Politicology

Politicology
  • 4.8 (16K)
  • Politics
  • Updated Weekly

Politics in America is transforming. We’re embarking on a new series to deepen our understanding of who we are, how we got here, and how we rebuild without repeating the mistakes of the past. Ron Steslow hosts academics, behavioral economists, social psychologists, politicos, philosophers, anthropologists, journalists, poets, and storytellers—and more—to discuss America’s political present and future and dive into the deeper problems we face as a nation. Email us questions or comments: podcast@politicology.com.

POLITICOLOGY+

Part master class. Part laboratory. Part war room.

$8.49/mo or $69.99/yr after trial

  1. 1d ago

    Data Center Dissent — The Weekly

    Susan Del Percio (crisis communications expert and political analyst at MS NOW) joins host Ron Steslow to trace how a revolt against data centers opens larger questions into how the AI buildout is financed and who holds the risk.  They begin with the politics of the backlash and the town by town opposition that has turned data centers into a bipartisan populist flashpoint. Then they look at the leaked Republican memo warning the backlash could cost the party a Senate seat in November.  Next, they turn to the real constraint beneath the fight, energy, the race with China, and reporting that foreign actors are attempting to amplify the opposition.  Then, they look at the federal debt and how Washington is betting that AI-led growth is the only survivable way out.  In Politicology+, they break down the DNC’s newly approved 2028 presidential primary calendar and what it means for the factional power struggle within the party. POLITICOLOGY+ Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus. SPONSORS & PROMO CODES: https://bit.ly/44uAGZ8 Send your questions and ideas to podcast@politicology.com Ron Steslow on X: https://x.com/RonSteslow Susan Del Percio on X: https://x.com/DelPercioS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  2. 2d ago • Politicology+ Only

    [+] The Calendar Is the Message [Members Only]

    Ron Steslow and Susan Del Percio break down the DNC’s newly approved 2028 presidential primary calendar and what it means for the factional power struggle within the party.

  3. Aug 15

    Democratic Socialists vs. American Power — The Weekly

    Hagar Chemali (former spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations) joins host Ron Steslow to take the Democratic Socialists of America’s foreign policy seriously on their own terms, reading what the movement has written down. They begin with the DSA’s ascent: a run of 2026 primary wins and Democratic leadership inclined to accommodate the energy rather than resist it, echoing MAGA’s takeover of the GOP.  From there, they turn to the left’s foreign policy lineage—the distance from establishment liberalism's alliance and diplomacy to a progressivism warier of American power and rosier about its adversaries.  Then they break down the DSA’s national security strategy: defund the military, close overseas bases, and dissolve what it calls the U.S. empire.  Finally, they weigh the stakes for a shifting party with Israel as the first flashpoint of a weakening alliance and a broader diagnosis of populism without ideology and the institutional decay it accelerates.  In Politicology+, they discuss the recent mass crossing into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta and what it exposes about Europe. POLITICOLOGY+ Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus. SPONSORS & PROMO CODES: https://bit.ly/44uAGZ8 Send your questions and ideas to podcast@politicology.com Ron Steslow on X: https://x.com/RonSteslow Hagar Chemali on X: https://x.com/HagarChemali Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  4. Aug 14 • Politicology+ Only

    [+] Europe Is Not a Country [Members Only]

    Ron Steslow and Hagar Chemali unpack the mass crossing into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta and what it exposes about Europe. They trace the pull factors and the social media campaign behind the surge. Then, they turn to the fault lines it reopened: Italy suspending free movement with Spain, a bloc of member states demanding controls, and a populist wave rising across the continent on migration.

  5. Aug 7

    Pax Machina — The Weekly

    Mike Madrid (author of The Latino Century) joins host Ron Steslow to examine how AI is redrawing the machinery of politics and forcing a reckoning with what remains distinctly human.  They begin with campaigns, where operatives now test messages on synthetic electorates, AI agents built to think like real voters, before a word reaches anyone.   From there, they turn to the parties, which are unraveling into digital networks: brands so weak a cultural figure could hijack a nomination like Trump did in 2016.  Then they dive into Pax Machina, a publication arguing powerful AI opens the first stage of institutional invention since the founding, warning that a president commanding loyal AI delegates could hollow out constitutional checks without changing the texts.  Finally, they weigh Gregory Conti’s warning of science without scientists, asking whether choosing which questions matter is foundation enough for a dignity no machine can supply.  In Politicology+, they discuss what a major Bitcoin wallet heist shows about where AI-era security is headed. POLITICOLOGY+ Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus. SPONSORS & PROMO CODES: https://bit.ly/44uAGZ8 Send your questions and ideas to podcast@politicology.com Ron Steslow on X: https://x.com/RonSteslow Mike Madrid on X: https://x.com/madrid_mike Related Reading:  AXIOS: We're headed toward the first true AI electionhttps://www.axios.com/2026/08/05/ai-election-bots-simulated-voters-2026-2028 AXIOS: GOP campaigns go all-in on AI — Dems not so muchhttps://www.axios.com/2026/04/14/republicans-ai-campaigns-democrats-2026 The Launch of Pax Machinahttps://paxmachina.ai/welcome-to-pax-machina Clawed by Dean Ball (March 2026) - Dean is now a founding editorial board member at Pax Machina)https://www.hyperdimensional.co/p/clawed Rebuilding our world, with reference to strong AI by Tyler Cowen (Feb 2026)https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2026/02/rebuilding-our-world-with-reference-to-strong-ai.html The End of Vocation by Gregory Conti (July 2026)https://www.thefp.com/p/ai-human-work-vocation-meaning-obsolete Nothing can stop the AI Revolution by Tyler Cowen (Aug 2026)https://www.thefp.com/p/tyler-cowen-nothing-can-stop-the Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  6. Aug 7 • Politicology+ Only

