Civitas Conversations

Both in California and in Europe, China has influenced the Net Zero mandates of major Western economies, ensuring that those mandates specify electric vehicles, solar panels, and wind turbines rather than gas-fired generation or nuclear power, effectively writing itself a guaranteed order book. In this episode of Civitas Conversations, Diana Furchtgott-Roth joins us to discuss her recent Outlook e...

Alberta is Canada's Texas. Its voters are the country's most conservative. In the 2015 Canadian general election, 33 of the province's then 34 constituencies or districts elected a Conservative Member of Parliament. And while Canadian conservatism is notably less red in tooth and claw than the Texan variant, Alberta is at the far conservative end of Canada's political spectrum, along with its neig...

In a recent research paper for the Civitas Institute, Richard Samuelson asks whether the United States is still a creedal nation today. Contending that the political, institutional, and legal elements that historically enabled us to create and build such a nation are under serious threat, Samuelson concludes that modern government is unconducive to America's particular creedalism. While we have no...

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear 'St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy,' a case addressing two questions: whether Colorado's universal preschool program unconstitutionally burdens religious schools by conditioning their participation on rules that conflict with their faith, and whether the Tenth Circuit erred in holding that the Free Exercise Clause is not implicated because Colorado's exclusion la...

Eight weeks after Operation Epic Fury, the crisis in Iran has reached no definitive end. As the war progresses, it is increasingly unclear whether the outcome will favor the United States. At the same time, there is a growing sense among American citizens that order and stability in the Middle East do not always coincide with our best interests. In this episode of Civitas Conversations, Jakub Gryg...

The Antitrust Improvement Act of 1976 is not a topic of conversation at many American dinner tables, but its recent controversies illustrate the odd holdover of ideas previously understood as politically leftist at a now Republican-dominated FTC. Jessica Melugin joined host Richard Reinsch to discuss Biden appointee Lina Khan's continued influence on the agency. Civitas Conversations features lead...

In this episode of Civitas Conversations, Richard Reinsch speaks with Joseph Postell, an expert in Congress and administrative law, about the future of the filibuster and the deeper institutional challenges facing the U.S. Senate. Drawing on Postell's Civitas Outlook essay, "Why Can't We Have a Filibuster?", the conversation explores how the Senate moved from dramatic, "talking" filibusters—where...

The 2026 Billionaire Tax Act is a California ballot initiative that would impose an emergency one-time five percent tax on billionaires to prevent what its supporters describe as the collapse of California's healthcare system. But history has a very clear answer to what "one-time" and "only the wealthy" mean in the long run: ongoing, and not only the wealthy. On episode 14 of Civitas Conversations...

Which philosophical assumptions underlie the modern university? How should higher education play a role as a key pillar of society? What principles would define a genuinely truth-seeking institution, one oriented not merely toward knowledge production, but toward the pursuit of truth itself? On episode 13 of Civitas Conversations, Civitas Institute senior fellow Pano Kanelos joins host Richard Rei...

On this episode of Civitas Conversations, Aaron Nielson examines the legacy of Justice Samuel Alito. A professor at the University of Texas School of Law, former Texas Solicitor General, and former clerk to Justice Alito, Nielson reflects on his experience at the Court and explores the contours of Alito's distinctive "practical originalism." Civitas Conversations features leading scholars, comment...

After decades of talk about a "green energy transition," fossil fuels still dominate the global energy mix. Mark Mills joins the show to unpack why political narratives on green energy don't match reality, how they endure, and why fossil fuels remain king.  Mark P. Mills is a contributing editor at City Journal , executive director of the National Center for Energy Analytics, a faculty fellow at N...

On episode 10 of Civitas Conversations, Civitas Outlook editor Richard Reinsch sits down with contributing editor Steven Hayward to discuss his recent essay, "Reagan, The Original MAGA President?"  Civitas Conversations features leading scholars, commentators, and thought leaders for in-depth discussions of the latest essays in Civitas Outlook—and the ideas behind them.  Civitas Conversations is a...