We're Gonna Need Some Builders — Live in London with Jon Alexander

We're Gonna Need Some Builders — Live in London with Jon Alexander

Author: iHeartPodcasts June 12, 2026 Duration: 1:09:53

Recorded live at The Conduit in London in September 2024, Baratunde and Elizabeth Stewart sit down with their friend and longtime collaborator Jon Alexander, author of CITIZENS and co-host of the podcast How To Save Democracy, for a conversation about citizen as a verb: the radical, hopeful idea that democracy isn't something we have, it's something we do.

They get into the story we inherited about independence, the older and truer story about interdependence, the four pillars of citizening, and why a moment when so much feels like it's collapsing is exactly the moment to start building.

The timing is no accident. On Saturday, June 13, 2026 Jon takes the TED Democracy stage in Philadelphia at the birthplace of American independence, during America's 250th, to make the case for interdependence. A British man crossing the Atlantic to tell us the move is getting back together.

Keep practicing democracy. The verb, not the noun.

CHAPTERS

00:00:00 "We're gonna need some builders" (cold open)
00:02:11 Welcome to How To Save Democracy
00:02:45 How this London night came together
00:03:40 Citizen as a verb, and the shift from head to heart
00:05:40 Latent love: citizen, not consumer
00:07:25 Story as the most powerful technology we have
00:09:45 Consumer democracy and the only restaurant in town
00:10:59 Why the vote still matters
00:12:06 Head, heart, and gut
00:16:24 Co-authors of this world: nature, each other, machines
00:20:29 The four pillars, one at a time
00:21:00 Pillar 1 - Invest in relationships (including with yourself)
00:29:45 Pillar 2 - Understand power (and your attention)
00:33:35 Pillar 3 - Commit to the collective (Bahrain and Broadband Bruce)
00:44:10 Pillar 4 - Show up and participate
00:44:25 Questions from the room
00:46:42 Belonging, authoritarianism, and the case for builders
00:49:38 Burnout, rupture, and repair
00:52:35 Doomsday Preppers: two ways to survive
00:54:10 How might we live together, period
00:56:35 Citizens, not just consumers

LINKS

How To Save Democracy with Omezzine Khelifa & Jon Alexander: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-save-democracy/id1823945285

American Indigenous Democracy: A Call for Interdependence — the book from Haudenosaunee elders and wisdom keepers: https://americanindigenousdemocracy.com

Jon Alexander / CITIZENS: https://jonalexander.net

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


Finding your place in a world that often feels broken can be disorienting. How To Citizen with Baratunde, from iHeartPodcasts, tackles that confusion head-on by treating "citizen" not as a static label but as a series of actions we can all learn. This podcast moves beyond the headlines and the outrage to explore the tangible, often surprising ways we can participate in shaping our communities and systems. Each episode is a deep dive into the mechanics of collective power, featuring conversations that span society, culture, technology, and news. You'll hear from people who are actively redefining what it means to belong and contribute, offering practical insights that replace helplessness with agency. The discussions remind us that while voting is crucial, a functioning democracy requires much more from all of us. This isn't about abstract theory; it's about the real-world application of citizenship. Tune in for a thought-provoking and actionable guide to wielding your influence, discovering how to move from being overwhelmed to being effectively engaged. The entire premise of this podcast is built on the idea that we can learn to citizen better, together.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

How To Citizen with Baratunde
Podcast Episodes
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We're Back (Kind of) with More Stories All Week [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Duration: 1:13:50
So much of the conversation around democracy focuses on the external: from elections and policy to protests and organizing. While getting active is important...what could happen if we ALSO turn inwards? When we shift our…
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A How to Citizen Huddle (Coach Steve Kerr & Friends) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:28
Whether you’re a sports fanatic, or you’ve never stepped foot on a court or field—there’s a lot we can learn about citizening from the lens of coaches and athletes. To show us how sports can help us with teamwork, discip…
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Duration: 1:06:04
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Duration: 1:25:00
The intensifying political division and violence in our country is concerning — but it’s not unique. And few know that better than Tim Phillips. For 30 years, his organization Beyond Conflict has been bringing people fro…
Justice Begins with Imagination (Ruha Benjamin) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:21
According to Ruha Benjamin, we’re living inside someone else’s imagination. An imagination that limits our ability to build a more just, liberated world. So, how do we take back our agency and begin to seed something dif…
A New Shape for the Economy (Kate Raworth) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:47
It’s no secret that our economy only works for a select few. But what would our economy look like if we prioritized people and the planet, instead of profit? Economist Kate Raworth says it might look like a doughnut and…