Stay ConnectedPolitical power: Who wants it? Who wields it? And why? Through compelling conversations with power players, newsmakers, and experts, The X-Ray answers these questions, providing listeners with insightful analysis of the biggest issues facing our democracy at home and abroad.
The X-Ray is brought to you by Issue One, producers of the Swamp Stories podcast.
Copyright: © 2021 Issue One 349910
Elections across the country are run by dedicated full-time elected officials and by a huge and diverse group of citizens who serve as poll workers — people who might very well be your neighbors, your teacher, or your child’s baseball coach.
These folks are the backbone of our elections system, and are the reason that the 2020 election went so smoothly and was called the “most secure election in American history” with the highest turnout in over a century. But since Election Day in 2020 — and because of a systematic campaign of disinformation designed to undermine trust in our elections — the people who make our democracy work have been the target of repeated attacks on their character and integrity, and have even been threatened with violence.
In episode 38, Weston chats with current and former election officials about the threats they and other election workers have received since the 2020 election, and the problematic trend of election administration being politicized across the country.
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In episode 37 of “Swamp Stories,” Weston talks with Mark Bowden — author of “Black Hawk Down” — and Matthew Teague about their new book, “The Steal,” that offers a week-by-week, state-by-state account of the effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election. In addition to what they reveal about what happened behind the scenes, they discuss how to prevent what happened in 2020 from happening again and who the heroes and heroines were that helped stop the efforts to overturn the will of the people.
This is the sixth episode in our periodic series of longform conversations between host Weston Wamp and elected leaders, activists, and experts from across the political spectrum on how to fix America’s broken political system.
Imagine a world in which a member of Congress could take money from a corporation and put it in a special bank account that’s supposed to be used to provide political support for their allies in Congress, but instead uses the money to eat at opulent restaurants, buy airline tickets, or pay for lodging at luxury hotels.
Well, it doesn’t take too much to imagine all of this, because Washington has become so swampy that this is actually how things work.
In episode 36, Weston takes another look at leadership PACs, exploring how these campaign accounts have strayed from their original intent and been used by some lawmakers as a ticket to a more lavish lifestyle.
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In episode 35 of our “Swamp Stories” podcast, Weston chats with Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI) about a range of issues, including legislating instead of “throwing bombs”; fighting pessimism in Congress; election disinformation; using government to solve problems; and the future of conservatism.
This is the fifth episode in our periodic series of longform conversations between host Weston Wamp and elected leaders, activists, and experts from across the political spectrum on how to fix America’s broken political system.
In 2012, President Barack Obama signed into law the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act, otherwise known as the STOCK Act. The intent was to ban insider trading from members of Congress — a subject that gained national media attention on both sides of the aisle in the months and years after the financial crisis.
But the law did not do what it was supposed to.
In episode 34, Weston unpacks the STOCK Act and where it falls short and talks with one of the members of Congress who’s leading a bipartisan effort to fix the law and put an end to insider trading by members of Congress.
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Every 10 years, after the U.S. Census has been completed, congressional and state legislative districts are redrawn across the country in a process known as redistricting. However, districts are often “gerrymandered” by politicians, creating oddly-shaped districts that frequently don’t make any sense, all in an effort to keep their party in power.
As redistricting began a few months ago, the process in Texas received a lot of attention — with two new congressional districts due to population increases and a narrow Democratic majority in Congress, every seat counts.
“Swamp Stories” partnered with the Texas-based Sumners Foundation to dive into the competing perspectives about how redistricting could be more fairly and thoughtfully carried out. Although Texas’ map was drawn and signed into law since we recorded this episode, it’s chock full of great insights into the process — in Texas and across the country.
This episode was done in partnership with the Texas-based Sumners Foundation, which is focused on self-government and promoting the fundamental principles of democracy.
Much of the time when we talk and think about Congress, we don’t consider all the work that happens behind the scenes. Without the congressional staffers who constitute 97% of the legislative branch, legislating would be impossible. But, their ability to do this job is often hobbled by extremely low pay, leading to poor staff retention, low diversity, and ultimately, preventing Congress from fulfilling its oversight role.
In episode 32, Weston explores the money allocated to members of Congress to run their offices and analyzes how this limited budget is used — or sometimes not used — and what can be done about it.
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How did the attack on the U.S. Capitol happen on January 6th? There are lots of reasons, and many congressional committees and federal agencies are investigating. But there is one contributing factor that’s easy to fix — update the Electoral Count Act (ECA), a law passed in 1887 that spells out Congress’ role in counting the Electoral College votes every four years.
But, despite having clear legislative intent at the time, the ECA is ambiguous, out of date, and contributed to the electoral chaos that we saw this year.
In episode 31, Weston talks with two experts on the Electoral Count Act about how this arcane legislation came to be, how it gave rise to confusion and misinterpretation about Congress’ role in the 2020 presidential election, and why Congress must update it now.
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To learn more about Democracy Matters, another show in the Democracy Group podcast network, visit: https://www.democracygroup.org/shows/democracy-matters
There is an emerging trend in the world of political fundraising — grifters preying on the elderly and others with fake campaigns.
The worst part? There are barely any laws on the books to stop them.
In episode 30, Weston chats with Daily Beast reporter Roger Sollenberger about “scam PACs” and how they have been used to con unsuspecting Americans into contributing to fake causes and campaigns.
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To learn more about Democracy Paradox, another show in the Democracy Group podcast network, visit: https://www.democracygroup.org/shows/democracy-paradox
There’s no denying it: big money plays a massive role in American politics. In fact, since Citizens United, just 12 megadonors contributed a combined $3.4 billion to federal candidates and political groups — accounting for about $1 of every $13 in federal elections.
In episode 29, Weston is joined by an expert in the campaign finance research field to discuss the role of megadonors in today’s elections and what these wealthy elites’ influence could mean for our political system and democracy going forward.
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To learn more about Democracy Works, another show in the Democracy Group podcast network, visit: https://www.democracygroup.org/shows/democracy-works
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