Podcasting
February 26, 2026
Listen to my latest podcast with the New Books Network
Each year, as many as 250 million Americans face civil legal problems like eviction, debt collection, and substandard housing. These problems are disproportionately shouldered by racially and economically marginalized people, particularly women of color. Civil courts and legal aid organizations are supposed to protect their rights, yet more than 90 percent of low-income people receive inadequate or no legal assistance. Instead, access to justice is reserved for those who can afford its high price. In Uncivil Democracy: How Access to Justice Shapes Political Power (Princeton University Press, 2026), Jamila Michener and Mallory SoRelle show how civil legal problems, and the institutions meant to address them, greatly erode trust in the legal system among marginalized communities, undermining their broader sense of democratic citizenship and political standing.
Previous episodes
The Political Development of American Debt Relief
Interview with Thurston & Zackin (25 Jun 2024)
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When Bad Things Happen to Privileged People
An interview with author Dara Z. Strolovitch (October 31, 2023)
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Why Bad Policies Spread (And Good Ones Don't)
An interview with author Craig Volden (February 21, 2022)
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The Judicial Tug of War
An interview with authors Maya Sen and Adam Bonica (November 17, 2021)
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The Limits of Party
An interview with authors Frances E. Lee and James M. Curry (October 6, 2021)
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Secular Surge
An interview with authors David E. Campbell and Geoffrey C. Layman (August 18, 2021)
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