The New Rules of Politics: Introduction
In this preview of the midweek supporters’ exclusive show, Mike and Michael introduce The New Rules of Politics, a new series aimed at explaining modern American politics through incentives, institutions, and systemic dynamics rather than personalities. Mike argues that many traditional ways of interpreting politics no longer work because the broader environment—especially technology, media, and political rules—has changed faster than the institutions governing politics can adapt.
The conversation explores how structural factors such as low-turnout primaries, the nationalization of politics, changes in media business models, and the growing influence of money in campaigns shape who succeeds in politics and how they behave once in office. They also discuss declining public trust in institutions, the possibility that figures like Donald Trump are products of modern political incentives rather than unique anomalies, and the difficulty of meaningful constitutional or institutional reform in an era of deep polarization.
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