Discussing American democracy and interviewing Henry Steele Commager. Commager is an eminent historian who published an annotated version of Alexis de Tocqueville's "Democracy in America".

Eqbal Ahmad and Muhammad Yunus discuss the current state of East and West Pakistan with Studs Terkel. Topics of discussion include current food shortages, United States intervention in South and Southeast Asia, military rule in Pakistan, cultural differences between East and West Pakistan, and the human toll resulting from the military government, disease, and natural disasters. Includes an excerpt of a recording of Shanta Gandhi telling a story about an audience member’s response at the end of a play she performed during the Bengal Famine.(Wav ID: 1863201-3-1, 3-2, 3-3)

Otto Friedrich discusses his "Time" magazine piece, his writing, and American history. Songs "Yankee Doodle Dandy," "Free America" by Joseph Warren, a German song, an 18th century Boston Tea Party song, and an 18th-century British soldier song have been removed for copyright restrictions.

Studs Terkel speaks with writer and economist Derek Shearer about the book “Economic Democracy: The Challenge of the 1980s,” which Shearer co-authored with Martin Carnoy. Terkel and Shearer also discuss workers’ rights and equality in economics. Shearer reads a few excerpts from his book as well as a quote from labor leader Sidney Hillman.

Terkel interviews Carmen Alvarez and Juan Aguirre about the changing political climate in Spain during the mid-seventies when Francisco Franco was losing power and the fight for democracy was gaining traction throughout Spain.

Art historian Amy Conger and Arthur Warner and Natalie Warner discuss Chile and the coup d'etat of 1973.