At times loud, ranting, and funny, American Footnote looks at current events through the lenses of history, human nature, and the American experiment. If none of it works, contact Congress for refunds.
compendiumshow.substack.com (https://compendiumshow.substack.com/s/american-footnote?utm_medium=podcast)
Now that we’ve seen what isn’t working about Congress’ relationship to the lobby, let’s see if we can fix it. This is sure to make everyone happy.
* “Republic Lost” by Lawrence Lessig
* “The Concept of Systemic Corruption in American History (https://www.nber.org/system/files/chapters/c9977/c9977.pdf)” by John Joseph Wallis
* Federalist No. 57 (https://ballotpedia.org/Federalist_No._57_by_James_Madison_or_Alexander_Hamilton_(1788)) by James Madison
* Citizens United, Explained (https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/citizens-united-explained) by Daniel Weiner
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7 Aug 2026
Influence Business I
Yes, we’re going to fix Congress in this episode! How, you ask? Well, leave it to the optimist in Josh to think he can actually fix something as convoluted and dysfunctional as Congress, but he thinks it can be done, as the adage says: one bite at a time.
In this part 1 of a two-part conversation about systemic corruption in Congress, Josh lays out a bunch of problems (and probably skips over a few others). Part 2 will offer a solution to all of these issues, and hopefully we can get Congress to listen.
* “Republic Lost” by Lawrence Lessig
* “The Concept of Systemic Corruption in American History (https://www.nber.org/system/files/chapters/c9977/c9977.pdf)” by John Joseph Wallis
* Federalist No. 52 (https://ballotpedia.org/Federalist_No._52_by_James_Madison_or_Alexander_Hamilton_(1788)) by James Madison
* Citizens United, Explained (https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/citizens-united-explained) by Daniel Weiner
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29 Jul 2026
Falling off the Map
We’re divided, everyone says. The right and the left hate each other, and their oil/water relationship defines American political life. I wonder if it’s because the right and left don’t just view the news differently, but have completely different experiences with the news.
What if they live in separate worlds simply because of the information they consume?
Is there an enemies-to-lovers story arc here? (maybe)
* The Public and Its Problems by John Dewey
* Public Opinion by Walter Lippmann
* The Filter Bubble by Eli Pariser
* “Exposure to opposing views on social media can increase political polarization” (https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1804840115) (Objects in mirror may be bigger than they appear)
* Filter Bubble by Axel Bruns (https://eprints.qut.edu.au/137044/1/Bruns_2019_Filter_bubble.pdf)
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On the other hand, if you do like these episodes, leave a comment
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13 Jul 2026
The Natural Selection of Bad Politicians
You should know by now, I don’t get overly excited about partisan political debates. They’re grimy, heated, and full of gotchas. So why am I talking about Graham Platner’s implosion in the Maine Senate race?
Mostly because it gives me a chance to analyze how politicians are sometimes (perhaps often) rewarded despite behaving badly.
* ISPS Working Paper on Congressional Fundraising (https://isps.yale.edu/sites/default/files/publication/2025/02/brandice_canes-wrone_working_paper_12.5.24.web_.pdf)
* Federalist No. 68 (https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed68.asp)
* The Natural Selection of Bad Science by Smaldino & McElreath (https://arxiv.org/pdf/1605.09511)
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30 Jun 2026
Enemy of My Enemy (Not My Friend)
Here’s a quote to consider:
Politics, some believe, is the organization of hatreds. The people who try to divide society on the basis of ethnicity we call racists. The people who try to divide it on the basis of religion we call sectarians. The people who try to divide it on the basis of social class we call either populists or elitists.
—David Brooks
That was from a 2010 article in the Times, and I use it as a jumping-off point to consider why the rise of populism in American politics, though not a new phenomenon, is nonetheless scary.
While we’re at it, let’s solve the housing crisis. It’ll all make sense at the end.
* The Populist Addiction (https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/opinion/26brooks.html?emc=tnt&tntemail0=y) by David Brooks
* Populism’s Threat to Democracy: Comparative Lessons for the United States (https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/populisms-threat-to-democracy-comparative-lessons-for-the-united-states/BF94B9ED2AE558EBCC8682CF4DC08F7A)by Kurt Weyland
* The Populist Challenge to Liberal Democracy (https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-populist-challenge-to-liberal-democracy/) by William Galston
American Footnote is broken out as a section of this publication. If you don’t want this sort of thing showing up in your inbox, no worries, you can opt out of American Footnote episodes by clicking your profile (on desktop), selecting “manage subscriptions” and choosing what you would like to see in your inbox.
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On the other hand, if you do like these episodes, leave a comment
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22 Jun 2026
The Propositions
Much of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence will be about Trump and Trumpism. Public discussion will seethe over it. Observers will (probably) note how poorly the 47th president reflected the Declaration’s meaning for the men who signed it—and what it means for us today.
Perhaps I’m assuming too much. But that bet seems almost as safe as Nancy Pelosi’s investment strategy.
While I might not be qualified to give my two cents, I’ll try anyway. This is a romantic moment that offers a chance to return to the spiritual bedrock elements of the American Founding: the propositions.
The Gettysburg Address (https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/historic-document-library/detail/abraham-lincoln-the-gettysburg-address-1863)
Speech on the 150th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence (https://constitutioncenter.org/declaration/primary-sources/speech-on-the-150th-anniversary-of-the-declaration-of-independence)
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