Even if you don’t read comic books, you’ve probably heard the adage from Spiderman: “With great power comes great responsibility.” But what does it mean to be responsible or take responsibility, especially when it’s not clear that you’ve done something illegal, immoral, or wrong? Who should bear responsibility for climate change, global justice, or police […]

How can the study of comparative politics – of the different forms of political organization and behavior around the world – help us make sense of the US’s challenging and contentious politics in this moment? My guest today is Dr. Kelly Bauer is joining the Politics Department at Occidental College this year to teach courses […]

What role does comedy, satire, and humor play in a democracy? Is it good that one of our primary modes of engaging with political authority is through the mode of irony and comedy? What happens when the target of comedy moves from those in power, to those who are most vulnerable. My guest today, Dr. […]

Every two years Occidental students leave campus for competitive elections across the country to work full time as campaign staff, bringing what they’ve learned in the classroom to bear on the real world work of politics and bringing their experiences on the campaign trail back to the classroom. I sat down with Dr. Regina Freer, […]

Social media has pervaded almost every aspect of our lives and, as the 2016 election has demonstrated, our political life is not immune from the effects of social media. But what if thinking about the effects of social media on politics is asking the wrong question? My guest today, Dr. Jennnifer Forestal of Loyola University […]

“Think for yourself;” “Question authority;” “Critique those in power” – these are the hallmarks of democratic citizenry. But how do we draw the line between healthy skepticism that is necessary for democracy, and the forms of skepticism that animate climate denialist and conspiracy theorists? How should democratic citizens navigate between the twin pitfalls of unthinking […]

Why have gun control advocates been unable to effectively pass legislation on stricter gun restrictions, despite high profile mass shootings at schools, places of worship, night clubs, and concerts as well as significant public support many proposed measures? Many have suggested that the National Rifle Association has bought off members of congress to prevent any […]

Do women “naturally” make better leaders than men? While this has been a theme in political philosophy and science fiction for centuries, many point to the coronavirus pandemic as a natural experiment to test this question. My guest today, Professor Jennifer Piscopo, studies gender and politics, and we talk about female political leadership, why the […]

Every election day, thousands of poll-workers, or election judges, give their time to ensure that people are able to vote throughout this country. Yet despite how necessary their work is for American democracy to function, their work is understudied by political scientist. My guest today, Dr. Mara Suttman-Lea is working to rectify that. We spoke […]

Conventional political wisdom states that getting people angry is a good way to get them to vote. My guest today, Professor Davin Phoenix, argues in his recent book, The Anger Gap: How Race Shapes Emotion in Politics, that for African-Americans, and other communities of color, anger functions differently. Because their grievances are not taken seriously […]