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As the 2024 presidential election campaign heats up, Idaho is not a place that Democratic campaign strategists will be thinking much about, but writing off places like Idaho is a mistake, say two anti-authoritarian activists based in the US Northwest. Adrienne Evans is the executive director for United Vision for Idaho, the state’s only multi-issue, progressive coalition. Scot Nakagawa, director of the new 22nd Century Initiative, has worked for decades to counter extremism, starting in the 1980s, confronting white militias in Oregon. In this episode, Laura asks her guests why places like Idaho — one of the most conservative states in the country — remain so important to US democracy, and Laura participates in a rural tour around Boise, Idaho’s capital. All that, plus a commentary from Laura on how Americans once toppled autocracy — and what the writers of the Constitution did in response.
“People on both sides of the political spectrum no longer believe that government is for them; that they have access or the ability to change the things in their lives . . . When you lose faith in institutions like that, no wonder authoritarianism comes in and offers to break that, it sounds pretty good.” – Adrienne Evans
“It’s often in the most difficult places that people come up with the best ideas, that kind of repression can be the mother of invention . . . What we can learn from Idaho about the future is tremendous.” – Scot Nakagawa
Guests
- Adrienne Evans: Executive Director, United Vision for Idaho
- Scot Nakagawa: Director, 22nd Century Initiative
Portions of this interview are featured in our episode, “Idaho’s United Vision Project: Confronting Extremism in America’s Heartland“.
