That's Politics

That's Politics

di Mackenzie Atkinson

Governo Politica

Stagione 1

DEI Part IV: Education and democracy

Last installment of this series we talked about academic freedom, this week we take it a step further and look at the role of education in democracy. I talk with Vincent Russell, Ph.D., a communication professor at WCU. I had him as a professor for intercultural communication and have heard him stress the importance of education and wanted to share his perspective with you. To view source material for this episode visit the podcast website.

The "Transgender Debate": Why can't they just go to the bathroom?

A quick interruption to the DEI series! I had a very unique opportunity to interview Paige LeBlanc, a student at WCU, who was the subject of a video that went viral across the U.S. and launched a political career of the person who took the video. The inspiration for this episode comes from Cory Vaillancourt's story in the Smoky Mountain News. To view source material for this episode, visit the official podcast website!

DEI Part III: Academic freedom and DEI

Academic freedom is key to higher education and is what makes it excellent. It is also part of developing a thriving society and democracy. This episode continues my breakdown of DEI. I talked with Yancey Gulley, Ph.D., a professor of higher education at WCU, to get a deeper understanding of academic freedom and the role it plays in our society and education. To view sources for this episode visit the official podcast website.

DEI Part II: Teaching DEI concepts

This episode continues my breakdown of DEI. I talk about teaching DEI concepts in college classes and the potential limitations that may be in the works. I talk with Carolina Pendry, an adjunct sociology professor at WCU, to get a deeper understanding of an instructor's perspective of teaching touchy subjects. Visit the podcast website to view source content: https://thatspoliticspodcast.com

DEI Part I: A general background

This episode kicks off my series on the break down of DEI. In this episode I give a general background on the topic and partisan perspectives. I spoke with my former classmate, Adam Harp, to give the conservative perspective on DEI. Sources: Executive Order "Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing": https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-radical-and-wasteful-government-dei-programs-and-preferencing/ Executive Order "Ending Illegal Discrimination and Resorting Merit-Based Opportunity" : https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-illegal-discrimination-and-restoring-merit-based-opportunity/ Occupational Segregation: https://www.americanprogress.org/article/occupational-segregation-in-america/ Rep. Tim Burchett quote: https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/22/politics/video/kamala-harris-burchett-dei-hire-charlamagne-tha-god-angela-rye-lead-digvid

Unaffiliated Voters and Polarization in N.C.

Listen to part of my interview with Dr. Chris Cooper about unaffiliated voters and polarization in North Carolina. Cooper recently published a book called Anatomy of a Purple State where he goes more in depth about this topic and many others. This episodes was recorded February 27, 2025.

All About the N.C. Supreme Court Contested Ballots

No the elections are not over in North Carolina. At least not for the 6th Associate Justice seat in the N.C. Supreme Court. The Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin is contesting the legitimacy of roughly 60,000 ballots in his race against incumbent Associate Justice Allison Riggs. This episode was recorded February 11, 2025.

The Importance of Political Journalism

Journalism is a vital part of democracy. I went into college knowing what I wanted to do for a reason. Listen to my interviews with Dr. Katerina Spasovska, Dr. Chris Cooper and Politics Editor for the Smoky Mountain News, Cory Vaillancourt. These people shaped the way that I view politics and journalism.

Election Security a "Case Study" in Jackson County, N.C.

As part of a class, I covered the 2024 Election here in Jackson County, N.C. I learned so much about what goes into securing elections and want to share that knowledge with you. I interviewed Amanda Allen, the Director at the Jackson County Board of Elections, to give you a peek behind the scenes. To learn more about the 2024 Election process look at some of the stories I wrote for the Western Carolina Journalist.

A Quick Rundown of N.C. Offshore Wind Energy

On this episode I talk about offshore win energy in North Carolina. President Trump passed an executive order on January 20 titled "Temporary Withdrawal of All Areas On The Outer Continental Shelf From Offshore Wind Leasing and Review of Federal Government's Leasing and Permitting Practices for Wind Projects." That's a really long way of saying that the federal government has paused leases for offshore wind farms. This episode was recorded January 30, 2025.

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