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Democracy Decoded

Campaign Legal Center

56 episodes

Our system of government is rooted in the Constitution and designed to ensure that power is shared, not concentrated in any one branch. But what happens when the institutions that were meant to hold one another accountable are tested in new and unprecedented ways?

More about the show

Season 6 of Democracy Decoded examines some of the defining constitutional questions shaping American democracy today. From the separation of powers and the role of the Department of Justice, to presidential pardons, political dissent, citizenship, voting rights, and safeguarding our elections, each episode explores the legal principles, institutions, and people at the center of today's most consequential debates.

Through conversations with leading legal experts, advocates and policymakers, we'll unpack what's happening, why it matters and what these developments could mean for the future of our democracy. Going beyond the headlines, we also examine the constitutional framework behind the news; the checks and balances designed to protect our freedoms; and the challenges facing the rule of law in a rapidly evolving political landscape.

Whether you want to better understand the political events of the day or the Constitution itself, follow Democracy Decoded on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, to get the context, clarity, and insight required to make sense of this pivotal time for our country.

Episodes page 1 of 2

  1. How is the Supreme Court undermining the freedom to vote?

    · 30 min · S6 E7

    For 60 years, the Voting Rights Act stood as the most powerful tool for protecting voters of color from discrimination at the ballot box. But in a single decision earlier this year, the Supreme Court gutted it and…

  2. Can a president control who votes in America?

    · 30 min · S6 E6

    When the Trump administration barred non-governmental groups from administrative naturalization ceremonies in August of 2025, the League of Women Voters was forced to cancel voter education efforts at 166 planned…

  3. Is the Trump administration trying to undermine our elections?

    · 32 min · S6 E5

    On this episode of Democracy Decoded, host Simone Leeper sits down with Campaign Legal Center’s Jonathan Diaz and Chad Dunn, head of the UCLA Voting Rights Project, to discuss the Department of Justice's escalating…

  4. Who gets a pardon in Trump's America — and why?

    · 31 min · S6 E4

    A crypto billionaire convicted of laundering money walks free after his company enriches the president's family by billions. A congressman expelled for defrauding voters gets his slate wiped clean for staying loyal. A…

  5. What happens when political dissent is suppressed?

    · 33 min · S6 E3

    It was a dramatic scene that made headlines across the country; Senator Alex Padilla lying on the floor in handcuffs for simply trying to ask a question to the former head of the Department of Homeland Security. But it…

  6. Are political loyalty and partisanship replacing the rule of law at the DOJ?

    · 35 min · S6 E2

    An FBI counterintelligence agent loses his career over a friendship. A prosecutor gets fired by email because of who her father is. A civil rights attorney quits rather than betray her oath. On this episode of…

  7. What happens when the balance of power becomes unbalanced?

    · 34 min · S6 E1

    When President Trump fired a Federal Trade Commission commissioner in 2025, it sparked a legal battle that went all the way to the Supreme Court — and ended up re-shaping the American government. In Trump v. Slaughter,…

  8. Democracy Decoded, Season 6: The Rule of Law Under Threat

    · 2:25 · Trailer

    Our system of government is rooted in the Constitution and designed to ensure that power is shared, not concentrated in any one branch. But what happens when the institutions that were meant to hold one another…

  9. Special Announcement: We've been nominated for a Webby!

    · 2:12 · Bonus

    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! Please vote now for Democracy Decoded by the April 16…

  10. How New Voting Barriers Threaten Elections

    · 43 min · S5 E8

    New voting restrictions across the country are threatening to make it harder for millions of Americans to participate in elections. In some states, these barriers have thrown long-registered voters into limbo, as…

  11. The Latest: How the Erosion of Federalism Endangers Elections

    · 43 min · S5 E7

    Under our Constitution, the federal government and the states have distinct powers — especially when it comes to elections. But the Trump administration has repeatedly tried to interfere with how states run elections,…

  12. A Quick Update from Democracy Decoded

    · 1:04 · Trailer

    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…

  13. How Gerrymandering Undermines Fair Representation

    · 41 min · S5 E6

    Gerrymandering—the manipulation of voting maps for partisan gain—has been part of American politics since its founding, but today, the problem is reaching a breaking point. In this episode, host Simone Leeper shares…

