Democracy Optimist

Joyce Vance

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c1d3eb3/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1563x1563+0+0/resize/528x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F08%2F13%2Fa3c2864343b99061b105f278a46c%2Fdemocracy-optimist-higher-res.png] On this episode, Joshua Douglas speaks to Joyce Vance, author of Giving Up is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping Our Democracy. In the book, Vance says democracy is the collective responsibility of all concerned Americans and that each of us has a role in preserving that democracy.  Joyce Vance is a New York Times bestselling author, former United States Attorney, and current professor at the University of Alabama School of Law. She’s also a legal analyst for MS Now—formerly known as MSNBC—writes the Civil Discourse newsletter on Substack, and co-hosts two podcasts, SistersInLaw and The Insider. **Federal funding for public media has been eliminated. However, you can take action to address this issue. Join WEKU's 1850 campaign for the future! 1,850 new supporters, each giving $10 monthly to keep WEKU strong. Donate today! [https://afg.secureallegiance.com/weku/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=1850CAMP&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=ZYLzN8U0d2OcNVZCGGJODm3L5BYddGq6PVAl6UEf65g%3d]

Jaime Lucke

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c1d3eb3/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1563x1563+0+0/resize/528x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F08%2F13%2Fa3c2864343b99061b105f278a46c%2Fdemocracy-optimist-higher-res.png] Surveys show that there’s a real lack of trust in the news media. Why is that? And how do we rebuild that trust? And how can people know that they are consuming news from a trustworthy source? Among the many questions for Jamie Lucke, founding editor of the online news source, Kentucky Lantern. **The 1850 campaign is replacing lost federal funds one supporter at a time. Thanks to our listeners and supporters, we are very close to reaching our goal of 1850 new supporters donating at least $10 a month. Click here to join the campaign! [https://afg.secureallegiance.com/weku/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=PLEDGE&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=2IHggXVb%2bSYhrOSvjvOZaxiCxtaFReuS]

Jacqueline Coleman

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c1d3eb3/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1563x1563+0+0/resize/528x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F08%2F13%2Fa3c2864343b99061b105f278a46c%2Fdemocracy-optimist-higher-res.png] Many people can name the Kentucky Governor, but what about Kentucky’s Lieutenant Governor? Do you know what she does and how her work impacts your daily life? Do you know her main priorities? We are about to find out. Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman is our first guest in this episode of our series, “Democracy Optimist,” hosted by University of Kentucky election law and voting rights research professor Joshua Douglas. Coleman is the 58th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky. She has served as a high school teacher, school administrator, and basketball coach. and was recently chosen to chair the National Lieutenant Governors Association for 2026-27.  **The 1850 campaign is replacing lost federal funds one supporter at a time. Thanks to our listeners and supporters, we are very close to reaching our goal of 1850 new supporters donating at least $10 a month. Click here to join the campaign! [https://afg.secureallegiance.com/weku/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=PLEDGE&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=2IHggXVb%2bSYhrOSvjvOZaxiCxtaFReuS]

Richard Young

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c1d3eb3/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1563x1563+0+0/resize/528x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F08%2F13%2Fa3c2864343b99061b105f278a46c%2Fdemocracy-optimist-higher-res.png] CivicLex founder and Executive Director Richard Young discusses the details of the much-watched “Civic Assembly,” an exercise in true grassroots democracy currently underway in Fayette County, Kentucky. **Federal funding for public media has been eliminated. However, you can take action to address this issue. Join WEKU's 1850 campaign for the future! 1,850 new supporters, each giving $10 monthly to keep WEKU strong. Donate today! [https://afg.secureallegiance.com/weku/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=1850CAMP&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=ZYLzN8U0d2OcNVZCGGJODm3L5BYddGq6PVAl6UEf65g%3d]

Eric Liu

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c1d3eb3/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1563x1563+0+0/resize/528x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F08%2F13%2Fa3c2864343b99061b105f278a46c%2Fdemocracy-optimist-higher-res.png] Joining Josh Douglas to discuss the work of Citizen University is one of its co-founders, Eric Liu. As the author of Become America: Civic Sermons on Love, Responsibility, and Democracy, Liu has thought a lot about what it means to be an engaged citizen in 2026. **Federal funding for public media has been eliminated. However, you can take action to address this issue. Join WEKU's 1850 campaign for the future! 1,850 new supporters, each giving $10 monthly to keep WEKU strong. Donate today! [https://afg.secureallegiance.com/weku/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=1850CAMP&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=ZYLzN8U0d2OcNVZCGGJODm3L5BYddGq6PVAl6UEf65g%3d]