20 By Seventy

And we're back! Committee of Seventy CEO David Thornburgh talks with two of our new Buchholz Fellows - Harper Seldin of @cozen_oconnor and Kalie Wertz of @UACoalition . David also chats with @YIPhilly 's Bekah Gable and Kate McGlinchey about the State of Young Philly #SOYP Conference. In our final segment, David and C70's Civic Engagement Consultant Chris Satullo talk about why Philadelphians should #ExpectMore from their city and join the #AntiShrug Movement, plus a note on how you can make a difference through #WeVote70 and @DrawtheLinesPA For more info, visit seventy.org

What's new in Maine and unheard-of in much of America is old hat in Ireland. Ranked-choice voting lets voters express how they feel about multiple candidates, rather than just settling for the least-bad option. Here, it's just gaining a hard-won foothold in places like Maine and San Francisco. But it's been the norm for decades in Ireland. In this episode, we talk to Philadelphian and Irish national Siobhan Lyons about why she loves, just loves, the system known in her native land as "single transferable vote."

After years of waiting, Philadelphia has regained control of its school system and sworn in a new board of education. One of its nine members, Lee Huang, talks in-depth with Chris Satullo about the boot-camp-like training and the energetic "listening tour" of the city that board members experienced to get ready. Huang explains how he's thinking about addressing the challenges of a school system charged with educating the nation's poorest big city.

The old Philadelphia Democratic machine is clearly wearing out. But what might revive or supplant it? In this podcast, David Thornburgh talks to Ali Perelman of Philadelphia 3.0 about efforts to bring fresh blood into the old party committee structure. And Chris Satullo chats with Asian-American leader Andy Toy about what it might take to get the city's Asian and Hispanic minority populations to increase their impact at the polls.

Pennsylvanians went to the polls on May 15. Depending on where you sit, the results could be seen as a depressing show of apathy, a sign that 2018 will be the true "Year of the Woman" in politics, or an indicator that the so-called "blue wave" is mostly hype. In this episode, the dean of Harrisburg journalists, columnist John Baer of the Inquirer and philly.com, talks it all over with Seventy CEO David Thornburgh. Some of what this famously skeptical commentator has to say will surprise you.

On his last day in office as a U.S. congressman - and as one of the last GOP moderates on Capitol Hill - Charles Dent (R., Pa.) sat down with Chris Satullo to talk about his time in office, the plague of hyper-partisanship, the fight over Obamacare and other adventures. The setting was the 10th anniversary celebration of the Penn Project for Civic Engagement in Philadelphia, so some of the talk was about the the quest for rational political dialogue and the negative impact of social media. In this special bonus episode, listen in as one of Congress' most candid personalities gives you a peek inside the inner workings of Washington.

For the first time in a very long time, Philadelphia's diverse 184th House District will be getting a new state representative. Competing to replace the retiring Bill Keller are Nicholas DiDonato Jr., Elizabeth Fiedler and Tom Wyatt. Each stopped by 20 by Seventy to chat with David Thornburgh about their credentials, their sense of the district, what they'd fight for in Harrisburg, and what they'd never support, no matter what. David also chats with co-host Chris Satullo about the stakes in this year's state elections. Listening to this lively conversation is a great way to prepare for going to the polls on May 15.

In this episode, we dig into the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania's 177th House District, where long-time incumbent John Taylor has resigned, leaving an open seat. Host Chris Satullo interviews contenders Dan Martino, Maggie Borski and Joseph Hohenstein about what they've done, what they'd fight for and what they'd never support. If you live in the 177th, this is a great way to prepare to vote on May 15. Seventy CEO David Thornburgh gives you a short rundown of what generally is at stake in these state legislative elections.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Kristen Graham joins host Chris Satullo to talk about a topic she knows as well as anyone: the ins and outs of the Philadelphia schools, now poised to go back under city control after years of state oversight. The changeover puts a $1 billion budget shortfall squarely in the lap of city taxpayers. Then Seventy CEO David Thornburgh talks with Chris about Mayor Kenney's plan for coming up with the money. And David and Chris actually disagree!

Lawsuits. Dueling maps. Weird terms like "efficiency gap." Talk of impeachment. And endless partisan sniping. Want to be able to decipher what's going on in the fight over Pennsylvania's congressional map? Jonathan Lai of the Philadelphia Inquirer explains it all calmly and crisply in a conversation with host Chris Satullo. This is the one road map you'll need to follow the Great Map Fight of 2018.

David Thornburgh chats with Jeremy Nowak (at right in photo) and Bruce Katz, authors of a new book called "The New Localism." Their thesis: Many American cities have more things going for them than they seem to realize - untapped wealth and assets that could enable them to address many of their challenges. Those cities just have to stop behaving in 20th-century ways, including waiting for federal help that isn't coming anytime soon. Nowak and Katz talk about cities on the rise - yeah, Pittsburgh, we're talking about you - that offer lessons in how to flip this switch.

