Political campaigns in America have always featured misinformation about the issues, but today, AI and other new technologies represent an unprecedented challenge to the electorate and our political system. The scale and sophistication of AI-generated deepfake images, voice recordings, and videos are widespread and could alter the outcome in many elections. In this episode, host Katie Dunn Tenpas sits down with Senior Fellow Darrell West and Nicol Turner Lee, senior fellow and director of the Center for Technology Innovation, to discuss the impact of new technology on elections and what we can do about it.

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.

Voter turnout rates for voters 18 to 29 have been trending up in recent years, yet younger voters continue to have the lowest turnout of all age groups. Younger voters offer many explanations for not participating in elections--they are rigged, politicians don’t follow through on promises, voting itself is confusing or difficult to assess, and ultimately, their vote doesn’t matter. In this episode, host Katie Dunn Tenpas discusses why and how your vote matters with Keesha Middlemass, a fellow and associate professor of American politics and public policy at Howard University, and how public education can help recenter a culture of democracy with Senior Fellow Jon Valant, director of the Brown Center on Education Policy.

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.

Since the founding of the United States in 1776, the definition of who gets to participate in politics and in civic life has been contested. What does it mean to be an American? Are some Americans more “American” than others? In this episode, host Katie Dunn Tenpas explores what we mean when we talk about being an “American” with Rashawn Ray, a senior fellow in Governance Studies and a professor of sociology at the University of Maryland, and Gabriel Sanchez, also a Brookings senior fellow and a professor of political science at the University of New Mexico.

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.