The Politics Guys & Democracy Works on Trump, Impeachment and the Future of Democracy

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Mike talks with Chris Beem and Michael Berkman from Penn State’s McCourtney Institute for Democracy about their Democracy Works podcast and a whole bunch of other things including:

  • the fact that two of our last four, and three of our last nine presidents have gone through impeachment
  • the ‘best case’ outcome from this impeachment process
  • the potential fallout from straight party line impeachment voting
  • if Donald Trump is a unique case or a portent of presidents to come
  • strengthening our political institutions
  • whether we’re optimistic or pessimistic about the future of liberal democracy in the United States
  • and lots more!

The McCourtney Institute on Twitter

Be part of the discussion on the Politics Guys ‘BipartisanPolitics’ community on Reddit.

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. If you’re interested in supporting the show, go to patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support.

America, Compromised: Lawrence Lessig on Corruption in America

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Mike talks with Lawrence Lessig, the Roy L. Furman Professor of Law and Leadership at Harvard Law School. Professor Lessig co-founded Creative Commons in 2001 and is the author of numerous books, including Republic, Lost: Version 2.0 which he and Mike talked about on the podcast a few years ago (here’s a link to that interview). In this episode, they discuss about his recent book America, Compromised.

Topics covered include:

  • why the Mafia isn’t corrupt, but Congress is
  • raising the cost of corrupting Congress
  • giving American citizens Democracy Vouchers
  • why we should pay members of Congress a lot more
  • good people in the bad institution of Congress
  • corruption in the financial industry
  • why no financial institution heads were prosecuted in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis
  • corruption in political media
  • and lots more!

Lawrence Lessig on Twitter

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. If you’re interested in supporting the show, go to patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support.

Scott Adams on how ‘Loserthink’ is Ruining America

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Mike talks with Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, one of the most popular comic strips of all time. In recent years, Adams has become an important part of the political conversation through his commentary on Donald Trump as well as the bestselling book Win Bigly. He’s got a new book out called Loserthink: How Untrained Brains Are Ruining America, which he and Mike discuss on the show.

Topics Mike & Scott discuss include:

  • Donald Trump as the ‘most psychologically capable leader we’ve ever had’
  • why people think like losers
  • the value of mockery
  • the loserthink surrounding climate science
  • why Adams watches both Fox and CNN (as painful as that may sound)
  • how and why to think like an engineer
  • the use of hyperbole and thinking like a leader
  • the ‘48 hour rule’ the ‘20 year rule’ and the ‘magic question’

Scott Adams on Twitter

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. If you’re interested in supporting the show, go to patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support.

Behind the Scenes in the Obama White House with Lawrence Jackson

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Mike talks with Lawrence Jackson, an official White House Photographer in the Obama administration. He’s just released a beautiful book of photographs and stories about his time with the Obamas called Yes We Did: Photos and Behind-the-Scenes Stories Celebrating Our First African American President

Topics Mike & Lawrence discuss include:

  • what the Obamas are really like
  • being behind the scenes in the White House
  • the ultra-competitive nature of President Obama
  • the toll that being president takes on a person
  • the survey Jackson took of 300 former White House staffers
  • and lots more

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. If you’re interested in supporting the show, go to patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support.

U.S. Congressman Thomas Massie on How Congress *Really* Works

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Mike talks with Rep. Thomas Massie, who represents Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District. Massie attended MIT, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering. Prior to serving in Congress, he was an inventor, an entrepreneur, and Judge Executive of Lewis County, Kentucky. In Congress, he serves on the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure and the Committee on Oversight and Reform.

Topics Mike & Rep. Massie discuss include:

  • how members of Congress have to ‘buy’ seats on committees
  • the congressional extortion racket
  • why the minority party in the House is irrelevant
  • Congress’ abdication of responsibility
  • the political pressure to weaken Congress’ ability to do its job
  • why Rep. Massie would be in favor of repealing the 17th Amendment
  • what Rep. Massie would change about the House and the Senate
  • and lots more!

Follow Rep. Massie on Twitter

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. If you’re interested in supporting the show, go to patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support.

Nick Tomboulides on Term Limits

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Trey talks with Nick Tomboulides, an Executive Director of U.S. Term Limits. Under his leadership, USTL launched the Term Limits Convention, a campaign to obtain a congressional term limits amendment via the state-directed convention. Nick also serves as a policy advisor with a national think tank and is on the board of directors for a local political caucus in Florida.

Topics Trey and Mr. Tomboulisdes discuss include:

  • Why should Americans want term limits?
  • Why should citizens want a national convention as opposed to more traditional Constitutional amendment processes?
  • Should we be worried about a runaway convention?
  • Why not bypass state legislatures?
  • State term limits and their shortcomings

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. If you’re interested in supporting the show, go to patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support.

Bruce Ackerman on Revolutionary Constitutions

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Mike talks with Bruce Ackerman, Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale. Dr. Ackerman is one of the world’s preeminent scholars in the area of comparative constitutional law, with his ideas having been the basis for constitutional reforms in multiple countries. He’s the author of 19 books, the most recent of which is Revolutionary Constitutions: Charismatic Leadership and the Rule of Law.

Topics Mike and Dr. Ackerman discuss include:

  • how regime change happens
  • charismatic leaders and movements
  • if the US Supreme Court should look to other high courts for guidance
  • major constitutional revolutions in American history
  • FDR and the constitutional revolution that wasn’t
  • Ronald Reagan and the strategy of transformative appointment
  • the anti-constitutionalism of Donald Trump
  • why the 2020 election is so critical

Bruce Ackerman on Twitter

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. If you’re interested in supporting the show, go to patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support.

Jen Schradie on How Digital Activism Favors Conservatives

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Mike talks with sociologist, author, and documentary filmmaker Jen Schradie. Dr. Schradie is an Assistant Professor at the Observatoire sociologique du changement at Sciences Po in Paris. Her research focuses on the empirical study of digital democracy, digital activism, and the digital divide. Her latest book is The Revolution That Wasn’t: How Digital Activism Favors Conservatism.

Topics Mike & Dr. Schradie discuss include:

  • technological optimism, especially on the left
  • the activism gap between conservatives and liberals
  • the structural factors that help conservative activists
  • differences in conservative and liberal messaging
  • the importance of money, motivation, and message
  • narrowing the activism gap

Jen Schradie on Twitter

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. If you’re interested in supporting the show, go to patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support.

Jennifer Rauch on Why Slow Media is Satisfying, Sustainable, and Smart

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Mike talks with Jennifer Rauch, Professor of Journalism and Communication Studies at Long Island University Brooklyn. Dr. Rauch is an award-winning writer, educator and researcher whose work focuses on alternative media, media activism and popular culture. Her latest book is Slow Media: Why ‘Slow’ Is Satisfying, Sustainable, and Smart.

Topics Mike and Jennifer discuss include:

  • Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death
  • Jennifer’s extended digital media retreat
  • the Slow Food movement’s influence on slow media
  • the best slow journalism being produced today
  • whether slow media is elitist
  • liberal bias in slow media
  • why Luddites get a bad rap
  • the politics of time

Check out Jennifer’s Slow Media Blog
Jennifer Rauch on Twitter

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. If you’re interested in supporting the show, go to patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support.

David Hawkings and The Fulcrum

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Trey welcomes David Hawkings to the show to discuss his latest media project The Fulcrum.

Topics discussed include:

  • What is the current fundamental problem or problems in the American system?
  • Why do we need a news outlet like The Fulcrum?
  • What makes The Fulcrum different?
  • The problems with Congress.
  • The problems with Congressional transparency.

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. If you’re interested in supporting the show, go to patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support.