Since its founding, the United States has significantly expanded its global influence and military power, especially in the 20th century. In this episode, host Katie Dunn Tenpas and guest Michael O’Hanlon, a senior fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings, explore how the history of U.S. foreign and military policy has interacted with democracy at home and abroad, and assess the current state of democracy amid rising competition with Russia and China, trade tensions, and ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.

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Over the past two decades, civics education in the U.S. quietly faded into the background as schools shifted focus to STEM and reading—especially after the early 2000s, when the No Child Left Behind Act prioritized standardized testing in math and reading. Fast forward to 2025, when actions by the Trump administration aimed at dismantling the Department of Education have raised new issues around civil rights and preserving civics instruction. In this episode, host Katie Dunn Tenpas and guest Rachel Perera, a fellow in the Brown Center on Education Policy, discuss how civics education goes hand-in-hand with creating an engaged citizenship. Perera argues that a strong public education system is necessary for a healthy, functioning democracy.

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Democracy in Question is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback to podcasts@brookings.edu.

Presidents often get the credit and the blame for the U.S. economy largely because they implement policies that can have immediate and far-reaching effects. In our constitutional design, however, economic influence is shared: Congress holds the power of the purse, determining government spending and taxation, while the Federal Reserve controls interest rates and monetary policy. The economy itself is a complex, ever-evolving system that operates beyond the influence of any single administration. In this episode, host Katie Dunn Tenpas and economist Wendy Edelberg, a senior fellow in Economic Studies, look at President Trump’s latest actions—from across-the-board tariffs to aggressive downsizing of the federal workforce and programs—and examine whether new levels of uncertainty could have long-lasting economic consequences.

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Democracy in Question is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback to podcasts@brookings.edu.

Over the past 50 years, the U.S. has seen a sharp rise in both income inequality and the political influence of ultra-rich Americans. In this episode, host Katie Dunn Tenpas and Senior Fellow Darrell West discuss how changes in campaign finance laws—notably the Supreme Court’s 2010 ruling in Citizens United v. FEC—have allowed billionaires to pour unlimited money into elections. These shifts, along with tax breaks for the wealthy and weakened labor power, have tilted public policy in favor of America’s wealthiest people.

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Democracy in Question is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback to podcasts@brookings.edu.

The U.S. judiciary has a long-established role in checking executive power, tracing its authority back to common law traditions and Marbury v. Madison. However, the Trump administration presents an unprecedented challenge by systematically enacting policies that conflict with existing statutes. In this episode, host Katie Dunn Tenpas and Senior Fellow Benjamin Wittes explore consequential pending court cases along with the statutory questions and constitutional considerations they raise.

Transcript and show notes.

Democracy in Question is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback to podcasts@brookings.edu.

Not even 100 days into a second term, the Trump administration is asserting expansive executive authority over the federal bureaucracy and spending, despite traditional congressional oversight, constraints, and presidential norms. In this episode, host Katie Dunn Tenpas discusses with legal expert and Fellow Scott Anderson how President Trump has deviated from central norms and practices of the modern American presidency and the potential consequences of such actions.

Transcript and show notes.

Democracy in Question is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback to podcasts@brookings.edu.

Since his inauguration, many of President Trump’s assertive actions have prompted legal and congressional scholars to question the scope of expanded executive authority. In the first episode Democracy in Question season two, host Katie Dunn Tenpas unpacks what’s happened to our system of checks and balances and how the founding principles of American democracy apply today with Senior Fellows Molly Reynolds and Sarah Binder.

Note: Due to a technical issue, this episode has been republished. It is the same audio that was published on February 27.

Episode transcript and show notes.

Democracy in Question is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback to podcasts@brookings.edu.

Democracy in Question, a podcast about American politics and the future of democracy, and hosted by Brookings scholar Katie Dunn Tenpas, returns for its second season soon.

Learn more about the podcast here.

Democracy in Question is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback to podcasts@brookings.edu.