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What would a truly representative democracy look like — and why don’t we have one?

Looking Back, Moving Forward launches with a focus on women’s growing political power, and how feminists can and must shape the future of government, policy, and lawmaking. Our democracy is under attack, and a more representative democracy is the answer. This week, Carmen and our guests explore how we can strengthen our democracy by lifting up women and other marginalized groups in politics, and why representation in politics and power matters so much.

Since its founding, Ms. has named the difference women can make as voters and in the halls of political power — and demanded a more representative democracy. This episode traces the history of women’s fight for political representation and participation, including how Ms. has shifted the electoral and political landscape — and showcases how much work is left for a fully equitable democracy to take shape in the US.

Featuring Celinda Lake, pollster, political strategist, and president of Lake Research Partners; Aimee Allison, founder and president of She The People; New Mexico State Senator Angel Charley; Julie Suk, Honorable Deborah A. Batts Distinguished Research Scholar and Professor of Law at Fordham Law, and author of After Misogyny: How the Law Fails Women and What to Do about It; Cynthia Richie Terrell, founder of RepresentWomen; Jennifer Piscopo, Director of the Gender Institute and Professor of Gender and Politics at Royal Holloway University of London; and yours truly.