Good Government Show highlights public service, joins The Democracy Group

The Democracy Group is growing! We’re excited to welcome the newest addition to The Democracy Group: the Good Government Show — a podcast that explores the important work of public service in America through conversations with governors, senators, mayors and county commissioners.

‍We caught up with veteran journalist and host Dave Martin to talk about “good government” stories on the show, why they’re absent from mainstream media and what the show has planned for 2026.

‍Through conversations with elected officials on the show, what insights do you hope to provide that might be missing from mainstream media?‍

‍Dave: Former President Ronald Reagan said many years ago that "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government, and I'm here to help.’” We want to show that the statement is completely false.

One of our guiding lights is to show people that everyday people work hard in the government. They get up and go to work. They’re not in it for the money, the glory or the press attention. They want to do a good job because they work in government, and that’s what government is supposed to do.

‍Some of the “good government” stories covered on the show, such as a youth mental health initiative using Chicago barbershops and a movement to replace non-native palm trees with native trees in Los Angeles, aren’t typically picked up by mainstream news. Given your background in TV, why do you think that is?

‍‍Dave: A local TV newscast has 20-22 minutes to tell you the news of the world. That’s two to three minutes for sports, two minutes for weather, then the news of the day like fires, accidents or national news, and a kicker at the end of the show. That leaves five minutes a night to tell stories like this, and there are millions of stories like this out there.

I want people to walk away with two things from the show. The first is when they listen to the show, I want them to go, “That’s what the government does? That’s a good idea.” The other thing I want listeners to say is “That’s how the government spends our money? That’s money well spent.”

Read the full Q&A here.

Good Government Show: Boise the City of Trees 🌳

Mayor Lauren McLean of Boise, Idaho, joined the episode to talk about trees and good government stories! In the city of trees, planting trees brings the community so many benefits, such as cooler streets and neighborhoods. This, in turn, saves residents money. Tune in now to listen to the conversation!

This is Jessie Nguyen, The Democracy Group's Community Manager. Here are some of my favorite podcasts this week, check them out!

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New Faces of Democracy: Howard Dean on the Fifty State Strategy

Guest Howard Dean, former governor of Vermont and former Democratic National Committee chair, joined the episode to talk about the "fifty-state strategy," an idea that supported Democrats in every state in the country. Dean and host Nancy Bynum discussed what the strategy could look like today, the impact it had two decades ago and how to keep the grassroots growing.  

How Do We Fix It?: More Outrage? No! Citizen-Led Solutions? Yes!

Citizen-Led Solutions is a nationwide initiative by Braver Angels that helps communities across the country find common ground through building trust and solving contentious issues. This episode highlights the movement's efforts in New York and Tennessee.

TPNR: Pew Research’s Gregory A. Smith on What Americans Really Believe—and Why the Data Might Surprise You

This episode unpacks faith and identity through discussions on religious affiliation and the myths about Gen Z's spiritual life. Researcher Gregory A. Smith with the Pew Research Center also explores the emotional courage it takes to study religion without evangelizing it.

FEATURED EXPERTS

Democracy Works: Rachel Myrick on How America's political divides affect foreign policy

Rachel Myrick is a professor of political science at Duke University. She is the author of "Polarization and International Politics: How Extreme Partisanship Threatens Global Stability." Myrick's research explores how partisan polarization affects foreign policymaking in democracies with an emphasis on US national security policy.

The Context: Colleen Shogan on You Should Care about the National Archives. Here’s Why.

Colleen Shogan is the 11th archivist of the U.S., a post she served from 2023 through 2025. In this position, she oversaw the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), which works to safeguard and preserve the records of the American government. Shogan taught at Georgetown University in the Government Department.

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