Manuel Pastor is a Distinguished Professor of Sociology and American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California. His latest book is Solidarity Economics: Why Mutuality and Movements Matter, co-authored with Chris Benner. We bookend our 16th season with a discussion on how solidarity economics and mutuality fulfill the promise of the social contract.

Reverend Dr. Emma Jordan-Simpson is the President of Auburn Seminary, a leadership development and research institute that equips bold and resilient leaders of faith and moral courage to build communities, bridge divides, pursue justice, and heal the world. We discuss the role of faith in the social contract and in creating the beloved community.

Latanya Sweeney is the Professor of the Practice of Government and Technology at the Harvard Kennedy school. Her mission is to create and use technology to assess and solve societal political and governance problems, and to teach others how to do the same. We discuss technology design as a policy maker, data privacy, and Section 230.

Sarah Christopherson is the Legislative and Policy Director at Americans for Tax Fairness. We take a deep dive into taxes—the spark that brings the social contract to life through things like public schools, highways, and social security—and examine the fairness of the current tax code, the estate tax, and successful tax policy.

Eduardo Porter is a journalist at The New York Times and the author of American Poison: How Racial Hostility Destroyed Our Promise. We discuss the intersection of public policy and racism as well as the long-term negative outcomes of exclusionary policies in our society, regardless of race.

Saru Jayaraman is the President of One Fair Wage and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley. Her new book is One Fair Wage: Ending Sub Minimum Pay in America. We discuss the history of the subminimum wage in America, the inherent unfairness of the practice, and the need to end it once and for all.

Lee McIntyre is a philosopher of science and the author of How to Talk to a Science Denier: Conversations with Flat Earthers, Climate Deniers, and Others Who Defy Reason. We discuss the danger of science denialism, constructive dialogue techniques, and our civic responsibility to defend the truth.

Michele Goodwin is a Chancellor’s Professor at the University of California, Irvine and founding director of the Center for Biotechnology and Global Health Policy. We discuss how America’s current social contract in public health affects COVID response, health outcomes in minority populations, and reproductive rights.

Keya Chatterjee is Executive Director of US Climate Action Network and author of The Zero Footprint Baby: How to Save the Planet While Raising a Healthy Baby. We discuss racial injustice at the center of the climate crisis, mobilizing 3.5% of the population for change, and disruptive humanitarianism.

Minouche Shafik is the Director of the London School of Economics and the author of What We Owe Each Other: A New Social Contract. We unpack her ideas around investing in the architecture of opportunity as well as the notions of reciprocity, risk-sharing, and mutual benefit in growing our economies.

Melissa Lane is the Director of the University Center for Human Values and politics professor at Princeton University. Her work focuses on the history of political thought and political philosophy. We discuss the origins of social contract theory, it’s evolution, and examine how it works today.

Jessica González-Rojas represents the 34th District in the New York State Assembly. We discuss the intersectionality of community issues, the value of bringing lived experiences to public policy decisions, and the political courage that’s necessary to serve your constituents.

Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez is the Executive Director of NextGen America and a former candidate for US Senate in Texas. We discuss her deep career in organizing, engaging in the big ideas, and having the courage to imagine a true democracy that works for all people.

Lala Wu is a Co-Founder and Executive Director of Sister District, an organization that works to elect Democrats to state legislatures. We discuss building progressive power at the state level, various opportunities in upcoming elections, and supporting candidates to win and serve effectively.

Amanda Litman is the co-founder and executive director of Run for Something, an organization that helps young progressives run in down ballot races. We discuss how they go about their mission, why local and state offices are so important, and how you can get involved in our democracy.

Brette McSweeney is the President of Eleanor’s Legacy, a group dedicated to electing pro-choice Democratic women to office in New York State. We discuss the critical impact of local and state elections on our daily lives, and the value of electing more women to represent us.

Glynda Carr is CEO and co-Founder of Higher Heights for America, a PAC dedicated to electing progressive Black women. We discuss the necessity of being engaged beyond election day, the political power of Black women voters, and the value of normalizing their presence in higher public office.

Amanda Hunter is the Executive Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation, an organization that promotes women in politics and contemporary art. We discuss what it takes for a woman to get elected and why it’s been such an uphill battle to reach the highest executive office.

Kelly Dittmar is the Director of Research at the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. She explains why diversity among women serving in public office enhances our democracy, and how we can support more women to run and win elections.

Mark L. Levine is a lawyer and co-editor of The Trial of the Chicago 7: The Official Transcript. We discuss how the edited transcripts were published, the parallels of social injustice and use of political protests in the late 1960s with today, and the necessity for all of us to be engaged.