  14. How Democracy Is Impacted by the Expansion of Presidential Power

    · 37 min · S5 E5

    Presidential power has expanded far beyond what the framers of the Constitution envisioned. From Lincoln and Roosevelt to Nixon and Trump, presidents have pushed the limits of executive authority — often during moments…

  15. How Corruption and Abuses of Power Threaten Democracy

    · 34 min · S5 E4

    Corruption defines both the perception and reality of government, eroding trust and even threatening national security. Today, the safeguards meant to keep our government accountable are failing. From the mass firing…

  16. The Latest: How to Address Threats to the Rule of Law

    · 34 min · S5 E3

    The foundation of our democracy is the Constitution, a system of checks and balances and the rule of law. But today, those cornerstones are being blatantly disrespected by a presidential administration attempting to…

  17. How Big Money Is Dominating American Politics

    · 44 min · S5 E2

    Record-breaking sums of money are pouring into American politics — from billionaires spending hundreds of millions to dark money groups hiding their donors. These sums have given wealthy interests outsized access and…

  18. How the U.S. Supreme Court Is Drastically Reshaping American Democracy

    · 43 min · S5 E1

    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…

  19. Democracy Decoded, Season 5: How to Repair the Cracks in American Democracy

    · 2:36 · Trailer

    How did American democracy reach such a precarious moment — and what can we do to fix things? Host Simone Leeper examines the fundamental threats to our democracy today, from gerrymandering and corruption to abuses of…

  20. The Latest: What Trump's First 100 Days Mean for American Democracy

    · 42 min · Bonus

    Donald Trump took office as president on January 20, 2025, having already served one term. Immediately, however, he made clear his second term would be even more unpredictable than his first. He put one of the world's…

  21. The Latest: A Postelection Fight for Democracy

    · 31 min · S4 E9

    In the end, the worst of everyone’s election fears — political violence, overt foreign interference or a razor-thin margin between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump leading to a hotly contested legal battle — did not come…

  22. Today’s the Day — Go Vote!

    · 2:27 · S4 E8

    This week’s episode is short, sweet, and to the point: It’s Election Day, and if you haven’t yet cast your vote, let us be your friendly reminder. Like many of her CLC colleagues, Simone will spend the day monitoring…

  23. The Latest: The 2024 Election, in a Nutshell

    · 32 min · S4 E7

    An incumbent president drops out, mid-race. A former president becomes a party’s nominee for the first time in more than a century. There are multiple occurrences of political violence against a candidate. Newly…

  24. Know Your Rights as a Voter

    · 27 min · S4 E6

    Imagine you’re at home when you hear a knock. At your door are people who want you to share, in detail, who you voted for in the last election, months ago. When you ask them who they are and where they’re from, they…

  25. Navigating Election Facts in the AI Era

    · 33 min · S4 E5

    When New Hampshire voters picked up the phone earlier this year and heard what sounded like the voice of President Joe Biden asking them not to vote in that state’s primary election, the stage was set for an…

  26. The Latest: The Fights Over Election Certification

    · 30 min · S4 E4

    Election certification has traditionally been a mostly symbolic process in the United States. You vote, your vote gets counted, your precinct and others get tallied together (“canvassed” is the term of art) and, within…

  27. Safeguarding America’s Electoral Process

    · 26 min · S4 E3

    The peaceful transfer of power is a hallmark of American democracy that sets the United States apart — the so-called north star of our electoral system. Yet the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 challenged…

  28. The Latest: Attacks on Voter Registration

    · 31 min · S4 E2

    Voter registration is the number one obstacle to voting in the United States. It should be easy, accessible and secure, but too often, states are moving backwards; making voter registration more difficult and less…

  29. Democracy’s Frontline Workers

    · 21 min · S4 E1

    Election workers are the people in your neighborhood. They’re our friends, neighbors and co-workers who help keep American democracy safe and secure... But in 2020, many of them were maligned, harassed and threatened…

