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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.

  1. 1h ago

    The Last Institutionalists—The Weekly

    Mike Madrid (Author of The Latino Century) joins Host Ron Steslow to dive into how populism is consuming both parties and the institutions meant to contain them, from a socialist sweep in New York to a building debt-and-oil crisis. They begin with New York's primaries, where DSA-aligned candidates won and Zohran Mamdani emerged as a kingmaker—signaling the Democratic party’s “Tea Party moment.”  From there, they ask whether the party is radicalizing or whether its establishment wing is the last refuge of institutional conservatism Then they trace an oil crisis to a draining Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the rising cost of servicing the national debt, and the first moves of new Fed chair Kevin Warsh. Finally, they map the vise closing on the White House before the midterms: a standoff with Iran, a depleting reserve, and a choice between a weak deal and economic shock. In Politicology+, they discuss Mike’s invitation to the Oxford Union, where he argued the position that Donald Trump has betrayed the conservative movement.  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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    58 min

  2. 21h ago • Politicology+ Only

    [+] An Email From Oxford [Members Only]

    Ron Steslow and Mike Madrid discuss Mike’s invitation to the Oxford Union, where he argued the position that Donald Trump has betrayed the conservative movement. He recounts the pageantry and weight of history at one of the world’s most storied debating societies, the case he built around Edmunt Burke, the opposing arguments he found most persuasive, and a warning about free speech eroding from within the institutions built to defend it.

    29 min

  3. 2d ago

    American Made

    For the ad-free version of this episode, subscribe to Politicology+ at https://politicology.com/plus In this episode, Ron talks to Grace Pak (founder and cake artist behind Duchess of Cameron, and the artist selected by America 250 to create the official cake for the country's 250th birthday) about how a single dessert became a bipartisan project. They explore her path from a Columbia neuroscience lab to fine art cake design, and the philosophy of "cake as therapy" that shapes her studio work. Then they turn to the commission itself: how she pitched it, why she landed on the theme American Made, and how children's artwork from all fifty states and the territories became the centerpiece.  Later, Grace walks through the congressional sessions she's running on Capitol Hill, the donated ingredients sourced from local farms and historic mills, the recipe she rebuilt from the first American cookbook, and the logistics of moving a cake the size of a car. They discuss: (0:00) Pitching the birthday cake (4:07) From a neuroscience lab to a cake studio (7:37) Fine art cakes and the multisensory experience (14:33)Personifying America and landing on American Made (29:48) Bipartisan sessions on Capitol Hill (37:04) Sourcing the ingredients from local farms (41:51) Baking like it's 1796: the historic recipe research  (46:53) A cake the size of a car: logistics, humidity, and delivery (49:13) Volunteers, nonprofits, and what she'll take away Check out Duchess of Cameron: https://www.duchessofcameron.com/ Follow Ron on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow Follow Grace on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/duchessofcameron 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

    1 hr

  4. Jun 20

    Inside The White House’s Epstein Crisis—The Weekly

    Susan Del Percio (crisis communications expert) joins host Ron Steslow to examine what becomes of a populist movement once it captures the institutions it was built to attack. They begin with the Epstein files and a new book from New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan about the White House’s behind-the-scenes scramble to respond, including a Situation Room damage control meeting, and why the leaked recording of that meeting is more alarming still.  Next, they widen the lens to populism’s paradox, what happens when a movement built to distrust institutions takes them over and whether these movements need a single figurehead to lead them.  Then they turn to Maine, where Democrats nominated Graham Platner, a self-described socialist with a Nazi tattoo and allegations from former romantic partners describing him as volatile and demeaning toward women, including one ex-girlfriend’s accusation that he physically intimidated and restrained her. Finally, they weigh the economics underneath the populist rhetoric, from Platner’s “Epstein class” framing to a leftist turn toward capping growth and redistributing wealth, and why the politics of stagnation is a hard sell.  In Politicology+, they dig into “jawboning”— the way governments lean on private platforms to suppress speech they can’t legally suppress themselves—and a new bipartisan bill to stop it. 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

    1h 2m

  5. Jun 19 • Politicology+ Only

    [+] Censorship by Proxy [Members Only]

    Ron Steslow and Susan Del Percio dig into “jawboning,” the way governments lean on private platforms to suppress speech they can’t legally suppress themselves. They discuss the new Ted Cruz-Ron Wyden Jawbone Act that would finally let ordinary users sue officials for it.

    9 min

  6. Jun 13

    Policing Words — The Weekly

    Billy Binion (reporter at Reason Magazine) joins host Ron Steslow to examine how democratic governments are redefining speech as a harm to be managed and who pays the price when they do. They begin with the White House's negotiation with Senator Marsha Blackburn, a deal that would trade federal preemption of state AI laws for the Kids Online Safety Act, the No Fakes Act, and federal age verification, and whether we are “one bad deal away from the era of online government censorship.” Next, Britain's thousands of arrests each year for online posts, its mandate that Apple and Google build content scanning into every device, and Signal's vow to exit the market before that happens. Then they turn to the killing of Henry Novak, whose dying words police discounted in deference to his killer's fabricated racism accusation. Finally, they unpack Minnesota's multibillion-dollar benefits fraud—JD Vance's referral of Tim Walz and Keith Ellison, why warnings went unheeded, and the citizen journalist who made the scandal impossible to ignore. In Politicology+, they discuss the bipartisan push to force UFO disclosure and the legal fight underneath it: whether the government should use eminent domain to seize allegedly recovered non-human technology from private contractors, and whether contractor employees who come forward deserve whistleblower protections. 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. Watch Billy’s Documentary about citizen journalist Priscilla Villarreal: https://bit.ly/3S4cuKJ  Read Konstantin Kissin on Henry Nowak’s murder: https://substack.com/home/post/p-200293621  SPONSORS & PROMO CODES: https://bit.ly/44uAGZ8 Send your questions and ideas to podcast@politicology.com Ron Steslow on X: https://x.com/RonSteslow Billy Binion on X: https://x.com/billybinion  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 11m

  7. Jun 12 • Politicology+ Only

    [+] Congress Wants To Use Eminent Domain…for Aliens? [Members Only]

    Ron Steslow talks with Billy Binion about the bipartisan push to force UFO disclosure and the legal fight underneath it: whether the government should use eminent domain to seize allegedly recovered non-human technology from private contractors, and whether employees of government contractors who come forward deserve whistleblower protections.

    13 min

  8. Jun 10

    ENCORE: Worthy of Protection — Part 2

    To unlock subscriber-only content, visit: https://politicology.com/plus Géraldine Blanche (Intellectual Property Lawyer and PhD candidate in Intellectual Property Law at the Sciences Po Law School in Paris) joins Ron Steslow to discuss the politics of fashion and intellectual property law (01:26) Fashion in Politics  (05:36) Iteration, interpretation, and inspiration (09:47) The need for time in fashion and democracy (14:24) Environmental impact of fashion (26:42) The impact of AI on fashion Follow Ron on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow Follow Géraldine on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/designedbylaw/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    57 min
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out of 5
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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
    974
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    ℗ & © 2021 Politicology
  • Show Website
    Politicology
  • Provider
    Politicology, LLC

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