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Dakota Dialogues
Hosted by Chiesman Center for Democracy at USD

Conversations about the state of Democracy in South Dakota curated by the Chiesman Center for Democracy at USD. Director and host Shane Nordyke is joined by Political Science colleague Julia Hellwege, along with local and national experts on topics pertinent to local governance and beyond. With support from SDPB.

Season Two: the "Student Edition" is hosted by USD seniors Max Mickelson and Waverly Patterson in partnership with the Chiesman Center for Democracy.

Ways To Subscribe
  • Student Edition: Where do we go from here?
    Max and Waverly speak with Dr. Julia Hellwege, USD professor and current director of the Chiesman Center for Democracy. They reflect on the first season of Dakota Dialogues, comments from guest Baratunde Thurston, and share their thoughts about what is next for democracy in South Dakota and beyond.
  • Student Edition: Citizen Satisfaction
    Waverly and Max review the season one episode about Citizen Satisfaction with Democracy including excerpts from SD Senator Liz Larson and SD Hall of Famer, Ted Meunster. Waverly shares an interview with fellow USD student, Ellie Hart.
  • Student Edition: Alternatives to Democracy
    Max and Waverly reflect on comments from USD Professor Tim Schorn and Dr. David Law from the University of Virginia Law school, regarding a significant percentage of SD citizens' expressed openness to a system other than democracy.
  • Student Edition: Civility
    Max and Waverly discuss the issue of civility with Season 1 excerpts from Dr. Cherie Strachan, SD Representative Will Mortenson, and the Ben Shapiro podcast. *At the time of this recording, it was reported that Kilmar Abrego Garcia was an American citizen which was later clarified to reflect his Withholding of Removal status in the US and citizenship of El Salvador. (re. comments made at about 27:00 min in this episode)
  • Student Edition: Election Integrity & Administration
    Waverly and Max share an interview with Dr. Lisa Bryant conducted during the March 2025 Chiesman Center Conference at USD and reflect on the season one episode featuring Tammy Patrick and Dr. Mitchell Brown.
  • Student Edition: Voting Rights
    Hear from Max and Waverly about voting rights and security of our elections as they reflect on this season one episode.
  • Student Edition: Confidence in Institutions
    Waverly and Max discuss comments from season one by Professor Sophia Rosenfeld, USD Provost Kurt Hackemer, and South Dakota News Watch CEO, Carson Walker. They examine differences between South Dakota and National data around confidence in higher education and speculate on how possibly to rebuild confidence in the Democratic Party.
  • Student Edition: Conference Data Presentation (Bonus)
    Listen in as Waverly and Max share the most recent polling data collected by the Chiesman Center for Democracy during the 2025 conference.
  • Student Edition: Partisanship
    Tune in to hear Max and Waverly reflect on the first season of Dakota Dialogues with 2025 in view. They discuss the performance art aspect of the political arena, the possibilities for true bipartisanship, and the tests political parties measure against their own members to prove loyalty.
  • Student Edition: Chiesman Center 2025 Conference Review
    Join hosts Max Mickelson and Waverly Patterson as they recap the 2025 Chiesman Center for Democracy annual conference and interview a handful of the presenters. Max and Waverly are both seniors at USD majoring in Political Science who work for the Chiesman Center for Democracy. Guests this episode: Representative Drew Peterson, Representative Erin Healy, Carson Walker of SDNW, Senator Jamie Smith, USD Students Mohamed Mohamed and Griffin Petersen