  30. Democracy Decoded, Season 4: The U.S. Election System Explained

    · 2:03 · Trailer

    American elections work because we have tried-and-tested systems in place to make sure votes are cast fairly and counted correctly, and that when threats arise, everyone has their part to play: lawmakers, poll workers,…

  31. Bonus: Peeling Back the Curtain on Local Government

    · 27 min · Bonus

    In this bonus episode we’re featuring content from one of our favorite podcasts called “When the People Decide”. Host Jenna Spinelle explores what happens when neighbors and local government work together to make their…

  32. Better Choices, Better Elections

    · 26 min · S3 E7

    We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey. Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll…

  33. Keeping an Eye on Ethics

    · 22 min · S3 E6

    We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey. Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll…

  34. Contribution Limits (and Lack Thereof)

    · 29 min · S3 E5

    We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey. Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll…

  35. The Questions on Your Ballot

    · 21 min · S3 E4

    We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey. Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll…

  36. Your Community, Your Election

    · 25 min · S3 E3

    We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey. Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll…

  37. Voting Begins Here

    · 25 min · S3 E2

    We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey. Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll…

  38. All Politics Is Local

    · 18 min · S3 E1

    We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey. Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll…

  39. Season 3: Democracy at the State and Local Level

    · 2:33 · Trailer

    Federal elections–and their results–play a huge role in how our democracy operates. But decisions made at state and local elections have the most direct impact on people’s everyday lives. The local and state level also…

  40. Bonus: Diverse Women in Politics

    · 36 min · Bonus

    In this bonus episode we’re featuring content from our friends at Future Hindsight, an award-winning podcast that takes big ideas about civic life and democracy and turns them into action items for all of us. Host…

  41. Special Announcement: We've been nominated for a Webby!

    · 1:34 · Bonus

    We are beyond thrilled to announce that our podcast “Democracy Decoded” has been nominated for a Webby Award in the category of Public Service & Activism podcasts! Please visit this link and vote now for “Democracy…

  42. A Fight for the Right to Vote

    · 23 min · S2 E5

    The 2020 election was…unique. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many states took steps to make voting safer and more accessible. After that, we saw a backlash and some states erected barriers to voting access. The 2022…

  43. What If I Want to Vote in Person?

    · 27 min · S2 E4

    Voting in person is still the most popular way to vote for many people. Whether it’s a personal preference, a cultural experience in one's community, or an opportunity to get help from poll workers, millions of…

  44. What If I Can’t Vote in Person?

    · 20 min · S2 E3

    Voting at a polling place on Election Day may be easy for some, but many voters face significant challenges. Transportation, work schedules, and the location of polling places can make it tough for voters with…

  45. Can I Vote?

    · 23 min · S2 E2

    The right to vote is a basic American freedom, but for people with felony convictions, figuring out if they can vote is a huge task. This episode looks at the history of felony disenfranchisement laws and explains how…

  46. Make Every Vote Count

    · 22 min · S2 E1

    America is a democracy, but is that democracy accessible to every American? When the Constitution was ratified, only white men who owned property could vote, which was only 6% of the population. In the more than 200…

  47. Democracy Decoded is Back!

    · 1:52 · Trailer

    Why does American Democracy look the way it does today and how can we make it more responsive to the people it was formed to serve? Democracy Decoded, a podcast by Campaign Legal Center, examines our government and…

  48. Bonus: Foreign Interference With Far-Reaching Consequences

    · 17 min · S1 E8

    In this bonus episode, Simone explores the backstory behind a case of foreign interference in U.S. elections which had far reaching consequences, both in America and abroad. Joined by two former Campaign Legal Center…

  49. Bonus: What Happens When the People Decide?

    · 34 min · S1 E7

    In this bonus episode we’re featuring content from a new podcast called “When the People Decide”. Host Jenna Spinelle explores the basics of the ballot initiative and the history of how it caught on in the United…

  50. Giving a Voice to All Americans

    · 23 min · S1 E6

    Democracies work best when everyone can participate meaningfully, but wealthy special interests and a small number of big donors have come to dominate the funding of political campaigns - if money is speech, some…

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