Category Archives: Constitutional Issues

Terry Goddard Interview — Podcast March 2, 2015

Dark Money: How Industrialized Lying Poisons the Well of Democracy. Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino and Gary LaMaster welcome Terry Goddard, former Mayor of Phoenix, Attorney General of Arizona, and twice Democratic Party candidate for Governor, to another in our series of discussions on the … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona Politics, Citizens United, Constitutional Issues, Corruption, Dark Money, Democratic Governance, Elections, Government, Interviews, Media Campaigns, National Politics, Podcasts, Political Action Committees, Political Contributions, Propaganda, Special Interest Legislation, Supreme Court | Tagged | Comments Off on Terry Goddard Interview — Podcast March 2, 2015

2014: Democratic Perspective’s Year in Review — Podcast December 29, 2014

Looking Back AND Forward: Democratic Perspective’s 2014 in Review. Mike Cosentino, Gary LaMaster, and Steve Williamson review the most prominent themes of Democratic Perspective’s broadcasts in 2014. From the growing inequality in income and wealth in the U.S. to dark money and phony Republican scandals in national … Continue reading

Posted in Affordable Care Act, Anti-Federalism, Anti-Gay Discrimination, Arizona Economy, Arizona Politics, Bigotry, Capital Accumulation, Capitalism, Citizens United, Civil Rights, Class Conflict, Conservatives and Reactionaries, Constitutional Issues, Corruption, Dark Money, Democratic Governance, Department of Veterans Affairs, Domestic Extremism, Economic Policy, Economic Theory, Government, Immigration, Income Inequality, Jobs and Employment, Journalism, Law Enforcement, LGBT Issues, Localist Movement, Marriage Equality, Mass Incarceration, Middle East, Middle East Policy, National Politics, National Security, Nullification, Paul Gosar, Podcasts, Political Action Committees, Political Contributions, Political Lies, Political Polarization, Racism, Scandal Mongering, Supreme Court, Unemployment, Veterans' Issues | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 2014: Democratic Perspective’s Year in Review — Podcast December 29, 2014

President Obama and Edward Snowden: Two Perspectives On the State of the Nation — Podcast December 1, 2014

American Dream or American Nightmare? It Depends On Who You Ask: Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino reflects on the story of the United States in the Twenty-First Century as told from two very different viewpoints: first, that of Laura Poitras’s film Citizenfour, about the fugitive NSA … Continue reading

Posted in Bigotry, Capitalism, Class Conflict, Constitutional Issues, Corrections Policy, Democratic Governance, Economic Policy, Financial Sector, Fiscal Policy, Foreign Policy, Government, Homeland Security, Immigration, Income Inequality, Intelligence Agencies, International Relations, Jobs and Employment, Justice System, Law Enforcement, Mass Incarceration, Military Policy, Minimum Wage, National Politics, National Security, Penology, Podcasts, Policing, Poverty, Public Education, Racism, Renewable Energy, Surveillance Programs, Unemployment | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on President Obama and Edward Snowden: Two Perspectives On the State of the Nation — Podcast December 1, 2014

The Death Penalty: Our National Debate Intensifies — Podcast July 28, 2014

Lethal Injection: Incompetence In the Service Of Barbarism? Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino, Gary LaMaster, and Steve Williamson investigate the roots of the political infighting which led us to the recent spate of botched executions by lethal injection in Ohio, Oklahoma and our own state, Arizona. Why is it now … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona Law Enforcement, Arizona Politics, Capital Punishment, Constitutional Issues, Death Penalty, Justice System, National Politics, Penology, Podcasts, U.S. Court System | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Death Penalty: Our National Debate Intensifies — Podcast July 28, 2014

Michael Austin Interview — Podcast July 21, 2014

The U.S. Constitution: Holy Writ, Or a Framework for Democratic Governance? Professor Michael Austin, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Newman University in Wichita, Kansas, returns to Democratic Perspective to continue his earlier discussions with Mike Cosentino, Gary LaMaster and Steve Williamson on … Continue reading

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Capital Punishment: Justice or Revenge? — Podcast June 2, 2014

The Death Penalty: Cruel, Unjust, and Irreversible. There is ample evidence that the U.S. has executed innocent people, and continues to do so. There is also considerable evidence that the death penalty is disproportionately applied to the poor and to minorities, yet many people … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona Law Enforcement, Arizona Politics, Capital Punishment, Constitutional Issues, Corrections Policy, Government, Law Enforcement, Legal Issues, National Politics, Penology, Podcasts, U.S. Court System | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Capital Punishment: Justice or Revenge? — Podcast June 2, 2014

Jim Pullaro Interview — Podcast April 14, 2014

Clean by 19: Is Public Funding of Elections a Real Possibility? Jim Pullaro, Prescott businessman and advocate for the public funding of elections, talks to Democratic Perspective’s co-hosts Mike Cosentino and Steve Williamson about the Clean by 19 campaign, and the prospect for a constitutional amendment … Continue reading

Posted in Campaign Finance, Citizens United, Constitutional Issues, Dark Money, Democratic Governance, Elections, Government, Interviews, National Politics, Podcasts, Political Lies, Supreme Court | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Jim Pullaro Interview — Podcast April 14, 2014

The Kochtopus and Its Tentacles — Podcast April 7, 2014

The Kochtopus: Buying Our Democracy With Dark Money. Democratic Perspective’s co-hosts Mike Cosentino and Steve Williamson are joined by producer Gary LaMaster for an analysis of the shell organizations Charles and David Koch, Koch Industries, and other wealthy individual and corporate players use … Continue reading

Posted in Campaign Finance, Citizens United, Constitutional Issues, Dark Money, Democratic Governance, Disinformation, Elections, National Politics, Podcasts, Political Action Committees, Political Contributions, Political Lies, Propaganda | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Kochtopus and Its Tentacles — Podcast April 7, 2014

Civil Liberties and Public Advocacy: the Role of the ACLU — Podcast March 17, 2004

The ACLU vs. Governmental Overreach. Democratic Perspective welcomes Alessandra Soler Meetze, Executive Director of the ACLU for Arizona, and Michael Lacey, co-founder of the Phoenix New Times, for a discussion of the role of whistleblowers and  journalists in exposing the government’s abuses of … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona Law Enforcement, Arizona Politics, Bigotry, Constitutional Issues, Government, Immigration, Intelligence Agencies, Interviews, Journalism, Justice System, Law Enforcement, Legal Issues, Marriage Equality, National Security, Podcasts, Surveillance Programs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Civil Liberties and Public Advocacy: the Role of the ACLU — Podcast March 17, 2004

Obamacare and the Republican Assault on Government — Podcast September 30, 2013

Sequestration, Government Shutdown, and the Debt Ceiling Impasse: The Republicans’ Last Stand? With the federal government on the eve of shutdown, Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino, Steve Williamson, and Bill Timberman discuss the origins, evolution, and consequences of Republican Tea Party radicalism as revealed … Continue reading

Posted in Affordable Care Act, Anti-Federalism, Budget Negotiations, Constitutional Issues, Deficit Reduction, Economic Policy, Health Care, Medicaid, Medicare, National Politics, Nullification, Podcasts | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Obamacare and the Republican Assault on Government — Podcast September 30, 2013