Send us a Text Message. Right wing extremism, white nationalism, and the rise of authoritarian tendencies are misunderstood, and fail to spark the engagement needed to strengthen and preserve democracy. Facing the greatest threat of our nation’s history since the Civil War, Americans sleepwalk their way forward with a lackluster response. What holds us back from a full-throated “H*** NO!” when faced with this kind of “mayday?” How can we overcome our own resistance to ...

Send us a Text Message.As those with authoritarian tendences escalate their rhetoric and show their intentions, the work, How Democracies Die, by Daniel Ziblatt and Steven Levitsky offers a guide for identifying the markers we're seeing around us. For citizens unconvinced that democracy is at stake, this episode makes clear that the fate of America lies in the hands of a new dynamic citizenry. Support the Show.For those dear listeners with a fire in the belly, here’s what I ask of ...

Send us a Text Message.The literary construct of Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero’s Journey" offers insight into the America’s quest for a stronger democracy, and for its citizens, struggling to appropriately engage in pursuit of that healthier democracy. This episode outlines the ways that citizens individually, and America, as a collective, engage in aspects of the hero’s journey. Topics discussed in this episode: [08:40] Departure. The Ordinary World. [09:00] ...

Send us a Text Message.In these troubling times, the rule of the people requires our participation lest democracy slip from our fingers altogether. American Musecast invites listeners to a journey through civics, current events, and the charms and challenges of our socio-political institutions. Using elements of positive psychology and drawing from the archetypes of the hero’s journey found in narratives of myth, religion, culture, and politics, Susan Travis presents American democracy ...