DIA-Today: Democracy in America Today

diatoday
  • 5.0 (28)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.

  1. MAR 28

    Appealing to the ‘Immutable Laws of Nature’: America’s Semiquincentennial, part 5

    We discuss the “Declaration and Resolves” of the First Continental Congress and the enduring value of appeals to the laws of nature. Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:53) - We discuss the return of Major League Baseball and fantasy baseball. The “Declaration and Resolves” (2:33) -  We discuss the key principles of the First Continental Congress’s “Declaration and Resolves” and the appeals to the people of Britain and the King approved by the same body. Links: “Declaration and Resolves”; appeal to the British people; appeal to the King.   The natural law and balanced government (33:16) - With help from a selection from John Adams’s autobiography, we discuss the key questions addressed and answered by the First Continental Congress. Link: John Adams’s Autobiography. Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (49:16) - We review our recent WBC and NCAA basketball picks and make our season-long baseball predictions.  Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com YouTube: @DIAToday Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. The history of the American Revolution: Walter McDougall, Freedom Just Around the Corner; Robert Middlekauff, The Glorious Cause. David Corbin is the Provost of Colorado Christian University. Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

    56 min

  2. MAR 14

    Executive Power and Persuasion: America's Semiquincentennial, part 4

    We discuss Thomas Jefferson’s “Summary View of the Rights of British America” and the implications of Jefferson’s principles for the contemporary executive. Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:53) - We discuss Dave’s first week as Provost of Colorado Christian University. “A Summary View of the Rights of British America” (3:50) -  We discuss the key principle and argument of Thomas Jefferson’s 1774 essay. Link: Jefferson’s essay.   Executive Power and Persuasion (33:38) - We discuss the implications of Jefferson’s essay for executive war powers in the context of the war with Iran. Links: Michael Brendan Dougherty at National Review Online; George Will on Executive War Powers in 2014; Stop-Gap Statesmanship. Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (50:17) - We review the early stages of the World Baseball Classic and make our first picks for the upcoming NCAA basketball tournament.  Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com YouTube: @DIAToday Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. The history of the American Revolution: Walter McDougall, Freedom Just Around the Corner; Robert Middlekauff, The Glorious Cause. David Corbin is the Provost of Colorado Christian University. Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

    57 min

  3. FEB 28

    No Taxation on Trade Without Representation: America's Semiquincentennial, part 3

    We continue our reflections on the key documents of the revolutionary era by looking at Sam Adams’s “The Rights of the Colonists” and the surprising connection between the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on President Trump’s tariffs and the colonial debates over the taxing power of Parliament. Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:53) - We discuss Dave’s recent appointment as the new Provost at Colorado Christian University.  “The Rights of Colonists” (3:25) -  We introduce and discuss the key principles of Sam Adams’s “The Rights of Colonists.” Link: “The Rights of Colonists.” The Tariff Case and the Rights of Colonists (27:18) - We review key claims in Justice Thomas’s dissent in Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump in light of the colonial view of taxation and representation. Links: President Trump’s remarks about the tariff decision; Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump.  Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (44:03) - We celebrate the great wins of the US hockey teams and make our picks for the World Baseball Classic. Link: WBC groups. Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com YouTube: @DIAToday Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. The history of the American Revolution: Walter McDougall, Freedom Just Around the Corner; Robert Middlekauff, The Glorious Cause. Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

    49 min

  4. FEB 14

    No Government is Above the Law: America's Semiquincentennial, part 2

    We continue to explore the key documents of the revolutionary era by discussing the 1768 claim of the Massachusetts General Court that all government institutions are bound to follow fundamental law.  Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:53) - We lament the Patriots’ Super Bowl loss and look forward to baseball season. Ben Franklin before the House of Commons (2:37) -  We review key arguments from Benjamin Franklin’s remarkable 1766 testimony before the House of Commons on the Stamp Act. Link: Franklin’s testimony. The Massachusetts Circular Letter of 1768 (18:23) - We review the context and principles of the Massachusetts Circular Letter, responding to Parliament’s Townshend Acts. Link: Massachusetts Circular Letter. Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (44:55) - We make our picks for the men’s and women’s hockey gold medals. Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com YouTube: @DIAToday Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. The history of the American Revolution: Walter McDougall, Freedom Just Around the Corner. Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

