Archives for Democracy

Democracy Forum 5/17/19: Republic vs Democracy: Why Should We Care?

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine
Engineer: Amy Browne

What do those words mean: republic and democracy?

What do people mean when they say, “We’re not a democracy; we’re a republic,” in the context of different policy debates.

Is there a particular subtext implicating minority rights, even minority rule, and possibly states’ rights and federalism?

Guests :

Lance Dutson, a Republican communications consultant and a columnist for the Bangor Daily News. lancedutson.bangordailynews.com/about/

Joseph Reisert, Associate Professor of American Constitutional Law at Colby College www.colby.edu/directory/profile/jrreiser/

 To learn more about this topic:

  1. Democracy or Republic?, Jay Cost in Nationa Review September, 2018.
  2. Sorry, Liberals, But America Is Not A Democracy, And It’s Better That Way,, Clifford Humphrey in The Federalist February, 2018.
  3. Is the U.S. a Democracy? A Social Studies Battle Turns on the Nation’s Values Dana Goldstein in The New York Times April, 2019.
  4. Is the United States of America a republic or a democracy? Eugene Volokh, The Volokh Conspiracy, at The Washington Post May, 2015.
  5. You Say Democracy, I Say Republic, Jonathan Bernstein in Bloomberg April, 2019        

The all-volunteer team at the League of Women Voters – Downeast who plan and coordinate this series includes: Starr Gilmartin, Maggie Harling, Ann Luther, Maryann Ogonowski, Pam Person, Leah Taylor, Linda Washburn

FMI re League of Women Voters of Maine: www.lwvme.org

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“Free Press: Enemy of the People?” – Panel Discussion 3/2/19

The League of Women Voters – Downeast panel discussion on Journalism and Democracy, focusing on the importance of a free press in a functioning democracy and the challenges facing us today.

The panel discussion took place in Ellsworth, Maine on 3/2/19, and was made possible through a grant from the Maine Humanities Council and the partnership of WERU Community Radio, along with the co-sponsorship of the Ellsworth American and Mount Desert Islander.

Panelists:
John Christie: Veteran journalist and co-founder of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting
Irwin Gratz: Host of Morning Edition, Maine Public
Liz Graves: Managing Editor of the Mount Desert Islander
Joseph Reisert: Professor of American Constitutional Law, Colby College

Moderator: Ann Luther, the host of Democracy Forum on WERU Community Radio

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Democracy Forum 2/15/19

The Free Press and a Functioning Democracy

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine
Engineer: Amy Browne

We talk about democracy, journalism, the state of play in American news.
Can fact-based journalism survive?
Can democracy survive otherwise?

Guests:
Earl Brechlin, Earl was the founding editor of the Mount Desert Islander. friendsofacadia.org/news/friends-acadia-welcomes-earl-brechlin-communications-director/
Burt Neuborne, Burt Neuborne is the Norman Dorsen Professor of Civil Liberties and founding Legal Director of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School. He is the author of the book, Madison’s Music, that explores a deep reading of the First Amendment. its.law.nyu.edu/facultyprofiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=profile.biography&personid=20165
Judy Woodruff, Judy Woodruff is the anchor and managing editor of the PBS Newshour. www.pbs.org/newshour/about/judy-woodruff

To learn more about this topic:
More Important But Less Robust? Five Things Everybody Needs to Know about the Future of Journalism Reuters Institute Report, January, 2019
Does Journalism have a Future? Jill Lepore in The New Yorker, January 28, 2019
Is journalism’s `pivot to dust’ arriving? Megan McArdle in the Washington Post, January 26, 2019
How We Know Journalism is Good for Democracy, Josh Stearns, posted at Medium, a publication of PACE: Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement, June 26, 2018
Local newspapers have already been gutted. There’s nothing left to cut. Steve Cavendish, the Washington Post, January 25, 2109.
Madison’s Music: On Reading the First Amendment, Burt Neuborne, 2015.

The all-volunteer team at the League of Women Voters – Downeast who plan and coordinate this series includes: Starr Gilmartin, Maggie Harling, Sheila Kirby, Ann Luther, Maryann Ogonowski, Pam Person, Leah Taylor, Linda Washburn

This episode of Democracy Forum was produced with support from the Maine Humanities Council.

FMI re League of Women Voters of Maine: www.lwvme.org

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Democracy Forum 11/18/16

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine    
Engineer: Amy Browne

Issue: Participatory Democracy

Program Topic: Election Reflections

Key Discussion Points:
What just happened?
Why were we surprised?
What role did voter suppression play in the election?
And what does it mean for the future of democracy?

Guests:
Prof. Mark Brewer, Professor of Political Science at the University of Maine umaine.edu/polisci/faculty-and-staff/mark-brewer/
Kathy Colliton-Gonzalez is Senior Counsel at Demos, a national civil rights organization, where she participates in litigation and policy advocacy to ensure an inclusive democracy and equal opportunity for all. FMI: www.demos.org

The all-volunteer team at the League of Women Voters – Downeast who plan and coordinate this series includes:
Linda Hoskins
Ann Luther
Pam Person
Leah Taylor
Linda Washburn
FMI re League of Women Voters of Maine: www.lwvme.org

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Democracy Forum 6/18/12

Producer/Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters
Engineer: Amy Browne

Issue: Participatory Democracy

Program Topic: Wealth and income inequality in the U.S. and why it matters for democracy
Key Discussion Points:
a) What are the trends in wealth and income disparity? Who is affected?
b) What structural or public policy factors are contributing to this trend?
c) What are the consequences for democracy and the general well-being?
d) What can citizens do?

Guests:

A) Professor Susan Feiner, Professor of Economics and Professor of Women and Gender Studies, University of Southern Maine, www.usm.maine.edu/eco/susan-feiner.
B) Dr. Richard Freeman, Herbert Ascherman Chair in Economics at Harvard University and director of the National Bureau of Economic Research, www.nber.org/~freeman/.

Call In Program: Yes
Political Broadcast: No

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WERU Special 4/25/11

Producer/Host: Meaghan LaSala

Topics:

Segment1: Interview with Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens, about their art collaborations, upcoming performances in Maine, sex positivity, and their role in creating the ecosexual movement. What is sex positivity? What does it mean to be ecosexual? FMI: www.loveartlab.org/

Segment 2: Audio from a panel “Journalism and Democacy: Rebuilding Media for Our Communities,” from the National Conference for Media Reform. Is journalism finding new models in the age of the internet, as newspapers continue to fold? Is American journalism supporting democracy? NCMR website (for the full panel and more audio from the conference):
conference.freepress.net/

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