Labor Day: The Diminished Remnant of a Proud History of Struggle — Podcast September 7, 2015

Paid For In Blood: the Forgotten History of the Labor Movement in The U.S. Democratic Perspective looks at the history of our second Civil War — the struggle of the American Labor Movement for decent wages, working conditions, and the political influence crucial to preserving their hard-won gains. Mike Cosentino, Gary LaMaster, and Steve Williamson remember — and honor — the price in blood and deprivation paid by American workers for the benefits we enjoy today. When we celebrate Labor Day, we should remember that the 40 hour week, paid holidays, vacations and sick leave, minimum wage legislation, and the right to organize were not granted as gifts by employers or government, but fought for by people who braved lockouts, beatings, and bullets to improve the lot of all of us who work for a living.

Posted in American Jobs Act, Class Conflict, Income Inequality, Jobs and Employment, Labor Movement, Labor Unions, Minimum Wage, National Politics, Podcasts, Poverty, Unemployment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Labor Day: The Diminished Remnant of a Proud History of Struggle — Podcast September 7, 2015

Peggy Chaikin Interview — Podcast August 31, 2015


The Sedona Verde Valley Red Rock National Monument Proposal: Everything You Need to Know about Land Trades, Amendment 12, and the Protection of Sedona’s Public Lands. Democratic Perspective talks to Peggy Chaikin, volunteer at  Keep Sedona Beautiful and Secretary of Friends of Verde River Greenway, about Keep Sedona Beautiful’s involvement in developing a community plan for the National Monument proposal.

Posted in Environmental Issues, Federal Lands, Podcasts, Public Lands, Water Policy | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Peggy Chaikin Interview — Podcast August 31, 2015

Matt Capalby Interview — Podcast August 24, 2015


Arizona: the State of the State, the State of State Politics. Democratic Perspective’s intrepid investigative staff interviews Matt Capalby — Kingman native, Arizona Democratic Party stalwart, and highly regarded political consultant — about the state of play in Arizona politics as the 2016 race for the U.S. Senate and the Congressional contests in CD-1 and CD-6 begin to heat up.

Posted in Arizona Economy, Arizona Politics, Campaign Finance, Citizens United, Dark Money, Education Policy, Elections, Energy Policy, Environmental Issues, Immigration, Income Inequality, Interviews, Jobs and Employment, Journalism, Justice System, Law Enforcement, Local Politics, Mass Media, Media Campaigns, Podcasts, Polling, Public Education, Public Lands, Taxation, Water Policy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Matt Capalby Interview — Podcast August 24, 2015

The New Gilded Age: History Doesn’t Repeat Itself, But It Does Rhyme — Podcast August 17, 2015

Oligarchs Then and Now: Democracy and the Distribution of Wealth. Democratic Perspective goes another round with the oligarchs. Mike Cosentino, Gary LaMaster, and Steve Williamson discuss what’s driving the increased concentration of wealth in the United States today, and why it poses a threat to democratic governance.

Posted in Business, Campaign Finance, Capital Accumulation, Capitalism, Citizens United, Class Conflict, Corruption, Dark Money, De-regulation, Democratic Governance, Economic Policy, Entitlements, Government, Income Inequality, Journalism, Mass Media, Minimum Wage, National Politics, Podcasts, Propaganda, Regulatory Agencies, Social Contract, Social Security, Taxation, Unemployment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The New Gilded Age: History Doesn’t Repeat Itself, But It Does Rhyme — Podcast August 17, 2015

Oligarchy: A Greek Name for an American Tragedy in the Making — Podcast August 10, 2015

If Government By the People Is For Sale, Shouldn’t the People Be Getting a Higher Price? President Jimmy Carter said recently that the United States has become “an oligarchy, with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nominations for president or to elect the president. And the same thing applies to governors and U.S. senators and congress members. So now we’ve just seen a complete subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors, who want and expect and sometimes get favors for themselves after the election’s over.” Was he right? Democratic Perspective looks at the evidence, from the Cayman Islands to Citizens United, from Koch to Adelson to Trump.