    48 min

  5. JAN 31

    Minnesota ICE: Consent, Rebellion, and Lawful Resistance

    We begin our review of key documents of the American revolutionary era by discussing how notions of consent and lawful resistance from the Stamp Act Congress’s Declaration of Rights can inform our debate over resistance to ICE actions in Minnesota and beyond.  Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:53) - We discuss the full arrival of winter in Colorado and New Jersey.  The Declaration of Rights (2:54) - We discuss the context of the Stamp Act Congress Declaration of Rights and the core principles of consent and lawful resistance. Link: The Declaration of Rights.  No Taxation Without Representation (22:45) - We discuss how the founding era principle of “no taxation without representation” applies to present concerns about the responsiveness of government. Link: Demosclerosis by Jonathan Rauch. Rebellion and Lawful Resistance (32:17) - We consider the rights and wrongs of resistance to authority in light of the activities in Minnesota, Paul’s injunction in Romans 13, and the principles of the Declaration of Rights. Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (49:54) - We review our picks for the College Football Championship game and the Patriots’ game against the Texans and make our projections for the Super Bowl.  Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com YouTube: @DIAToday Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

    55 min

  6. JAN 17

    Venezuela, America First, and the Monroe Doctrine

    We discuss the recent military operation in Venezuela in light of the principles of the Monroe Doctrine and American First foreign policy, as summarized in Dr. Angelo Codevilla’s final book. Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:53) - We discuss the beginning of the semiquincentennial year of the United States and our plans for a new podcast series leading up to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.  John Quincy Adams and the Monroe Doctrine (3:25) - We review the principles of the Monroe Doctrine using Dr. Codevilla’s book, America’s Rise and Fall Among Nation: Lessons in Statecraft from John Quincy Adams. Links: Dr. Codevilla’s book; Monroe Seventh Annual Message.  The Monroe Doctrine, America First, and Venezuela (27:22) - We discuss how the principles of the Monroe Doctrine apply to President Trump’s extraction of Nicholas Maduro and his wife from Venezuela and the possible next steps for American foreign policy.  Links: The Hill on the legality of the Venezuela incursion; Reid Smith at Foreign Affairs; J. Michael Waller on the “Donroe” Doctrine. Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (50:16) - We review Dave’s extraordinary picks for the first round of the College Football Playoff and make our projections for the national championship game, the Patriots-Texans game, and the AFC and NFC champions. Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com YouTube: @DIAToday Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

    58 min

  7. 12/24/2025

    Common Sense Foreign Policy: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla, part 6

    We continue our series on the book Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla by discussing chapter 6: “Angelo Codevilla, Common Sense, and Missile Defense” by Brian T. Kennedy.  Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:53) - We discuss Christmas plans and the upcoming retirement of our former pastor, Steve Magee.  Review: “Angelo Codevilla’s Failure, and Ours” (4:10) - We review the lessons of the fifth chapter of Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic. “Angelo Codevilla, Common Sense, and Missile Defense” (11:25) - We discuss Dr. Codevilla’s application of common sense in outlining a classic American foreign policy and the implications for conflicts from the Cold War to Ukraine and Venezuela today. Links: George Washington’s “Farewell Address”; Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books. Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (50:40) - We review our picks for the Power 4 College Football Conference Championship games, where Dave went 4-0, and make our predictions for the first round of the College Football Playoffs.  Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com YouTube: @DIAToday Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books. Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

    59 min

  8. 12/06/2025

    Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla, part 5

    We continue our series on the book Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla by discussing chapter 5: “Angelo Codevilla’s Failure, and Ours” by David P. Goldman.  Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:53) - We discuss Dave’s Thanksgiving trip to New England and the beginning of the Christmas season. Review: “The Compleat Political Thinker” (2:43) - We review the lessons of the fourth chapter of Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic. “Angelo Codevilla’s Failure, and Ours” (5:08) - We discuss Dr. Codevilla’s decision to pursue a calling as a professor and public intellectual rather than opportunities that he had in the intelligence and scientific communities and the broader challenges of bringing about a reform of ruling class politics with a populist movement led by political outsiders.  Link: Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books.  Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (37:57) - We discuss the good football and our bad picks for the Thanksgiving NFL games and make our predictions for the Power 4 college football conference championship games with a special interest in their implications for Dave’s adopted Notre Dame Fighting Irish.   Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com YouTube: @DIAToday Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books. Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

    45 min
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Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.

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