The True Representation Movement Podcast

In this episode, we are joined by Josh Ruebner — Policy Director at the Institute for Middle East Understanding, author, and scholar of U.S.–Palestine relations — for a deep dive conversation about genocide, accountability, and the state of U.S. politics. We reflect on how conditions for Palestinians have worsened over the past two decades, the role of social media in exposing atrocities in real time, and the dramatic shift in American public opinion toward ending military support for Israel. Yet, despite this overwhelming public sentiment, Congress continues to greenlight weapons and aid—laying bare the disconnect between the will of the people and the actions of their representatives. For TRM, this crisis is more than a foreign policy issue; it is a stark example of why our democracy must be restructured to reflect the collective wisdom and values of ordinary people. The conversation highlights both the urgency of addressing U.S. complicity in human rights abuses and the broader need for a political system that is truly representative.

In this episode, we are joined by Josh Ruebner — Policy Director at the Institute for Middle East Understanding, author, and scholar of U.S.–Palestine relations — for a deep dive conversation about genocide, accountability, and the state of U.S. politics. We reflect on how conditions for Palestinians have worsened over the past two decades, the role of social media in exposing atrocities in real time, and the dramatic shift in American public opinion toward ending military support for Israel. Yet, despite this overwhelming public sentiment, Congress continues to greenlight weapons and aid—laying bare the disconnect between the will of the people and the actions of their representatives. For TRM, this crisis is more than a foreign policy issue; it is a stark example of why our democracy must be restructured to reflect the collective wisdom and values of ordinary people. The conversation highlights both the urgency of addressing U.S. complicity in human rights abuses and the broader need for a political system that is truly representative.

In this episode, we sit down with philosopher ⁠Robert Talisse ⁠to explore the ideas behind his book ⁠Civic Solitude: Why Democracy Needs Distance⁠. Talisse argues that while democracy thrives on public participation, it also requires something quieter — moments of reflection and distance from the noise. We talk about polarization, the hidden costs of constant engagement, and why institutions like libraries and museums might be just as essential to democracy as voting booths. This conversation is about rethinking what it really means to be a citizen in today’s fractured political landscape.

In this episode, we sit down with philosopher Robert Talisse to explore the ideas behind his book Civic Solitude: Why Democracy Needs Distance. Talisse argues that while democracy thrives on public participation, it also requires something quieter — moments of reflection and distance from the noise. We talk about polarization, the hidden costs of constant engagement, and why institutions like libraries and museums might be just as essential to democracy as voting booths. This conversation is about rethinking what it really means to be a citizen in today’s fractured political landscape.

In this episode of The TRM Podcast our guest is Bill Pluecker, a farmer, small business owner, and independent representative for Maine’s 44th District. Bill’s work in the legislature is grounded in his life on the farm, giving him a rare perspective on how laws actually affect communities. In this conversation, we talk about what it means to serve in a citizen legislature, how Maine connects local farmers to those who need food most, and the delicate balancing act between economic development, environmental goals, and preserving farmland.

In this episode of The TRM Podcast our guest is Bill Pluecker, a farmer, small business owner, and independent representative for Maine’s 44th District. Bill’s work in the legislature is grounded in his life on the farm, giving him a rare perspective on how laws actually affect communities. In this conversation, we talk about what it means to serve in a citizen legislature, how Maine connects local farmers to those who need food most, and the delicate balancing act between economic development, environmental goals, and preserving farmland.

This episode of the TRM Podcast features an in-depth conversation with journalist Hugo Balta, Executive Editor of The Fulcrum. We explore the principles of solutions journalism reporting that not only identifies problems but also examines real-world responses with evidence and accountability. Balta challenges the myth of media objectivity, arguing instead for fairness, accuracy, and transparency shaped by diverse lived experiences. Drawing on his decades in mainstream outlets like MSNBC, CBS, and ABC, he shares firsthand insights into how newsrooms have shifted from journalism to ratings-driven entertainment. Together we discuss the press’s responsibility to hold power to account, the dangers of echo chambers, and why media literacy is essential for a healthy democracy.

This episode of the TRM Podcast features an in-depth conversation with journalist Hugo Balta, Executive Editor of The Fulcrum. We explore the principles of solutions journalism reporting that not only identifies problems but also examines real-world responses with evidence and accountability. Balta challenges the myth of media objectivity, arguing instead for fairness, accuracy, and transparency shaped by diverse lived experiences. Drawing on his decades in mainstream outlets like MSNBC, CBS, and ABC, he shares firsthand insights into how newsrooms have shifted from journalism to ratings-driven entertainment. Together we discuss the press’s responsibility to hold power to account, the dangers of echo chambers, and why media literacy is essential for a healthy democracy.

