Democracy Works When We Do: Hope, Reform, and How to Get Involved with Jenna Spinelle
Democracy Works When We Do: Hope, Reform, and How to Get Involved with Jenna Spinelle  
Podcast: Care More Be Better: A Podcast For Sustainable Social Impact and Regeneration
Published On: Wed Oct 28 2026
Description: Feeling discouraged about politics does not have to mean tuning out. Jenna Spinelle has spent years telling the stories of ordinary people who saw a problem, found like-minded neighbors, and started working on it, whether or not they won. In this conversation, Jenna traces her path from local newspapers and Penn State admissions to building a network of democracy podcasts, explains why city councils and school boards are the most accessible place to start, and shares what she is learning while writing a book about the democracy reform movement. You will leave with a short list of organizations, books, and one-hour actions that make participation feel doable. Episode Blog is here: https://caremorebebetter.com/democracy-works-when-we-do-hope-reform-and-how-to-get-involved-with-jenna-spinelle/ Topics Covered [00:00] Intro [02:30] Jenna's path from print journalism and Penn State admissions to the McCourtney Institute and Democracy Works [03:38] How The Democracy Group network came together, and why Care More Be Better is now part of it [05:02]Registering voters as a college freshman in 2004 and how student engagement has changed [07:33]Holding hope and concern at the same time, and limiting news to protect your mental health [10:00] Why local government (city council, school board) is where you are most likely to effect change [12:51] Stories from When the People Decide: everyday people working on grassroots democracy reform [15:33] Ballot measures as a messy but useful tool, and the Citizens Initiative Review [17:20] Why the 25th and 26th Amendment stories show that one person can start something [20:07] A Florida resident who raised concerns about Flock cameras with his city council [22:22] Jenna's forthcoming book and the 96% of Americans frustrated with the status quo (Pew) [25:40] Umbrella organizations to start with: National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers, Bridge Alliance, iCivics [28:02] Finding common ground on clean air, clean water, and public lands, and Jenna's work with Common Ground USA [30:27]Low-lift ways to connect: democracy happy hours, Zoom and Slack groups, and Podcast Brunch Club [33:02] If you have one hour this month: preview your ballot, plan to vote, learn about being a poll worker [35:30] Why Jenna is hopeful about Gen Z, and her Agora Institute project connecting creators and democracy organizations [38:00] Five-year outlook: campaign finance reform, open primaries, ranked choice voting, and the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact [40:20] Ranked choice voting explained in plain language [44:50] A closing challenge: pick something that matters to you and join with your neighbors Resources and Links Jenna Spinelle: https://jennaspinelle.com/ The Democracy Group: https://democracygroup.org/ NOTE: Get a free guide from The Democracy Group: nine ways to take action as a citizen (when you subscribe on their website) When the People Decide: https://democracygroup.org/shows/when-the-people-decide Democracy Works: https://www.democracyworkspodcast.com/ National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers: https://www.nonpartisanreformers.org/ Bridge Alliance: https://www.bridgealliance.us/ iCivics: https://www.icivics.org/ Vote411 (League of Women Voters): https://www.vote411.org/ Ballotpedia sample ballot lookup: https://ballotpedia.org/Sample_ballot_lookup_tools Katharine Hayhoe: https://www.katharinehayhoe.com/ Common Ground USA https://www.cg-usa.org/ The Pennsylvania Resilient State Working Group: https://www.resilientpa.org/ I Never Thought of It That Way by Monica Guzman High Conflict by Amanda Ripley Citizens Initiative Review: https://healthydemocracy.org/home/services/cir/ Podcast Brunch Club: https://podcastbrunchclub.com/ CONNECT & SUPPORT CARE MORE BE BETTERSubstack: https://caremorebebetter.substack.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/caremorebebetterTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caremorebebetterInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/caremorebebetterFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/CareMoreBeBetterLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/care-more-be-betterCAUSE PARTNER: If you value open dialogue, sustainability, and social equity, I invite you to support our new cause partner —Prescott College. To learn more about this effort and to support the show, visit: https://caremorebebetter.com/support/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.