Liberal Arts

Podcast explores the promise and peril of direct democracy

When the People Decide, a new podcast series from the McCourtney Institute for Democracy, will be released in eight episodes from June 13 through August 1. Credit: Steve Alfaro/Unique Shift Creative. All Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — America’s founders were famously skeptical of direct democracy and giving citizens too much power. Since then, however, the initiative and referendum process has emerged as one way that citizens in some states can vote directly on policy and join forces to bring issues they care about directly to their fellow voters.

When the People Decide, a new podcast from the McCourtney Institute for Democracy in the College of the Liberal Arts, explores the promise — and sometimes peril — that ballot initiatives have brought to American democracy by telling the stories of people who have organized initiative campaigns across the country.

The series features interviews with:

  • Katie Fahey, who led a campaign for independent redistricting in Michigan.
  • Don Frankenfeld, the Republican chair of an initiative for publicly funded elections in South Dakota.
  • Desmond Meade, who directed an initiative campaign to restore voting rights in Florida.
  • Zakiya Prince, who is leading an effort to repeal California's three strikes law.
  • Sayre Reece, a campaign strategist who has worked on LGBTQ ballot measure campaigns across the country.

 

Listeners also will hear from political scientists, historians and journalists who provide context about the ballot initiative’s role in American politics and political reform movements over time. 

Finally, the series explores efforts by state legislatures to alter the initiative process underway in state legislatures from Missouri to South Dakota and what those changes would mean for citizens who want to use the initiative to bring about political change.  

When the People Decide is produced by LWC Studios for the McCourtney Institute for Democracy. Episodes will be released weekly from June 13 through Aug. 1. Find the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any podcast app and visit the series website at thepeopledecide.show.

Last Updated June 9, 2022