Host Dave Davies examines issues in regional politics through feature length reporting, lively conversation, transitional elements and crowd-sourced content with a revolving round table of reporters, writers and commentators.
After you listen to the show, we invite you to take a survey to give us your impressions.
| Listen to the Oct. 1 pilot: | |
| Listen to the Nov. 5 pre-Election day show: |
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A look at the electoral college
By Elisabeth Perez-LunaNovember 9, 2012
There is one aspect of American elections that's a subject of an enduring debate – the electoral college. In the 2000 election, the presidential candidate that won the popular vote lost the White House because he came up short in the electoral vote count. WHYY's Elizabeth Perez Luna has spoken to a detractor and defender of the electoral college and to a real live presidential elector. ... More »
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Beyond the Ballot
Are voter intimidation and fraud a serious problem in Philadelphia?
By NewsWorks staffNovember 7, 2012
Charges of voter fraud and intimidation seem par for the course in any big Philly election. Yesterday our reporters criss crossed the city, reporting on election day problems. An excerpt of the blog is below. On election eve Commissioner Stephanie Singer and Republican Ward Leader Kevin Kelly hashed out some of Kelly's allegations of intimidation. Listen to the audio for their sometimes heat... More »
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Beyond the Ballot
Beyond the Ballot
By Dave Davies for NewsWorksNovember 6, 2012
It’s been an incredibly intense election season, and just about the only thing that coud make it any weirder would be if a week before the election the seas were to rise and start swallowing polling places. There were of course much more serious impacts of Hurricane Sandy, but that was one of them. Future scholars and pundits will debate whether the storm and its coverage stalled Mitt Romney’s mo... More »
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That's History
Election day and the rituals of democracy
By Jonathan ZimmermanNovember 6, 2012
Are you going to vote today? I'm not.Instead, I voted several weeks ago. So have millions of other Americans, via absentee ballots. That’s changing a formerly public act into a private one, which should worry all of us.Across the United States, absentee ballots now account for almost 20 percent of all votes. Two states, Oregon and Washington, conduct their elections entirely by mail. And in s... More »
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Beyond the Ballot
How Dick Polman got his political groove
By Elizabeth Perez-LunaNovember 5, 2012
In a recent conversation WHYY producer Elisabeth Perez-Luna asked Dick Polman how did his passion for all things political started.Here's what he said: More »
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Beyond the Ballot
Fear and loathing in the 2012 election
By Dave DaviesNovember 5, 2012
I'll have the last word in the show – and today's was sparked by the reaction to a blog post I wrote about what I thought was a clever online ad campaign run by a Republican women's group against President Obama – they're videos in which women talk about the dreamy guy they fell for four years ago, but who just isn't working out. A lot of people really hated the videos, ... More »
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Beyond the Ballot
What make's U.S. elections so fascinating to the Brits? 'It's the hairspray!'
By Sophie Reid for NewsWorksNovember 5, 2012
There's something about an American election that is rip-roaringly exciting to the British observer. I first became fixated on politics in the heady days of high school, as an eager, impressionable teen. Not for me hockey sticks or trigonometry. Ah no! I was a sucker for Mr Ashbee's political science class - a mix of British and American politics - and source of swashbuckling heroes and ... More »
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Beyond the Ballot
Exploring the role of the Electoral College with new elector Councilwoman Cindy Bass
By Yasmein James for NewsWorksNovember 5, 2012
After serving as a delegate at the recent Democratic National Convention, 8th District City Councilwoman Cindy Bass has now been selected to serve in the Electoral College for the presidential election on Nov. 6. More »
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Beyond the Ballot
On Election Eve, two area families stand by their candidates
By NewsWorks staffNovember 5, 2012
Throughout this election season, reporters Nicelle Poston-McKelvey andHolly Otterbein followed local families, reporting on their reactions to the election process. On Beyond the Ballot, they sat down with Dave Davies to talk about how their families —Alisha Jones and Crystal Portlock from Bear, Delaware, and the Kubacki family of East Falls —were feeling on Election Eve. Click here for more on b... More »
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Beyond the Ballot
Getting young professionals involved in local politics
By Zack SewardNovember 5, 2012
In the past decade, 20- and 30-somethings have come to Philadelphia in droves, helping to breathe vitality into a city that had been shrinking. But many of those interested in civic engagement find the world of local politics confusing and decidedly unwelcoming to outsiders. And while the city has made some progress in bringing young people into City Hall, many others are finding it hard to engage... More »
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Street-Level Conversations
What are the stakes for voters in Northwest Philadelphia?
By Meg Frankowski for NewsWorksOctober 30, 2012
'Street-Level Conversations' is a discussion-based civic-engagement project in Northwest Philly. It combines facts and personal stories dealing with the issues most pertinent in our communities and seeks to inspire solutions. SLC aims to empower every member of the community to believe in the validity of their voice and the vital role they play in sharing it. With one week left before v... More »
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U.S. Rep. candidate Robert Mansfield aims to break 'the cycle of low expectations'
By Aaron MoselleOctober 23, 2012
It's just after 2 p.m. when Robert Mansfield enters Bonner's Irish Pub in Center City and heads for a table at the center of a nearly empty restaurant. The Republican hopeful has his cane with him, as always, but is in good spirits as he sits down for lunch before a late-afternoon candidate's forum in nearby Point Breeze. Mansfield, 41, suffers from a number of nagging medical con... More »
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Checking in with the fact checkers
By NewsWorks staffOctober 12, 2012
A few weeks before the election Eugene Kiley, Deputy Director of Factcheck.org, sat down to talk with Dave Davies. Listen to their interview. More »
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Beyond the Ballot
Listen to the first episode of Beyond the Ballot
By NewsWorks staffOctober 1, 2012
Listen to the October 1st episode. More »
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Beyond the Ballot
A citizen's guide to Philly street money
By Holly OtterbeinOctober 1, 2012
This November, candidates will partake in a gritty Philadelphia tradition. They'll give out funds known as "street money" to partisan Election Day workers. In return, the foot soldiers will get out the vote. Street money has been painted as dirty, unethical and antiquated. Are its days numbered? More »
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Beyond the Ballot
Immigrant advocacy groups focus on getting new citizens to the polls
By Elisabeth Perez-LunaSeptember 27, 2012
The latest Census numbers for Philadelphia indicate that the city's population growth is fueled in great part by the influx of immigrants. As many of those immigrants ride the path towards citizenship, they have the potential of becoming an increasingly powerful bi-partisan voting bloc. A number of Philadelphia based immigrant advocacy organizations are focusing on helping these new citizens ... More »
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Beyond the Ballot
Backstory: Allegations of voter intimidation in 2008 still echo
By NewsWorks StaffSeptember 27, 2012
Dave Davies and Chris Satullo relive a moment from the recent past: the 2008 presidential election, when an incident at a Philadelphia polling became a national story, and a rallying cry for Republicans who say the city is full of election tampering and fraud. More »
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Beyond the Ballot
Is Pennsylvania's swing state status slipping?
By Elizabeth FiedlerSeptember 27, 2012
Last Presidential election was a really fun and busy time to be a journalist in Pennsylvania. The candidates courted the Keystone State like she was the belle of the ball. More »
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Beyond the Ballot
You can't rush topical humor, even in an election year
By Peter CrimminsSeptember 27, 2012
Sometimes you just have to laugh at politics, and 1812 Productions new season of political song and satire turns some of the seasons political shenanigans into jokes. More »
