#260: How the Democrats Failed to Solve Inequality (Lily Geismer)
The GOP is often seen as "the party of the rich," enacting policies that benefit the wealthy and leave the poor behind. However, a new book by historian Lily Geismer reveals that Democrats also played a significant role in deepening American inequality.
In this episode, she and Julian Zelizer discuss the Clinton-era policy decisions that led to skyrocketed inequality and poverty in the U.S. today. Her book, "Left Behind: The Democrats' Failed Attempt to Solve Inequality," was published in March 2022 by PublicAffairs.
Geismer is an associate professor of history at Claremont McKenna College. Her research and teaching focuses on 20th century political and urban history in the United States, especially liberalism and the Democratic Party.
* We apologize for any sound-quality issues in this episode. (Headphone microphones can be unkind.)
31 Mar 2022
#259: Does America Need a Reboot? (Will Hurd)
Big questions are coming up as the midterm elections inch closer. Where does the GOP stand in the post-Trump era? How severe is political polarization? And how will President Biden and his team tackle some of the country’s biggest challenges from responding to the war in Ukraine to getting a handle on inflation?
Former Congressman Will Hurd — and self-described “idealist” — proposes a blueprint for getting things done in Washington, all of which is explained in his new book, “American Reboot: An idealist Guide to Getting Things Done (https://www.willbhurd.com/book),” published this week by Simon & Schuster. He discusses this and more in a lively conversation with Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang in this week’s episode.
Hurd represented Texas’s 23rd Congressional District from 2015 to 2021. He previously worked for the CIA stationed primarily in Washington, D.C., including a tour of duty as an operations officer in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.
15 Mar 2022
#258: The War In Ukraine and U.S. Politics
Russia's attacks on Ukraine are getting closer to NATO countries and striking civilians trying to flee. Negotiations for a resolution have been attempted, but all have failed so far. Nuclear weapons seem as though they loom large, as the world watches how the conflict continues to unfold.
Julian and Sam discuss the current state of the war in Ukraine, how the media is responding, and what might lie ahead in this week's episode.
Inside a recent episode
#115: Conservatism Today with Arthur Brooks
Published 15 Nov 2018 · Transcript excerpt
[…] And so that's what a think tank is doing is really creating an idea agenda for policymakers, for members of the business community, for the general public on TV and events and books and articles. And it's just the idea engine that's supposed to fuel the competition of ideas that creates American excellence in public policy. […]
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