All organizing is local

Explain It to Me

Vox Media Podcast Network

Education, Politics, News, Society & Culture

4.4 • 7.9K Ratings

🗓️ 26 February 2021

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Author, researcher, and University of Pittsburgh professor of history Lara Putnam sits down with Matt to talk about the structure of local progressive political organization. They talk about the recent history of these movements in the wake of the 2016 election, the effect of these groups on downballot races in Pennsylvania and nationally, and look to the future of these groups in the Biden era. Resources: "Democrats are surging in special elections, and that's not what we've been used to in recent years" by Daniel Donner, Daily Kos (Sept. 27, 2017) "The Other Infrastructure Program: Progressive Organizing" by Lara Putnam, The American Prospect (Feb. 22, 2021) "Let's Organize—and Not Scapegoat Leaders" by Michael Podhorzer, The American Prospect (Feb. 17, 2021) "Organizing Power: Theda Skocpol and Caroline Tervo" Guest: Lara Putnam (@lara_putnam), UCIS Research Professor, University of Pittsburgh Host: Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com Credits: Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter. The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production. Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts About Vox Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com Facebook group: The Weeds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:39.8	Hello, welcome to another episode of the Weeds on the Box Media Podcast Network.
0:43.4	I'm Matthew Iglesias, my guest today.
0:45.6	Lara Putnam is a professor of history at the University of Pittsburgh.
0:49.6	She has been one of the best chroniclers in real time
0:53.6	of organizing on the ground in American politics, especially in Pennsylvania,
0:59.6	where she lives, but also nationally,
1:02.6	and with Pennsylvania being a state that's really in the national spotlight.
1:07.0	So welcome to the show.
1:08.8	Delighted to be here?
1:09.8	I want to get into some contemporary issues that people are debating,
1:14.4	but I think it's useful to set the context in terms of the 2016 election happened.
1:22.0	It was a kind of shocking outcome to many people.
1:25.6	And part of the response to that was that there was an incredible flourishing
1:31.2	going back to the winter of 2016-2017
1:34.2	and a sort of grassroots organizing happening in a lot of parts of the country.
	...

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