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The Context

The Context

Written by: Alex Lovit Charles F. Kettering Foundation
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 Do you ever watch the news and wonder, “How did we get here?” Or think to yourself, “Things are bad . . . What can I do?” The Context is here to help. Our show breaks down the ideas, history, and trends that are shaping democracy. And you don’t need to be an expert to follow along. Every other Tuesday, host Alex Lovit talks about timely topics with big-picture thinkers and hands-on practitioners, like activists, writers, historians, and community leaders. The topics are heavy, but we try to have fun along the way. To build the future we want, we’ll need knowledge—but also camaraderie and joy. We hope you’ll join us.2026 The Context a Charles F. Kettering Foundation Podcast Political Science Politics & Government World
Episodes
  • What’s Required for a Free and Fair Election in 2026?

    What’s Required for a Free and Fair Election in 2026?
    Jan 13 2026
    Free and fair elections are an essential component of democracy. But fair elections face a number of threats in the United States right now. Onerous ID and proof of citizenship requirements exclude millions of legal voters. And lack of legal clarity about the process to certify results creates the risks of post-election chaos. Samantha Tarazi joins host Alex Lovit to discuss these and other threats to American elections. Samantha Tarazi is the cofounder and chief executive officer of Voting Rights Lab, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization securing and expanding the freedom to vote in all 50 states since 2017. Her voting and elections policy expertise has been featured in major national and in-state publications. Previously, as the inaugural chief engagement officer at Everytown for Gun Safety, Sam helped grow Moms Demand Action from a Facebook group into a national network of over 55,000 volunteer leaders working to advance gun safety education and policy. https://votingrightslab.org/ https://tracker.votingrightslab.org/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    44 mins
  • You Should Care about the National Archives. Here’s Why.

    You Should Care about the National Archives. Here’s Why.
    Dec 30 2025
    Transparency is essential to hold democratic governments accountable. That requires preserving documents and making them accessible to the public. Colleen Shogan joins host Alex Lovit to discuss the important role that the National Archives and Records Administration plays in our democracy—and how history shapes national identity. Colleen Shogan served as the 11th Archivist of the United States from 2023 until 2025. She currently serves as the CEO of In Pursuit, a history and civics education initiative from the pro-democracy organization More Perfect. https://www.inpursuit.org/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    30 mins
  • Seven Ways Anyone Can Fight Authoritarianism

    Seven Ways Anyone Can Fight Authoritarianism
    Dec 16 2025
    We’ve gotten a ton of excellent advice from our guests this year about how everyday people can get involved in fighting authoritarianism and encouraging citizen engagement. So, in this year-end lookback episode, we decided to put the top seven suggestions together in one place. Featuring clips from Ece Temelkuran, Jeffrey Winters, Deva Woodly, Maria Stephan, Sharon Davies, Steven Levitsky, and John C. Yang. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    31 mins
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