What should the American social safety net actually accomplish? Christopher Turner talks with Clarence Henry Carter, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Human Services, about SNAP, welfare reform, government assistance, self-sufficiency, and the future of human services.

Drawing on more than 30 years of experience in human services and his book Our Net Has Holes In It, Carter examines how America’s safety net can move beyond simply delivering benefits toward helping people achieve greater stability, independence, and economic freedom. The conversation also explores workforce development, government spending, employer partnerships, and collaboration among government, businesses, nonprofits, and communities.

#AmericanSafetyNet #SNAP #WelfareReform #SelfSufficiency#HumanServices #Polypolitics

Mentioned in this episode:

New episodes of the PolyPolitics Podcast are released on the first and third Friday of every month

A Quick PolyPolitics Update PolyPolitics isn’t going anywhere! We’re simply changing up our release schedule. Moving forward, new episodes of the PolyPolitics Podcast will be released on the first and third Friday of every month. You can still expect the same in-depth conversations with Christopher Turner, moving beyond the clips and headlines to bring you the full story. Thanks for following along, and we’ll see you on the first and third Friday of every month!

Christopher Turner sits down with Grand Agent, a Philadelphia hip hop pioneer and cultural organizer, to discuss hip hop, activism, and community change.

Grand Agent shares his journey through the culture and his work with Philly Truce, focused on reducing gun violence and strengthening communities. They also explore hip hop’s political voice, cultural economics, and the role of formerly incarcerated people in positive community reintegration.

A conversation about hip hop, activism, peacebuilding, and social responsibility.

#HipHop #GrandAgent #Philadelphia #PhillyTruce #Polypolitics #HipHopActivism

Mentioned in this episode:

New episodes of the PolyPolitics Podcast are released on the first and third Friday of every month

A Quick PolyPolitics Update PolyPolitics isn’t going anywhere! We’re simply changing up our release schedule. Moving forward, new episodes of the PolyPolitics Podcast will be released on the first and third Friday of every month. You can still expect the same in-depth conversations with Christopher Turner, moving beyond the clips and headlines to bring you the full story. Thanks for following along, and we’ll see you on the first and third Friday of every month!

Christopher Turner speaks with Clifford Brown, a former USAID Foreign Service officer with 27 years of experience, about the agency’s impact, dismantlement, and future of foreign aid.

Drawing from his book, Inside USAID: An Odyssey of Foreign Assistance, Brown discusses USAID’s role in humanitarian assistance, global health, U.S. foreign policy, and American soft power—including its response to Ebola and support for anti-apartheid movements. The conversation also explores the political motivations behind USAID’s closure and the global consequences of scaling back U.S. foreign aid.

Topics include: USAID, foreign aid, international development, humanitarian assistance, U.S. foreign policy, soft power, global health, the Peace Corps, Ebola response, anti-apartheid efforts, and the future of American leadership abroad.

#USAID #ForeignAid #USForeignPolicy #HumanitarianAid #Polypolitics

Mentioned in this episode:

New episodes of the PolyPolitics Podcast are released on the first and third Friday of every month

A Quick PolyPolitics Update PolyPolitics isn’t going anywhere! We’re simply changing up our release schedule. Moving forward, new episodes of the PolyPolitics Podcast will be released on the first and third Friday of every month. You can still expect the same in-depth conversations with Christopher Turner, moving beyond the clips and headlines to bring you the full story. Thanks for following along, and we’ll see you on the first and third Friday of every month!