Democracy Decoded
Democracy Decoded
Campaign Legal Center
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.
Special Announcement: We've been nominated for a Webby!
We are beyond thrilled to announce Democracy Decoded once again has been nominated for a Webby Award in the category of Public Service & Activism podcasts!
Apr 10
2 min
How New Voting Barriers Threaten Elections
Host Simone Leeper speaks with experts Rick Hasen and Danielle Lang about how new voting restrictions are threatening elections, and what it will take to ensure every voter can participate meaningfully in our democracy.
Nov 20, 2025
42 min
The Latest: How the Erosion of Federalism Endangers Elections
Host Simone Leeper speaks with Campaign Legal Center attorneys Catie Kelley and Jonathan Diaz about the Trump administration’s efforts to seize state control of elections. From unlawful executive orders to voter registration barriers and voter roll data grabs, they explain how these actions undermine federalism—and what CLC is doing to protect American elections in the lead-up to 2026 and 2028.
Nov 13, 2025
42 min
A Quick Update from Democracy Decoded
Host Simone Leeper shares a quick Election Day 2025 update — Campaign Legal Center staff worked to safeguard elections; millions of Americans exercised their freedom to vote in states across the country; and Democracy Decoded will return next week with lessons learned from this and past elections that we will carry with us into 2026 and beyond. About CLC:Democracy Decoded is a production of Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to solving the wide range of challenges facing American democracy. Campaign Legal Center fights for every American’s freedom to vote and participate meaningfully in the democratic process. Learn more about us.Democracy Decoded is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Nov 6, 2025
1 min
How Gerrymandering Undermines Fair Representation
Host Simone Leeper speaks with Campaign Legal Center’s Mark Gaber and Utah voters Vicki and Malcolm Reed about how everyday Americans are fighting back against gerrymandering — and what’s at stake when politicians choose their voters instead of the other way around.
Oct 30, 2025
41 min
How Democracy Is Impacted by the Expansion of Presidential Power
Host Simone Leeper speaks with Douglas Brinkley, Rick Perlstein, Adav Noti and Juan Proaño to trace how presidential power has grown over time — and how that expansion impacts how our democracy works.
Oct 23, 2025
37 min
How Corruption and Abuses of Power Threaten Democracy
Host Simone Leeper speaks with Mark Lee Greenblatt, Jodi Vittori and Kedric Payne to examine how corruption and abuses of power are eroding safeguards in government; how failures of accountability in Congress and the courts are weakening public trust; and what reforms could protect against corruption and conflicts of interest now and in the future.
Oct 16, 2025
34 min
The Latest: How to Address Threats to the Rule of Law
Host Simone Leeper speaks with litigation experts Anna Baldwin and Brent Ferguson to unpack threats to the rule of law — and what can be done to preserve our system of checks and balances.
Oct 9, 2025
34 min
How Big Money Is Dominating American Politics
Host Simone Leeper speaks with former FEC Commissioner Ellen Weintraub, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and CLC President Trevor Potter to examine how court rulings opened the door to unlimited political spending; how partisan gridlock has left the FEC unable to act; and what reforms could restore transparency and accountability in American democracy.
Oct 2, 2025
43 min
How the U.S. Supreme Court Is Drastically Reshaping American Democracy
The U.S. Supreme Court has vastly reshaped American democracy — rolling back voting rights, enabling secret money in politics and expanding presidential power. These decisions have a real impact on all Americans by making it harder for citizens to exercise their freedom to vote, easier for wealthy interests to sway elections and more difficult to hold leaders accountable. In this episode, we unpack the real-world impact of landmark Supreme Court decisions and explore what reforms could restore balance, accountability and trust in the Court.
Sep 25, 2025
42 min
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