American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast

Voters Find Ranked Choice Voting Gives Them More Options, Eliminates Runoffs and is Easy to Use. So Why Have 17 States Banned It?

July 7, 2025July 7, 2025

In a recent report, we told you that 96% of New York City voters found ranked choice voting easy to use and liked that it gave voters more options. So why have 17 states banned ranked choice voting, including five just this year?

Ranked Choice Voting Gets High Marks in NYC Primary, with 96% Finding it Easy to Use and 82% Ranking at Least 2 Candidates

July 6, 2025July 6, 2025

We reported recently on the use of ranked choice voting in New York City’s Democratic Primary. A survey found that 96% of Big Apple voters found it easy to use and 58% agreed that “Ranking allowed me to vote for candidates who aligned with my values." Fifty-two percent felt that "Ranking allowed me to support multiple candidates."

Thomas Jefferson Gets the Credit for the Declaration, but the ‘Independence’ Part Came from Richard Henry Lee on June 7, 1776

July 3, 2025July 3, 2025

Thomas Jefferson is credited with most of the text of the Declaration of Independence. But the “independence” part came from a Virginian named Richard Henry Lee on June 7th, 1776.

New ProPublica Reporting Suggests DHS Secretary Kristi Noem Failed to Disclose $80,000 Payment from a Dark Money Group to Her LLC

July 2, 2025July 2, 2025

ProPublica is reporting an alleged $80,000 disclosure omission by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in her federal executive branch disclosure form, an ethics violation. Noem appears to have received a 2023 commission for fundraising for a dark money nonprofit group.

U.S. Supreme Court Takes Case Challenging Limits on Political Party Spending. It Could Open Up Another Flood of Money into Campaigns.

July 1, 2025July 1, 2025

The U.S. Supreme Court decided in Buckley vs. Valeo and Citizens United that unlimited money spent for campaigns equaled free speech, and enabled the rise of Super PACs. But it kept limits on certain types of spending by political parties. A case by Republicans heard in the high court this fall tests those limits.