    [+] The Canary Is Singing: The Danger of AI Safetyism [Members Only]

    Ron tells the story of a $130 million Bitcoin theft that’s really about the fight over AI regulation — open versus closed, American intellectual property versus the ability to defend yourself, and the danger that safetyism leaves us undefended against adversaries like China. He and Mike Madrid work through the thicket of questions the story raises: how openness is both a vulnerability and a defense, what happens when security becomes armies of AI attacking and defending in real time, and why liberty in the digital age requires hardwiring a new kind of right. Related Reading: Coldcard Bitcoin Exploit Explained: Entropy, How Keys Are Generated, and Why Bits Matter https://decrypt.co/374916/coldcard-bitcoin-exploit-explained-entropy-keys-bits Inside the White House debate over what to do about Chinese AI https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/23/inside-the-white-house-debate-over-what-to-do-about-chinese-ai-01010997 ​Cybersecurity At Machine Speed: Why AI-Driven Exploits Change Everything https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2026/06/08/cybersecurity-at-machine-speed-why-ai-driven-exploits-change-everything/

  7. Aug 5

    ENCORE: The Sinister Threat of Digital Dollars

    For the ad-free version of this episode, subscribe to Politicology+ at https://politicology.com/plus In this episode, Ron talks to Nick Anthony (Policy Analyst at the Cato Institute and a Fellow at the Human Rights Foundation) about Central Bank Digital Curriences, their potential to invade privacy, alter the dynamics of financial control, how governments are trying to justify them, and why those arguments are insufficient . They discuss: (04:16) Intro to CBDCs (07:58) How CBDCs would give unprecedented control over how you can spend money  (12:15) The Arguments for and against CBDCs (19:53)The hidden assumptions behind CBDC arguments  (24:50) The real world privacy implications of CBDCs (33:05) CBDCs around the globe  (36:21) The political dynamics in the U.S.  (47:47) Bitcoin vs CBDCs Check out the HRF’s CBDC Tracker: https://bit.ly/3WtFb3g Follow Ron and Nick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://x.com/EconWithNick Email your questions to podcast@politicology.com or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  8. Jul 31

    An Oligarch’s Warning—The Weekly

    Molly McKew (writer and lecturer on Russian influence and information warfare) joins host Ron Steslow to examine how Ukraine’s widening reach is bringing the war home to Russia and what a defeated Russia could become.  They begin with the war’s new geography: strikes that have idled a quarter of Russia’s refining capacity, and drones now reaching the Caspian corridor between Russia and Iran.  Next, they trace Ukraine’s rise from scrappy insurgent to serious power, erasing Russian sanctuary and moving to the center of Europe’s security future. Then they examine The Economist’s profile of oligarch Andrey Melnichenko, who warns against breaking Russian sovereignty and sketches four dangerous futures for a defeated Russia.   Finally, they confront what holding Russia responsible would truly require.  In Politicology+, they take stock of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s death and what his absence means for the Republican Party’s fading support for Ukraine. POLITICOLOGY+ Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus. Check out Great Power: https://www.greatpower.us/ Read The Economist’s coverage of Andrey Melnichenko: https://bit.ly/4x5YvDk SPONSORS & PROMO CODES: https://bit.ly/44uAGZ8 Send your questions and ideas to podcast@politicology.com Ron Steslow on X: https://x.com/RonSteslow Molly McKew on X: https://x.com/MollyMcKew Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See All (990)

Trailer

Hosts & Guests

4.8
out of 5
15,879 Ratings

About

Politics in America is transforming. We’re embarking on a new series to deepen our understanding of who we are, how we got here, and how we rebuild without repeating the mistakes of the past. Ron Steslow hosts academics, behavioral economists, social psychologists, politicos, philosophers, anthropologists, journalists, poets, and storytellers—and more—to discuss America’s political present and future and dive into the deeper problems we face as a nation. Email us questions or comments: podcast@politicology.com.

Information

  • Creator
    Politicology
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    990
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    ℗ & © 2021 Politicology
  • Show Website
    Politicology
  • Provider
    Politicology, LLC

You Might Also Like