The Democracy Lab

The Democracy Lab is a new podcast from Expand Democracy exploring the ideas, reforms, and civic energy shaping the future of American democracy. Every two weeks, hosts Eveline Dowling, Rob Richie, and Nivea Krishnan speak with scholars, organizers, and innovators at the forefront of the movement to advance participation and representation. Through our conversations, we test pro-democracy ideas, lift up solutions, and highlight communities strengthening and expanding democracy each and every day.

The Democracy Lab is a news podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 27 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts The Democracy Lab, a news show with 27 episodes published.

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  The Democracy Lab

  Securing the Vote for Those Who Serve and Sacrifice

  Sep 17, 202640 min

  When more than two million Americans in uniform face a 27% voter turnout deficit compared to civilians, something in the system is broken. Sarah Streyder and Brandi Jones of the Secure Families Initiative ( securefamiliesinitiative.org ) join the Democracy Lab to unpack the unique barriers military spouses, service members, and veterans face at the ballot box—and the ballot-curing rules, grace periods, and grassroots wins (like a groundbreaking Kansas poll-working law) that are helping close the gap. Check out our work at expanddemocracy.org and our musings on Substack .

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  The Democracy Lab

  The Simple Fix for RCV's Big Waiting Game

  Aug 21, 202630 min

  Ranked choice voting (RCV) is catching on across the country, but there's one thing people don't love about it: waiting days for results. Brian Strege, Chairman of ANC 6/8F in DC and a key figure behind the city's first RCV election, explains a new approach he designed that could make RCV election night feel a lot more normal. You can follow his work at sorb.net . Check out our work at expanddemocracy.org and our musings on Substack .

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  The Democracy Lab

  Democracy On Demand

  Aug 7, 202626 min

  Nivea talks with Ramon Perez , Executive Director of the Digital Democracy Project , about DDP's platform letting voters weigh in directly on the bills their representatives are actively debating in Congress. They dig into what real-time input means for voters used to only being heard on Election Day — and why it might be just as valuable for the candidates trying to represent them well. Check out our work at expanddemocracy.org and our musings on Substack .

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  The Democracy Lab

  Team Huddle: Election Attacks, Aging Leaders, and Local Wins

  Jul 24, 202640 min

  Expand Democracy's Rob Richie and Nivea Krishnan sit in for a team catch-up on the state of American democracy and the latest news in the democracy reform space. They unpack Trump's prime-time election speech and the abrupt firing of the EAC commissioners, and what it means for critical thinking heading into 2026. They also dig into the age and succession gap plaguing Congress, spotlight proportional representation and campaign finance innovations, and share the democracy reforms that have them hopeful.

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  The Democracy Lab

  How to Rewire Redistricting

  Jul 10, 202636 min

  In this episode, Rob talks with Sam Wang about his unlikely journey from Princeton neuroscience lab to congressional candidate — and back to election reform. Sam shares what running for office taught him firsthand about the outsized role of money in politics, and how that experience sharpened his work fighting gerrymandering and researching voter impact through the Princeton Election Consortium, the Princeton Gerrymandering Project, and the Electoral Innovation Lab. Resources: Electoral Innovation Lab: https://www.electoral-lab.org/ Sam Wang: sam@electoral-lab.org Princeton Election Consortium Princeton Gerrymandering Project

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