Joan is joined by Joel Ostrow, Benedictine University political science professor and co-host of the World Discord podcast. He discussed the Russian constitution and its evolution under Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin, highlighting how Yeltsin handwrote amendments to the constitution that paved the way for him "to seize control, to dominate elections, to even, some may say, rig some of the elections during the 1990s, and ultimately paved the way for Putin to ignore the constitution and install his murderous dictatorship."

Ostrow compared this to current U.S. political dynamics, emphasizing the erosion of democratic norms and institutions under President Donald Trump. He asserted that the U.S. is experiencing a constitutional crisis, with Congress and the judiciary losing their traditional roles, and stressed the need for a fundamental shift in how elections and governance are conducted to prevent further erosion of democracy. 

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

And find the Joan Esposito (Full Episodes) podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and Amazon.