Enough with the doom and gloom — we’re ready to talk about how America can thrive. Hosted by Washington Post Opinion columnist Megan McArdle, “Reasonably Optimistic” is your weekly conversation about how America can get unstuck and build a better future. Stop feeding your rage and start embracing our possibilities. Episodes drop Wednesdays.
Impromptu
Claim This Podcastby The Washington Post
4.0(344 reviews)
181 episodes
Updated Daily
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇺🇸
34
Podcast Authority
BetaPoorBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality29
Social0
YouTube0
Engagement98
Podcast Overview
Enough with the doom and gloom — we’re ready to talk about how America can thrive. Hosted by Washington Post Opinion columnist Megan McArdle, “Reasonably Optimistic” is your weekly conversation about how America can get unstuck and build a better future. Stop feeding your rage and start embracing our possibilities. Episodes drop Wednesdays.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
3/6/2024
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34
Podcast Authority
BetaPoorBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality29
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Engagement98
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Recent Episodes
September 18, 2026
Why everyone seems to hate Flock cameras
Host Megan McArdle interviews Charles Fain Lehman about the privacy concerns and crime-fighting benefits of Flock cameras.
September 16, 2026
What AI experts fear most
Host Megan McArdle interviews Tim Lee, author of the Understanding AI newsletter, about the most significant fears surrounding artificial intelligence development and potential solutions.
September 11, 2026
This medieval revolt has a warning for today
Host Megan McArdle interviews historian Dan Jones about the 1381 Peasants' Revolt, revealing pandemic-driven economic shifts and elite failures that resonate today.
181 total episodes available with 149 transcripts
Recent guests on Impromptu
Guests from recent episodes — sign up to see every guest that has ever appeared on this show.
Charles Fain Lehman
Guest
Tim Lee
Guest
Dan Jones
Guest
Adam Frank
Guest
Megan McArdle
Guest
Andy Masley
Guest
Tim Carney
Guest
Gabriel Rossman
Guest
Ryan Burge
Guest
Tyler Austin Harper
Guest
Josh Barro
Guest
Jonathan Haidt
Guest
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