Voting isn't enough, says our guest Susan Clark. "Democracy doesn't happen in 20 minutes every 4 years." Clark and Woden Teachout have written a new book that argues strong democracy requires robust discussion and decision-making by community members. They explore the deleterious effects when policy decisions are far removed from communities in their new book, Slow Democracy: Rediscovering Community, Bringing Decision Making Back Home. We talk with Clark and Teachout about why they say participation in government is a"powerful, upward virtuous spiral."

This month, a Middlebury man called 911 and threatened to commit “suicide by cop.” After a tense stand-off, he was killed in an exchange of gunfire with the police. Suicide by Cop is more common than you might imagine, and these incidents can be very traumatic for everyone involved. We talk to a social worker who helps police deal with the emotional toll of their jobs.