Democracy in Question

About Democracy in Question

On Democracy in Question, host Katie Dunn Tenpas interviews guests about American politics and democracy. This season unpacks the 250-year-old Declaration of Independence phrase by phrase, finding the throughline between America's founding ideals and our democracy today.

Publisher

The Brookings Institution

Category

education · news

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

8 Aug 2024

Latest episode

2 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

29 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   2 Jul 2026

   Heather Cox Richardson on defending the Declaration's democratic ideals

   On the final episode of Democracy in Question's third season, host Katie Dunn Tenpas speaks with historian Heather Cox Richardson about the Declaration of Independence as a whole and its relevance today. The Declaration can be understood as an unfinished promise that depends on Americans' capacity to defend, expand, and reinvent its ideals. Show notes and transcript. Democracy in Question is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback to podcasts@brookings.edu.

2. 

   25 Jun 2026

   The most profound line in the Declaration of Independence

   On this episode of Democracy in Question, host Katie Dunn Tenpas speaks with Lindsay Chervinsky, executive director of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon, about the Declaration's most consequential closing phrase. From the founders' dual loyalties to the erosion of "sacred honor," they illuminate what mutually pledging their "Lives, Fortunes, and sacred Honor" demanded in 1776 and what it asks of Americans now. Show notes and transcript. Democracy in Question is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback to podcasts@brookings.edu.

3. 

   11 Jun 2026

   Why the founders cared about trade and taxes

   Two grievances lodged against King George in the Declaration of Independence—taxation without consent and trade restrictions—continue to shape American policy today. On this episode of Democracy in Question, host Katie Dunn Tenpas is joined by Brookings scholars Kari Heerman and Vanessa Williamson for a conversation that draws a direct line from the founders' grievances in 1776 to the tariff and tax policy decisions defining the U.S. today. Show notes and transcript. Democracy in Question is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback to podcasts@brookings.edu.

Who has been a guest on Democracy in Question

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Jonathan Katz
• Tara Watson
• Vanessa Williamson

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

25,883,283

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.6 / 5

11 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 44 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

39

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

31

Contact Democracy in Question

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Democracy in Question