EPISODE NOTES

In this seventh and final episode in the series, we’re focusing on government. 

A New York Times investigation found that elected officials in state and federal offices have been subject to thousands of violent threats over the past two years. That includes 70 of the nation’s 100 senators, and at least 185 members of the House of Representatives. Threats target Democrats and Republicans alike. Candidates are spending millions on security. 

And there have been actual acts of violence too: For instance, Minnesota House speaker, Melissa Hortman, and her husband, Mark were assassinated in June 2025, and Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro’s house was firebombed. 

There are plenty of other indicators that the system of American democracy is under dire threat. But our guest, Lindsey Cormack has hope, and brings some much-needed historical and empirical perspective. 

Lindsay Cormack is an associate professor of political science at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. She’s also the co-host of a new podcast called Government that Doesn’t Suck, which dives deep into government projects and legislation that changed American history for the better. And she’s the author of the book How to Raise a Citizen, (And Why it’s Up to You to do it).

Cormack is the founder and manager of DC Inbox, a searchable database of all the email newsletters sent from every member of Congress, going back to 2010. And she shares data and insights from her analysis of those emails on her Substack, DC Inbox Insights. 

More resources from Lindsey Cormack:

Same Country, Different Dangers When Republicans and Democrats talk about public safety they mean different things, DC Inbox Insights, Oct 2026

More Chances, Fewer Problems? Revisiting Ranked Choice Voting Errors in New York City, American Politics Research, May 2026

Extremity in Congress: Communications versus Votes, Legislative Studies Quarterly, May 2016

Follow her on Instagram @howtoraiseacitizen