There's the democracy we're told about... then there's
The Other Democracy
A weekly, reform-oriented investigative podcast hosted by Sondra Wilson
What happens when the law itself needs changing? When contacting elected representatives produces little more than form letters? When the institutions responsible for protecting our rights become obstacles to exercising them?
And what happens when the institutions created to serve the public begin operating against the very purposes they were established to fulfill?
The Other Democracy investigates the history, power, and inner workings of the institutions that govern our lives—especially those rarely discussed during election campaigns.
Beginning in Iowa, with subjects relevant across the United States, we'll examine government immunity doctrines, access to justice, election integrity, wealth extraction, institutional accountability, and the experiences of ordinary citizens who encounter these systems firsthand.
Each episode explores how institutions originated, how they operate today, the human consequences of their decisions, and—most importantly—how citizens can organize to reform or replace the rules themselves.
Because sometimes the problem isn't simply who's in office, or how the law is being enforced. It's the rules governing the institutions themselves.
Listen below, explore the investigations, and join the conversation.
Episode Two
Nicholas Gluba — The Candidate Iowans Never Got to Hear
The Life, Platform, and Political Voice of Iowa's Excluded Libertarian Candidate
What happens when a candidate gathers more than 8,000 petition signatures, only to be excluded from the ballot before voters ever get to decide? And what ideas did Iowans lose the opportunity to hear?
In Episode Two of The Other Democracy, Libertarian gubernatorial candidate and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Nicholas Gluba joins Sondra Wilson for an extended conversation about his life, his campaign, and the political platform he hoped to bring before Iowa voters.
Raised on an Iowa cattle ranch, Gluba discusses his military service in Iraq, his career, and his decision to become politically active. He explains his proposals for restructuring Iowa's property-tax system, his opposition to taxpayer-funded private-school vouchers, his views on public education, and his support for the separation of church and state.
The conversation then returns to the disputed state objection-panel proceedings that ended his candidacy, including questions about election-office procedures, his running mate's filing documents, the conduct of state officials, and the subsequent judicial review.
Before the interview, Wilson also examines a federal court decision involving Iowa Public Television's exclusion of third-party candidates from televised debates and introduces her work on a proposed new Iowa Constitution and the Constitutional Reform Party.
Special Investigation — Part Two of Two: The Real Story Behind How Nicholas Gluba Was Kept Off Iowa's 2026 Gubernatorial Ballot.
Episode One:
Political Chew Toys
How are political wedge issues distracting Iowans from the problems unfolding right under our noses?
How are political wedge issues distracting Iowans from the problems unfolding right under our noses?
In our premiere episode, we examine out-of-state rental income, healthcare executive compensation, the expansion of Flock-style surveillance cameras, political funding, and government immunity doctrines that can limit accountability when public officials cause harm.
We also begin our two-part investigation into the exclusion of Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Nicholas Gluba from Iowa's 2026 ballot, featuring audio excerpts from the actual state objection-panel proceedings.
Special Investigation — Part One of Two: The Real Story Behind How Nicholas Gluba Was Kept Off Iowa's 2026 Gubernatorial Ballot.