In this episode of the TRM Podcast, Dr. Jennifer Chace joins us to discuss her groundbreaking work in transforming schools into democratic spaces where students are genuinely heard and empowered. Drawing from her dissertation, A Search for Moral Equality: Becoming a Listening School, Dr. Chace shares how she turned a grassroots action into a research-driven movement that trains students to gather peer perspectives, collaborate with educators, and co-create policy changes—from securing AP exam fee waivers to designing mental health curricula. The conversation explores the broader implications of this model, including its potential to revitalize civic life and decision-making at the community level. This is a must-listen for anyone interested in education, participatory democracy, and the future of civic engagement.#EducationReform #StudentVoice #DemocraticSchools #CivicEngagement #YouthEmpowerment #MoralEquality #ListeningSchool #TRMPodcast #JenniferChace #ParticipatoryDemocracy

In this episode of the TRM Podcast, we sit down with Professor Scott Aikin to unpack the philosophy of "deep disagreement"—the idea that some of our political and cultural divides persist not because we’re irrational, but because we reason from fundamentally incompatible worldviews. From the theoretical roots of this concept to its exploitation by reactionary movements like the "Dark Enlightenment," Aikin explores how these divides are not just psychological but structural—and how bad-faith actors are using memes, mockery, and manufactured spectacle to bypass reason entirely. A powerful conversation about reason, identity, and the battleground of modern discourse.#DeepDisagreement #DarkEnlightenment #PhilosophyPodcast #PoliticalDiscourse #CultureWars #TRMPodcast #RedPill #ReasonAndRhetoric #Polarization #MemePolitics

In this episode of the TRM Podcast, we sit down with Professor Scott Aikin to unpack the philosophy of "deep disagreement"—the idea that some of our political and cultural divides persist not because we’re irrational, but because we reason from fundamentally incompatible worldviews. From the theoretical roots of this concept to its exploitation by reactionary movements like the "Dark Enlightenment," Aikin explores how these divides are not just psychological but structural—and how bad-faith actors are using memes, mockery, and manufactured spectacle to bypass reason entirely. A powerful conversation about reason, identity, and the battleground of modern discourse.#DeepDisagreement #DarkEnlightenment #PhilosophyPodcast #PoliticalDiscourse #CultureWars #TRMPodcast #RedPill #ReasonAndRhetoric #Polarization #MemePolitics

In this episode of the TRM Podcast, we sit down with Scholar at The University of Virginia Center for Politics and veteran political reporter, Jeff Shapiro, to reflect on his nearly 45 years covering Virginia politics. From his long tenure at the Richmond Times-Dispatch to his continuing commentary on public radio and and engagement as a Scholar at the University of Virginia, Shapiro brings a wealth of insight to a wide-ranging conversation that spans the reinvention of Virginia’s economy, the legacy of Jerry Connolly, the internal fractures within the Democratic Party, and the evolving role—and dysfunction—of political parties in American democracy. At once historical and timely, this discussion maps the deeper shifts behind today’s political turbulence. #VirginiaPolitics #JeffShapiro #DemocraticParty #JerryConnolly #AOC #PoliticalJournalism #Redistricting #PartyPolitics #AmericanDemocracy #TRMPodcast

In this, part 2 of our conversation with Professor Nicholas Jacobs, Associate Professor of Government at Colby College and Director of the Public Policy Lab, we explore the deep disconnect between democratic ideals and political reality in the U.S. Drawing from his acclaimed book The Rural Voter and his forthcoming Subverting the Republic, Jacobs challenges popular narratives about Trumpism, executive power, and rural America. We discuss how state power is being strategically redeployed, why the liberal imagination fails to grasp rural discontent, and whether our current system is structurally incapable of true representation. This conversation is essential listening for anyone serious about reimagining democracy from the ground up.

In this, the first episode of the third season of The TRM Podcast, we sit down with Professor Nicholas Jacobs, Associate Professor of Government at Colby College and Director of the Public Policy Lab, to explore the deep disconnect between democratic ideals and political reality in the U.S. Drawing from his acclaimed book The Rural Voter and his forthcoming Subverting the Republic, Jacobs challenges popular narratives about Trumpism, executive power, and rural America. We discuss how state power is being strategically redeployed, why the liberal imagination fails to grasp rural discontent, and whether our current system is structurally incapable of true representation. This conversation is essential listening for anyone serious about reimagining democracy from the ground up.

