The Liberalism.org Show

Liberalism.org
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Interviews with Liberalism.org contributors.

Episodes

  1. MAY 6

    Yours, Mine, or Ours? Liberals Need a Theory of the State with Michael C. Munger

    Markets can fail — but can government actually fix them? In his Liberalism.org essay "Yours, Mine, or Ours? Liberals Need a Theory of the State," political scientist Michael Munger argues that liberals have been losing the policy debate by defending the perfection of markets rather than challenging the imperfection of the state. Host Aaron Ross Powell talks with Munger — a Liberalism.org fellow and the Pfizer, Inc./Edmund T. Pratt, Jr. University Distinguished Professor at Duke University — about what he calls the "pretty pig problem" in policy arguments, why roads are actually a poor example of public goods, how the concept of government as a technology reframes what belongs in the state's toolkit, and whether intellectual honesty about market failures can coexist with a strong presumption in favor of liberty. Further Reading "Yours, Mine, or Ours? Liberals Need a Theory of the State" — Michael C. Munger, Liberalism.orgTechnology and the End of Authority: What Is Government For? — Jason Kuznicki, Palgrave Macmillan"Seeing with Two I's: States, Markets, and Some Advice for Us Liberals" — Michael C. Munger, Liberalism.org

    31 min

  2. APR 23

    Sitcoms: A Defense with Shal Marriott

    Can a half-hour of sitcom reruns make you a better liberal? Shal Marriott thinks so — and in this episode of the Liberalism.org Show, host Aaron Ross Powell talks with Marriott, a PhD student in political science at McGill University, about her article "Sitcoms: A Defense." They discuss how popular television can cultivate liberal habits of character beyond mere tolerance, why appreciating pluralism requires something closer to delight than grudging acceptance, what Adam Smith and Judith Shklar have in common with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and whether the low stakes of fictional worlds offer a space to practice the discernment that liberalism demands. Further Reading "Sitcoms: A Defense" — Shal Marriott, Liberalism.orgLiberalism as a Way of Life — Alexandre Lefebvre, Princeton University PressOrdinary Vices — Judith Shklar, Harvard University PressMore from Liberalism.org "Mini Tacos, Murder, and the Problem of Getting Exactly What We Want" — Sarah Skwire"What Early Liberals Knew, We'll Remember" — Jason Kuznicki

    27 min

  3. APR 8

    Mini Tacos, Murder, and the Problem of Getting Exactly What We Want with Sarah Skwire

    What does a thriller about a murderous house-hunter have to do with liberalism? Quite a lot, it turns out. In this episode, host Aaron Ross Powell talks with Sarah Skwire, Senior Program Officer at Liberty Fund and a Liberalism.org Fellow, about her article "Mini Tacos, Murder, and the Problem of Getting Exactly What We Want." They explore how narrative can persuade where data can't, how literature trains empathy by putting us inside other minds, and how the very abundance that liberalism celebrates can paradoxically generate its own kind of scarcity — one we engineer through our own over-optimized desires. Further Reading Mini Tacos, Murder, and the Problem of Getting Exactly What You Want — Sarah Skwire, Liberalism.orgBest Offer Wins — Marisa Kashino, MacmillanSarah Skwire at AdamSmithWorks — Liberty Fund More from Liberalism.org The Enemy Is Power, Wherever You Find It — Matt Zwolinski

    30 min

  4. MAR 25

    The Enemy Is Power, Wherever You Find It with Matt Zwolinski

    In this episode, host Aaron Ross Powell talks with Matt Zwolinski, Professor of Philosophy at the University of San Diego and a Liberalism.org Fellow, about his article "The Enemy Is Power, Wherever You Find It." They discuss why liberals have traditionally focused on state power while neglecting its private forms, how institutional design can disperse and counterbalance power through mechanisms like competitive markets and federalism, and what both the left and classical liberals should learn from the current illiberal moment about the dangers of concentration.

    33 min

  5. MAR 6

    Welcome to Liberalism.org with Emily Chamlee-Wright

    In the very first episode of the Liberalism.org Show, Aaron Ross Powell sits down with IHS President Emily Chamlee-Wright to introduce Liberalism.org—why it exists, why it’s launching now, and what listeners and readers can expect from the online magazine and its companion podcasts.

    31 min
  • 5 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
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About

Interviews with Liberalism.org contributors.

Information

  • Creator
    Liberalism.org
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Liberalism.org
  • Show Website
    The Liberalism.org Show

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