Let’s face it: This is an unprecedented time for our democracy. Many of our government’s checks and balances are being challenged or outright ignored. We did not
arrive here because of one person or one policy, but rather the erosion of numerous
safeguards, which, over time, have allowed some persistent issues with our system of
government to be exploited.
Decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court in recent years have favored secretive political
donations and restrictive voting laws, reshaping our political landscape. Corruption and
executive overreach are on the rise, and gerrymandering in states across the country
continues to prevent many Americans from making their voices heard.
If you follow us at Campaign Legal Center, you’ll have heard us repeatedly calling out
these issues — and proposing ways to fix them. Because that’s what we’re all about:
solving the wide range of challenges facing American democracy.
This season of our award-winning podcast, Democracy Decoded, will focus on a
handful of key factors that have led us to this point — and we’ll outline solutions for how
we can begin to repair the cracks in our system.
Each episode will spotlight the story of an individual client, organization, case, or
specific problem indicating where these cracks have formed. Drawing from Campaign
Legal Center’s experts and other distinguished guests, we will diagnose the underlying
problems democracy faces and chart ways that we can hold our government
accountable, ensuring everyone can participate fully in our democracy and we continue
to have free and fair elections for years to come.
Listeners will come away understanding the solutions Campaign Legal Center is
advancing nationwide to shore up these crucial aspects of our democracy. Democracy
Decoded will encourage listeners to better grasp how we, as citizens, can change things
for the better.
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Democracies work best when everyone can participate meaningfully, but wealthy special interests and a small number of big donors have come to dominate the funding of political campaigns - if money is speech, some people (and groups, and corporations) are speaking MUCH louder than others. In the season finale, Simone dives into the world of public financing, examining how two cities on opposite sides of the country took important steps to provide candidates with public funds to support their elec...
This week, Simone examines some of the gaps in our campaign finance laws that have allowed foreign entities to spend money to influence our elections. She focuses on a recent story that took place in Maine, speaking with two state legislators who introduced bills to combat foreign interference in their state – a bigger concern than most would expect, especially considering the cause of their concern comes not from a hostile foreign government, but from one of our closest allies. Guests: Aaron Mc...
This week, Simone takes a closer look at the Federal Election Commission - the only government agency tasked solely with overseeing the integrity of our political campaigns – with one of the FEC’s commissioners, Shana Broussard. She also takes a deeper look at our current campaign finance system, and how that system has failed to keep up with modern times – namely by failing to adequately regulate online ads. She is joined by some former Senate staffers who were part of an effort to change that....
This week, Simone is joined by two CLC experts, Erin Chlopak and Brendan Fischer, as well as attorney Peter Earle and “BadAss Grandmas” Ellen Chaffee and Dina Butcher. These guests help explain two key instances in which big money spending impacted local communities. Importantly, they also explain how every day citizens can make their voices heard. Campaign finance can sometimes seem like something far removed from our everyday lives, maybe something that only matters in Washington. But there’s ...
Joined by Sheila Krumholz, Executive Director of OpenSecrets, and Norman Ornstein, chair of the Board of Campaign Legal Center, host Simone Leeper looks back on the history of campaign finance law in the United States. As they trace historical events from the Watergate scandal to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision and beyond, Simone and her expert guests explore the scandals, legislation and judicial decisions that have helped shape the current system and the root causes of the ever-gr...
Joined by Trevor Potter, president of Campaign Legal Center and a Republican Former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission, host Simone Leeper breaks down the basics of America’s campaign finance system. At the root of their discussion is an examination of how illegal coordinated campaign spending occurs, and why it has not been properly addressed. Trevor speaks about his appearances on the Colbert Report and discusses what has changed (or not changed) in campaign finance over the past ten ...
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. Host Simone Leeper speaks with experts from across the political spectrum and takes a deep dive into the forces fueling our elections, not just in our nation’s capital but ...