In this follow-up conversation, the dialogue deepens around the urgency of action and the ineffectiveness of traditional protest without a strategic political aim. The host, representing the True Representation Movement (TRM), calls for moving beyond awareness and outrage—toward seizing political power. They critique decades of erosion in democratic responsiveness due to corporate influence, war-making without accountability, and the enduring grip of disproven ideas like trickle-down economics.Professor Lisa Silvestri affirms that many Americans feel morally and emotionally disturbed by the state of politics but are disconnected from meaningful political engagement. Her book Peace by Peace urges people to begin from what bothers them, identifying local issues as entry points to action. Together, they argue that anger, when paired with strategic goals—like running for office or reclaiming budget priorities—can convert despair into progress.They also explore why mass protests, like those surrounding Gaza, often fail to produce systemic change: not due to lack of energy, but due to lack of political education, clear goals, and pathways to structural engagement. The solution, they agree, is not just more talk, but tangible local action—grabbing seats, not just protesting policies. Silvestri shares how personal grievance (bike lanes, oversized trash bins) can propel people into city council meetings—and from there, into positions of power.Ultimately, they call for an ethos of action: citizens recognizing their lack of representation, reclaiming agency, and taking steps—from the modest to the bold—to build a just and peaceful society from the ground up.

In this conversation, Professor Lisa Silvestri discusses her book Peace by Peace: Risking Public Action, Creating Social Change, emphasizing the vital yet overlooked role of risk in public engagement. She explains that creating real change—especially in today’s climate of precarity—demands personal courage and a willingness to step into the public sphere. Together with the host from the True Representation Movement (TRM), they explore how most working-class Americans, though deeply affected by policy, are often unable to take such risks due to economic and psychological constraints. They discuss how direct democracy, grounded in the lived experience and practical wisdom (phronesis) of ordinary people, can harness collective decision-making more effectively than elite-led structures. Silvestri argues that genuine social change requires not just energy or moral conviction, but also structural understanding and strategic action—a blend of community, education, and political engagement. The conversation touches on issues like precarity, structural injustice, the false promises of elite expertise, and the importance of building bottom-up, justice-oriented civic movements that empower people to act within their means and conditions.

In this powerful, wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Ndindi Kitonga critiques the commodification of education and describes her school, Angels Workshop School, as a working-class, community-rooted democratic alternative that fosters critical consciousness, empathy, and civic courage. She contrasts her approach with elitist models like Elon Musk’s Ad Astra, which, despite good intentions, devolved into exclusionary and performative education. Dr. Kitonga underscores the importance of real-world engagement—like public transit use, protest participation, and discussing taboo topics like Palestine—to nurture students who are not only informed but also morally grounded. She advocates for scaling out through networks of small, autonomous schools rather than scaling up into centralized institutions, emphasizing humility, lived practice, and trust in the collective intelligence of everyday people.

In this episode of the Tiara Podcast, Dr. Ndindi Kitonga discusses the founding and mission of Angels Workshop School, a micro democratic school in Los Angeles that empowers youth to participate fully in shaping their learning environment and engaging with society. Rooted in humanistic and critical pedagogy, the school replaces top-down authority with shared decision-making, collective problem-solving, and curriculum shaped by both student interest and social relevance. Dr. Kitonga critiques traditional and even "progressive" schools for offering only surface-level autonomy, and emphasizes that true democratic learning must cultivate not only freedom but responsibility, self-assessment, and political consciousness. The school operates on a pay-what-you-can model, supports marginalized students (including neurodivergent and LGBTQ+ youth), and actively involves students in real-world issues such as homelessness and Palestine. Alumni stay connected, often becoming teachers or activists, reflecting the school's success in fostering lifelong civic engagement.

In this conversation, the speakers explore how citizens' assemblies—randomly selected groups of everyday people who deliberate on key policy issues—can be protected from manipulation by powerful interests as they grow in prominence. Brett Hennig of the Sortition Foundation explains safeguards like open-source lottery algorithms, citizen-chosen experts, and OECD-backed standards that ensure transparency and legitimacy. They discuss the risk of co-optation by groups like the NRA, emphasizing the need for clear principles to distinguish genuine assemblies from manipulated ones. The conversation then shifts to strategy: why Hennig's team targets the UK House of Lords for reform, and how movements like Belgium's Agora Party already field candidates who commit to vote based on assembly outcomes. The host outlines a vision for electing independent representatives in the U.S.—rooted in democratic tech tools and public disillusionment with both parties—and Hennig agrees that lasting reform will require mass social movements and local experiments to scale up. The conversation closes with reflections on democratic cooperatives as a more sustainable alternative to corporate oligarchy.

In this conversation, Brett Hennig, co-founder of the Sortition Foundation, discusses the growing global movement to replace elections with democratic lotteries—sortition—to select citizens for political decision-making. He explains how sortition-based citizens’ assemblies, grounded in informed deliberation and representative diversity, can bypass the corrupting influence of money, lobbying, and partisanship inherent in electoral systems. Drawing examples from Ireland, Belgium, and elsewhere, he illustrates how these assemblies have already advised on complex issues like assisted dying and climate policy. While most are currently advisory, his organization campaigns to institutionalize these bodies—such as replacing the UK’s House of Lords with a House of Citizens—to give them real power. He emphasizes the assemblies’ legitimacy not just in producing sound decisions, but also in visibly representing the public’s will, making it harder for elected officials to ignore or override them.