Jimmy Carter’s Living Legacy (Literally!) Josh Carter on Democracy, Global Health, and Caregiving

In this kickoff-to-2026 episode of American Angst, we’re joined by a truly special guest: Josh Carter—podcaster, advocate, and yes, Jimmy Carter’s grandson—who offers an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the values that shaped his grandfather’s public life and his own. Josh shares unforgettable stories from Plains Sunday school (where people of many faiths felt welcomed), the surprising role of music in Carter-world (including a wild Bob Dylan family anecdote), and how Jimmy Carter’s faith wasn’t a private label but a public engine—fueling peacemaking, global health, and a radically inclusive moral imagination.

Then Dr. Michael Bailey brings his expert lens to the big civic themes underneath it all: what democracy really does (and how it can fail), why institutions matter most in fragile transitional moments, and how history turns on a few pivotal decisions. Josh connects these ideas to his own mission—demystifying government through stories—and to a deeply moving, present-day calling: caregiving advocacy, shaped by his son Jonathan’s rare disease journey and his family’s long experience with illness, disability, and care. Hosted by Dale McConkey, this conversation is heartfelt, funny, practical, and unexpectedly hopeful—one of those episodes that leaves you both more informed and more human.

The views expressed on American Angst are solely those of the participants and do not represent any organization.