This is Democracy – Episode 314: Reflections on 2025, Lessons for 2026

Jeremi and Zachary discuss key lessons and impressions from 2025 to kick off the new year of 2026. Zachary opens the episode with an excerpt from George Orwell's essay, "Can Socialists Be Happy?"

This week, Jeremi and Zachary speak with Professor Steven Mintz on the critical role of civics and history education in contemporary society. The discussion covers why civics education is crucial for understanding foundational facts of American history, the contentious nature of how history is taught today, and the challenges posed by ideological divides. Steven Mintz is a professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin. He is an authority on the history of families and childhood. Steve is also a pedagogical innovator and a commentator on the arts and the human condition. From 2012 to 2017, he directed the UT System’s Institute for Transformational Learning. Steve is the author of many prizewinning books, including: Huck's Raft: A History of American Childhood (2004) and The Learning-Centered University: Making College a More Developmental, Transformational, and Equitable Experience (2024).

This week, Zachary and Jeremi revisit the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, discussing recent developments and potential diplomatic solutions. They are joined by Michael Kimmage, Professor of History at the Catholic University of America, who offers insights into the complex political landscape, the roles of Putin and Zelensky, and the intricate US-European alliance. Zachary begins the episode by reading "Knife", a poem by Ukrainian author, Lyuba Yakimchuk. Michael Kimmage is a professor of history at the Catholic University of America, and the director of the Kennan Institute. From 2014 to 2017, he served on the Secretary's Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State, where he held the Russia/Ukraine portfolio. His latest book is Collisions: The War in Ukraine and the Origins of the New Global Instability.

This week Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Professor Renata Keller from the University of Nevada Reno, whose work focuses on the Cuban Missile Crisis and its enduring impact in Latin America. They explore public reactions in Latin America during the crisis, analyze the diverging opinions within the region, and discuss the long-term consequences. Jeremi sets the scene by reading the opening lyrics to Bob Dylan's 'Masters of War,' which was written in the wake of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Dr. Renata Keller is an associate professor of history at the University of Nevada, Reno. She is the author of two books:  Mexico’s Cold War: Cuba, the United States, and the Legacy of the Mexican Revolution and, most recently, The Fate of the Americas: The Cuban Missile Crisis and the Hemispheric Cold War. Dr. Keller received her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.

This week, Zachary and Jeremi discuss the complexities and challenges surrounding the adaptability of the American Constitution with Professor Steven Skowronek. They delve into topics such as constitutional amendments, the role and evolution of the Supreme Court, and the potential need for a new constitutional framework to address contemporary issues. Zachary sets the scene with a passage from Alexander Hamilton's Federalist Paper No. 85. Dr. Stephen Skowronek is the Pelatiah Perit Professor of Political and Social Science at Yale University.  His most recent book is The Adaptability Paradox: Political Inclusion and Constitutional Resilience. Other publications include Phantoms of a Beleaguered Republic: The Deep State and the Unitary Executive  (with John Dearborn and Desmond King), The Policy State: An American Predicament (With Karen Orren), The Politics Presidents Make: Leadership from John Adams to Bill Clinton, and Building a New American State: The Expansion of National Administrative Capacities, 1877-1920 (1982).

This week, Jeremi and Zachary invite John Lawrence, a former senior staff member with extensive experience in the U.S. House of Representatives, to discuss the recent government shutdown. The conversation delves into the causes and impacts of these shutdowns, the role of partisanship, and historical precedents. Jeremi opens the conversation with a powerful excerpt from C.P. Cavafy’s poem "Waiting for the Barbarians," setting the tone with a poignant reflection on the complexities and challenges of democracy. Dr. John A. Lawrence served for thirty-eight years as a senior staff person in the United States House of Representatives, including as chief of staff for Speaker Nancy Pelosi from 2005 to 2013. He is currently a visiting professor at the University of California’s Washington Center. He is the author of:  The Class of ’74: Congress after Watergate and the Roots of Partisanship;  Arc of Power: Inside Nancy Pelosi’s Speakership;  and Sherlock Holmes: The Affair at Mayerling Lodge.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary sit down with Dr. Mikkel Runge Olesen, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, to discuss Greenland and its growing significance in global politics. Dr. Olesen offers a comprehensive overview of Greenland's history, its political relationship with Denmark, and its strategic importance to the United States. The conversation also explores the broader geopolitical interests in the Arctic as well as the environmental impact of climate change in this crucial region. Zachary sets the scene with an excerpt from the poem "Rise" written by climate activists, Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner and Aka Niviana. Dr. Mikkel Runge Olesen is a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS). His research interests include NATO and transatlantic relations, the Arctic, the Nordic countries, Danish foreign policy, and recent Danish diplomatic history. His theoretical interests include realism (international relations), foreign policy analysis, and political psychology.

Jeremi and Zachary have a conversation with Gryffin Wilkens-Plumley about his work designing assemblies of independent citizen governance. They have an in-depth discussion of deliberative democracy, a practice that is about citizen's individual participation, reasoning, and sense of duty to vote and make decisions in society, and how it could apply to our democracy today. Jeremi sets the stage with some words by William James from 1897. Gryffin Wilkens-Plumley is a senior at Yale University and a deliberative-democracy designer. He currently works as Project Manager and Design Lead for the Connecticut Citizens’ Assembly initiative at the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities -- an initiative to hold the first ever official State-level citizens’ assembly in America. Gryffin's work focuses on citizen governance, designing assemblies for independent citizen governance, and working with funders and elected officials to turn designs into reality.

This week, we have Prof. John Beckett Wallingford to discuss the current landscape of federal science funding, and the importance of science in American industry and society. We set the scene with a reading of The Polio Vaccine, Chatham, Virginia, 1964, by Claudia Emerson. John Beckett Wallingford is a developmental biologist with three decades of experience.  He is the Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Doherty Jr. Regents Chair in Molecular Biology and a Professor in the Dept. of Molecular Biosciences at the University of Texas at Austin.  Since 2003, his laboratory has sought to understand how form and function arise in embryos using advanced microscopy, systems biology, and biomechanics. Wallingford's research explores animal models and collaborates with human geneticists to understand human birth defects. He is writing a forthcoming book about embryos:  In the Beginning.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary sit down with Dr. Jack Loveridge, Vice President of the El Paso Independent School District (ISD) Board of Trustees, to discuss the start of the new school year, with a particular focus on American schools' challenges and opportunities at this moment. Dr. Loveridge shares insights into the primary issues facing his district, including budget constraints and declining enrollment, the impact of Texas' new school voucher program, and the importance of holistic approaches to address poverty and educational disparity. Zachary sets the scene with Muriel Rukeyser's "Elegy in Joy". Dr. Jack Loveridge is the vice president of the El Paso ISD Board of Trustees, a public school district serving over 48,000 students on the U.S.-Mexico border. He is also the CEO and co-founder of Panoculum, Inc., a digital history startup based in his hometown. Jack holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Texas at Austin, an M.Phil. in International Development from Oxford, and a B.A. with honors from Stanford University.