Posted in Campaign Finance, Capital Accumulation, Citizens United, Constitutional Issues, Corruption, Dark Money, Democratic Governance, Elections, Ethics, Front Organizations, Government, Income Inequality, Media Campaigns, National Politics, Podcasts, Political Action Committees, Political Contributions, Taxation | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Oligarchy: A Greek Name for an American Tragedy in the Making — Podcast August 10, 2015

The Republican Presidential Candidates, All 17 of Them: Podcast August 3, 2015


The Greatest Clown Show On Earth: The Republican Presidential Lineup for 2016. Democratic Perspective takes a long, flabbergasted look at the list of seventeen Republican presidential hopefuls for 2016. Should we laugh, cry, or, like Madame Defarge, go quietly back to our knitting? We report, you — or lots of somebodies very like you — decide.

Posted in Campaign Finance, Citizens United, Conservatives and Reactionaries, Dark Money, Democratic Governance, Elections, Foreign Policy, International Relations, Mass Media, Movement Conservatism, National Politics, Podcasts, Political Action Committees, Political Contributions, Political Theory, Polling, Propaganda, Racism | Tagged , | Comments Off on The Republican Presidential Candidates, All 17 of Them: Podcast August 3, 2015

The U.S. and Other Major Powers Have a Deal with Iran: Will the U.S. Congress Accept It? — Podcast July 27, 2015


A Credible Alternative to War: Why the Critics Are Wrong About the Nuclear Agreement with Iran. Gary LaMaster and Steve Williamson review the recently announced agreement between Iran and the P5+1, an ad-hoc negotiating group composed of representatives from the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China), with the invited participation of Germany. Gary and Steve discuss the provisions of the agreement and what they mean for Iran, the U.S., and the international community. The benefits of the agreement to all parties are clearly significant, which makes the uncertain prospects for congressional approval in the face of Republican and Democratic hard-line opposition look very much like another potentially tragic failure of American foreign policy.

Posted in Conservative Paranoia, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, International Relations, Iran, Islamic Republic, Middle East Policy, Military Policy, National Security, Nuclear Weapons, Podcasts | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The U.S. and Other Major Powers Have a Deal with Iran: Will the U.S. Congress Accept It? — Podcast July 27, 2015

Katie Hobbs Interview — Podcast July 20, 2015


Frustrated with an Unresponsive Government? How About Running for Office? Democratic Perspective interviews Arizona State Senator Katie Hobbs (Dem., 24th District). What happens when a social worker realizes that the needs of her clients are being ill-served by local and state government policies, and decides to run for office in the state legislature? One woman’s success story, and a classic example of how effective political engagement can contribute to a better future for all of us.

Posted in Arizona Politics, Child Protection, Democratic Governance, Demographic Trends, Education Policy, Elections, Health Care Delivery, Health Insurance, Interviews, Podcasts, Social Services, Social Work, Taxation, Welfare | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Katie Hobbs Interview — Podcast July 20, 2015

Greece and the Eurozone: the Economics, the Politics, and the Implications for the US — Podcast July 13, 2015


Fault Lines: the Greek Crisis, the European Union, and the U.S.  Mike Cosentino,  Gary LaMaster, and Steve Williamson discuss the Greek crisis, the outcome of the most recent summit of Eurozone leaders, and the economic and political consequences not only for Greece and the European Union, but also for the U.S.

Posted in Democratic Governance, Economic Policy, European Union, Eurozone, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, International Relations, National Sovereignty, Podcasts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Greece and the Eurozone: the Economics, the Politics, and the Implications for the US — Podcast July 13, 2015

Decisive Moments? Recent Supreme Court Rulings and Their Impact — Podcast July 6, 2015


A Session of Surprises at the Supreme Court: Conservatives Lose a Few for a Change.  Steve Williamson returns from his sabbatical, and joins Mike Cosentino and Gary LaMaster in a Democratic Perspective review of the recent Supreme Court decisions on gay marriage, independent redistricting commissions, employees’ right to wear Muslim headgear at work, and a number of other important cases. Do these decisions signal an end to the majority’s romance with right-wing ideology, or were they merely a brief pause in the partisan storm that began with Bush v. Gore?

Posted in Civil Rights, Constitutional Issues, Justice System, Legal Issues, LGBT Community, LGBT Issues, Marriage Equality, Podcasts, Religion, Supreme Court | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Decisive Moments? Recent Supreme Court Rulings and Their Impact — Podcast July 6, 2015