The Argument

About The Argument

Has affirmative action gone too far? Should we abolish internet anonymity? Is liberal hypocrisy worth defending? Welcome to The Argument, a weekly podcast from Jerusalem Demsas and Matthew Yglesias, where two friends argue about politics, policy, and whatever else is on their minds. This is a debate show for people who want the nitty-gritty without the typical screaming matches or softball interviews. Each week, one host argues a distinctive point of view — armed with facts and research, not just pundit bluster — and then Matthew and Jerusalem hash it out. New episodes post every Thursday. You can find The Argument on Substack, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts. www.theargumentmag.com (https://www.theargumentmag.com/s/the-argument-podcast?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

The Argument

Category

news · science · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

25 Sept 2025

Latest episode

17 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

31 of 48 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   17 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Are we on the road to serfdom?

   Jerusalem Demsas and Matt Yglesias discuss Friedrich von Hayek's "The Road to Serfdom," exploring its relevance to modern political and economic systems in this interview.

2. 

   10 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   How 9/11 changed American politics forever

   Jerusalem Demsas and Matt Yglesias explore how 9/11 irrevocably reshaped American politics, foreign policy, and the Republican Party's trajectory in this insightful interview.

3. 

   3 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Nate Silver on why the center-left is losing

   Jerusalem Demsas and Matt Yglesias interview Nate Silver about why the center-left is losing political arguments despite policy correctness, offering insights into liberal messaging and establishment dynamics.

Inside a recent episode

Are we on the road to serfdom?

Published 17 Sept 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] Yeah. Right. That we can't freeze the entire labor market and still have a free society. But you could freeze the labor market just for town car drivers. But he says if it's provided for some, it becomes a privilege at the expense of others whose security is thereby necessarily diminished. Right. And so as he says, this means that you end up in an arms race. Once we decide that the way a person is supposed to secure their economic interests through political action is specific labor market protectionism for them, the more you give that to some people, the more unreasonable it seems to deny it to even more people. […]

Who has been a guest on The Argument

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Nate Silver
• Jeremiah Johnson
• Derek Thompson
• Timothy B Lee
• Kelsey Piper

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.5 / 5

116 ratings

Pitching The Argument

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting pitches.

Questions about The Argument