Category: Interviews

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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Trey welcomes Lee Drutman, Vanessa Williamson and Felcia Wong to the show to discuss their latest report and study through the democracy fund voter study group: On the Money.

Topics discussed include:

• why study voter’s economic policy preferences
• why Republicans do not share an economic policy position
• the difference for people’s individual policy preferences and their overall policy goals
• the role of luck in economic policy views
• the predictive power of economic policy views in American elections
• Donald Trump and Republican economic policy views

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Mike welcomes George Mason University economist Tyler Cowen back to the show to discuss his latest book, Big Business: A Love Letter to an American Anti-Hero. As you may know, Tyler is a very busy guy – in addition to his academic position, he runs the Marginal Revolution blog  and Conversations with Tyler podcast. He’s also regular contributor at Bloomberg Opinion and has written multiple books, including two Mike previously spoke with him about on the show: Stubborn Attachments and The Complacent Class.

Topics Mike & Tyler discuss include:

• fraud in the business world
• if big business is more honest than people in non-business settings
• why top CEos may actually be underpaid
• work vs leisure
• monopolies, with a focus on Facebook, Google, and Amazon
• problems with the finance industry
• crony capitalism
• how much political influence big business really has
• why we personalize big business, and why we shouldn’t

follow Tyler Cowen on Twitter

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Mike talks with Helena Rosenblatt, a professor of history at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, about her latest book, The Lost History of Liberalism: From Ancient Rome to the Twenty-First Century.

Topics Mike & Helena discuss include:

• the meaning of liberalism in ancient Greece and Rome
• liberalism as an aristocratic virtue
• the connection between liberalism and education
• the Catholic Church as an historical opponent of liberalism
• classical, ‘laissez faire’ liberalism
• progressive Republicans, Wilsonian Democrats, and 20th century American liberalism
• how mid-twentieth century totalitarianism affected liberalism
• the key challenges to modern liberalism

Helena Rosenblatt on Twitter

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Mike talks with University of Missouri St. Louis economist David Rose about his book Why Culture Matters Most. Topics they discuss include:

• why democratic capitalism is the only reliable way to achieve mass flourishing
• the relationship between culture, trust, institutions, and mass flourishing
• small group vs large group trust
• the role of religion in building a high-trust society
• why trust in the system has been in such steep decline
• how limited government helps to maintain trust in the system
• what we can do to increase trust and strengthen our democratic institutions

Panel on Capitalism & Poverty (YouTube)

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Mike talks with Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart Holland, hosts of the Pantsuit Politics podcast about their new book, I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening): a Guide To Grace-Filled Political Conversations.

In this conversation, Mike, Sarah, and Beth discuss:

• why they became political podcasters
• the role of faith in political discussion
• ‘taking off your jersey’ before talking politics
• why the left and the right often view politics as more important than it is, and how that makes productive dialog more difficult
• how to have grace-filled political conversations
• cultivating a sense of curiosity
• ‘embracing the paradox’
• partisan echo chambers
• and lots more!

follow Pantsuit Politics on Twitter

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Mike talks with political scientist Matt Grossmann, Director of Michigan State University’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, about his book Artists of the Possible: Governing Networks and American Policy Change Since 1945.

Topics Mike & Matt discuss include:
– how much of a role the public has in policy change
– the flaws in our standard notions of how policy change happens
– how Matt examined every major policy change from 1945 – 2004
– why policy favors the status quo – and liberal interests
– President Trump as a policymaker
– and lots more

– follow Matt Grossmann 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.