person on the first Tuesday in November. In this episode we learn about the history of Election Day (seriously, why a weekday in late fall?) and the challenges that many Americans face when they try to vote in person. Host and Guests: Simone Leeper litigates...
Dec 06, 2022•27 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Voting at a polling place on Election Day may be easy for some, but many voters face significant challenges. Transportation, work schedules, and the location of polling places can make it tough for voters with families, jobs, a disability, and more to vote in person. During the 2020 presidential election, when the COVID-19 pandemic was in full force, many states expanded vote-by-mail access to protect voters from getting sick. There were also drive-thru voting and ballot drop-boxes, which opened...
Nov 29, 2022•20 min•Season 2Ep. 3
The right to vote is a basic American freedom, but for people with felony convictions, figuring out if they can vote is a huge task. This episode looks at the history of felony disenfranchisement laws and explains how denying the freedom to vote to an entire class of citizens hurts voters, communities and our democracy. Also, Tennessee voters share their experiences regaining the freedom to vote after a felony conviction. Host and Guests: Simone Leeper litigates a wide range of redistricting-rel...
Nov 22, 2022•23 min•Season 2Ep. 2
America is a democracy, but is that democracy accessible to every American? When the Constitution was ratified, only white men who owned property could vote, which was only 6% of the population. In the more than 200 years since then, many Americans are still being denied the right to have a say in key decisions that impact our lives. In this episode Simone talks with Brittany Carter from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund about the history of voting rights, and how African Americans risked their lives...
Nov 15, 2022•22 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Why does American Democracy look the way it does today and how can we make it more responsive to the people it was formed to serve? Democracy Decoded, a podcast by Campaign Legal Center, examines our government and discusses innovative ideas that could lead to a stronger, more transparent, accountable and inclusive democracy. In the new season, host Simone Leeper covers everything you need to know about voting in the U.S. – how it works, what barriers exist to voting, and how to make our voting ...
Nov 01, 2022•2 min
In this bonus episode, Simone explores the backstory behind a case of foreign interference in U.S. elections which had far reaching consequences, both in America and abroad. Joined by two former Campaign Legal Center staff members who uncovered the scheme, she examines the case of Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman – the Trump allies who laundered a six-figure contribution to a super PAC through a shell corporation and pushed for the removal of the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine. Guests: Brendan Fischer cur...
Aug 18, 2022•17 min•Season 1Ep. 8
In this bonus episode we’re featuring content from a new podcast called “When the People Decide”. Host Jenna Spinelle explores the basics of the ballot initiative and the history of how it caught on in the United States. She investigates the backstory behind a campaign in Michigan to end partisan gerrymandering in 2018 which is part of a legacy of ballot initiatives dating back to the 1800s. After becoming disillusioned with the results of the 2016 election, Katie Fahey took to Facebook to gauge...
Jul 14, 2022•34 min•Season 1Ep. 7