Host Chris Satullo talks with David Daley, author of "Ratf**ked." Daley literally wrote the book on gerrymandering, how it went nuclear in the digital age, and the damage it does to democracy. And the first chapter in his book was about Pennsylvania. It's a pretty grim read. But all is not lost! Today, Daley sees more than one glimmer of hope across the land that the people are rising up and saying, Enough with these goofy maps and their toxic effects. (And this interview was taped a couple of days before a court threw out Pa.'s notoriously gerrymandered congressional map.)

Philadelphia's head wonk, Seventy CEO David Thornburgh, runs down his list of indispensable nonfiction books that you should consider buying for the serious readers on your Christmas list. Along the way, he and host Chris Satullo discuss, among other things, gerrymandering, hopefulness,Robert Moses vs. Jane Jacobs, the Pittsburgh Penguins, purple skies, dead armadillos and what it's like to have your daughter turn you into a character in her novel. This bonus edition of the podcast also includes recommendations from three of the podcast's favorite guests of 2017: Jason Tucker, Harris Sokoloff and Sharon Browning.

Philadelphia's head wonk, Seventy CEO David Thornburgh, runs down his list of indispensable nonfiction books that you should consider buying for the serious readers on your Christmas list. Along the way, he and host Chris Satullo discuss, among other things, gerrymandering, hopefulness,Robert Moses vs. Jane Jacobs, the Pittsburgh Penguins, purple skies, dead armadillos and what it's like to have your daughter turn you into a character in her novel.

It’s time for the holidays. Are you looking ahead to the table talk over the cranberries and turkey with anticipation or dread? Or to put it another way: What to do about Uncle George, who, after that first glass of wine, always begins spouting opinions that make you crazy? The Committee of Seventy is ready with your holiday “survival through civility” guide. Two seasoned experts in civil dialogue – Dr. Harris Sokoloff of the Penn Project for Civic Engagement and Sharon Browning (pictured) of the JUSTListening – share practical wisdom on how to craft a conversation over the stuffing that’ll add light and understanding, not heat and ill feeling. And Seventy CEO David Thornburgh adds some thoughts on how curiosity, humility and empathy make the holiday work out better for all. For more tips, visit www.seventy.org.

Philadelphia is the rare "Rust Belt" city that's growing. That's thanks in part to success in hanging onto recent college graduates. But, as much as these Millennials might love the city, they aren't sure they can stay. In this episode, three young professionals discuss the three main reasons why even some fans of Philly sometimes reluctantly decide to leave: schools, career prospects and a closed-off political system. Host Chris Satullo interviews Jason Tucker (pictured), Jennifer Devor and Bekah Gable, all of whom have been active in Young Involved Philadelphia. Tucker and Devore are also newly minted Buchholz Fellows of the Committee of Seventy.

Everybody complains about their local airport, but the Committee of Seventy decided to do something about it. The good government group recruited a team of 18 wicked-smart Philadelphians to help Philadelphia International Airport tackle some of its customer service issues. In this episode, we review this adventure in civic consulting, which was called "The Franklin Challenge: Project Runway." Two of the volunteer consultants, Lauren Hughes of the Arden Theatre and Stefan Frank of the Wharton School, talk about the experience and the ideas for improving PHL that emerged from it.

Meet Amanda Holt, the Joan of Arc of Pennsylvania politics. Hear about this Allentown-area piano teacher's stubborn, inspiring and victorious (well, partially) quest to stop her state's politicians from gerrymandering. Hear Ben Geffen of the Public Interest Law Center in Philadelphia make the case for the center's lawsuit against the state's notorious congressional map. If, during this July Fourth week, you care about making democracy work again, take a moment listen to two people who are leading the way.

Six months ago, few could have predicted the results of the recent Philadelphia Democratic primary, which produced upset winners in the district attorney and controller races. Both results suggest to some that the city Democratic organization may be tottering on the brink of collapse, a zombie party. In this episode, we test that hypothesis with two savvy reporters, Jim Saksa of PlanPhilly/NewsWorks and Claudia Vargas of the Philadelphia Inquirer (pictured here with Seventy's CEO, David Thornburgh.)

Confused by the crowded field for the office of chief prosecutor in Philadelphia? We rounded up two of the smartest guys in the city - Dave Davies of WHYY and Solomon Jones of WURD - to survey the issues, size up the candidates and their maneuverings and, most important, explain why this election means so much. Plus a rundown of all the election resources that Seventy has put at your fingertips.