Indiana’s Religious Freedom Law, Accents And Politics

Air Date:
Heard On Central Time

Can political candidates’ accents affect their success at the polls? Our guest breaks down different regional accents, and how they can change during an election campaign. We also get a legal opinion on Indiana’s controversial new religious freedom law.

Featured in this Show

  • Does Indiana's Religious Freedom Law Allow Businesses To Discriminate?

    Indiana has gotten a lot of heat since Governor Mike Pence signed the state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law last week. Critics of the law say that it was crafted to allow businesses to discriminate against the LGBT community. Those who support the law deny those accusations and say it mimics laws in other states as well as federal law.

  • Is Scott Walker Training His Accent For National Appeal?

    A recent report in the New York Times said that Scott Walker is adjusting his Wisconsin accent to appeal to a national audience. We speak with a linguist about the politics of accents and how the way Wisconsinites speak compares with the rest of the country.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Galen Druke Producer
  • Kimi King Guest
  • William Labov Guest