Politicology

This week, we discuss the second attempted assassination of Donald Trump and who’s most responsible for rhetoric that encourages political violence. Then, we’ll discuss the spreading rumors about migrants eating pets, Trump’s very online campaign, and the attempt to backfill outright lies with spurious evidence of plausibility. Finally, we head to Politicology+ where we talk about how articles on...

For the full and ad-free version of this episode, subscribe to Politicology+ at https://politicology.com/plus Imagine a world where candidates no longer need to pander to the extremes, where minor candidates don’t tip elections one way or another, and where your vote can truly represent your values. Sounds like a dream, right? States like Alaska and Maine are already proving it's possible. And the...

To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plus This week, we discuss the debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Then, we consider the implications of Liz Cheney and her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, endorsing Kamala Harris. Finally, we head to Politicology+ where we answer a listener question and talk about electoral reforms that could impr...

For the full and ad-free version of this episode, subscribe to Politicology+ at https://politicology.com/plus Host Ron Steslow welcomes economist ​​Scott Lincicome (Vice President of General Economics at the Cato Institute) to Politicology to discuss the economic policies of both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. They dive into the challenges of economic news coverage and common misconceptions, the...

In this special six-part narrative series, Mike Madrid, in partnership with the UC Irvine School of Social Ecology, takes a deep dive into Orange County, California to explore the transformations that have redefined politics there, and what it means for the rest of the country. In this episode, Mike talks to Democratic State Senator Tom Umberg and Republican Huntington Beach City Councilman Tony S...

To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plus This week, we discuss the recent execution of hostages by Hamas, the charges against Hamas leaders, and the threat of Iran as it pushes for regional dominance.   Then, we discuss the joint interview of Vice President Harris and her running mate Gov. Tim Walz with CNN’s Dana Bash Finally, we head to Politicology+ where we talk about new protests o...

In this two part series, Journalist and author Byron Tau joins host Ron Steslow to discuss his new book Means of Control: How the Hidden Alliance Of Tech And Government Is creating a New American Surveillance State  Part 2: (02:17) The extensive government data collection Edward Snowden revealed  (09:40) How data vendors bypass privacy reviews within government agencies  (11:50) The role of encryp...

In this special six-part narrative series, Mike Madrid, in partnership with the UC Irvine School of Social Ecology, takes a deep dive into Orange County, California to explore the transformations that have redefined politics there, and what it means for the rest of the country. In this episode, Mike talks to Jean Pasco who covered local politics in the ‘80s and ‘90s for the Orange County Register...

To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plus This week, as the Presidential race enters the home stretch, we discuss Vice President Harris’s push to regain ground with Latino Voters and the electoral impact of RFK Jr’s decision to leave the race and endorse Trump. Next, we talk about the success of Ukraine’s offensive against Russia, Israel’s preemptive strike to thwart a massive attack by...

In this two part series, Journalist and author Byron Tau joins host Ron Steslow to discuss his new book Means of Control: How the Hidden Alliance Of Tech And Government Is creating a New American Surveillance State  Part 1: (02:36) Byron’s background and why he decided to write this book  (05:15) The Evolution of data brokering  (09:00) Understanding metadata and data collection and how they can i...

In this special six-part narrative series, Mike Madrid, in partnership with the UC Irvine School of Social Ecology, takes a deep dive into Orange County, California to explore the transformations that have redefined politics there, and what it means for the rest of the country. In this episode, Mike talks to Jean Pasco who covered local politics in the ‘80s and ‘90s for the Orange County Register...

To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plus This week, we discuss the Democratic National Convention, the effort to appeal to more moderate voters, and Kamala Harris’s masterful acceptance speech. Next, we talk about Harris’s “price gouging” plan and economic policy proposals and the consequences of using Congress’s dysfunction as a backstop for bad policy proposals. Finally, we head to Po...

Claire Wardle (co-founder and co-director of the Information Futures Lab, and Professor of the Practice at the Brown School of Public Health) joins Ron Steslow to discuss the challenges( and failures) in improving our information landscape (02:12) Claire’s background and how it led to her research (05:52) Why terms like “misinformation,” “disinformation,” and “malinformation” have become less and...

In this special six-part narrative series, Mike Madrid, in partnership with the UC Irvine School of Social Ecology, takes a deep dive into Orange County, California to explore the transformations that have redefined politics there, and what it means for the rest of the country. In this episode, Mike talks to Jean Pasco who covered local politics in the ‘80s and ‘90s for the Orange County Register...

This week, we discuss Donald Trump’s interview with Elon Musk, content moderation, and broader hostility to free speech . Next, we highlight Kamala Harris’s pivot away from some progressive policies, and how rising populism is pushing both Harris and Trump to change their positions.  We also discuss the potential consequences of the Trump campaign hack, likely by a foreign adversary,  and how news...

Host Ron Steslow welcomes Poler Family Professor of Psychology at Amherst College Dr. Catherine Sanderson back to Politicology to talk about how to curb election anxiety.  Then they discuss the psychological factors that contributed to January 6th, how they might impact this election cycle, the climate on college campuses, and the blacklisting of “Zionist” therapists amid a professional trend of ‘...

In this special six-part narrative series, Mike Madrid, in partnership with the UC Irvine School of Social Ecology, takes a deep dive into Orange County, California to explore the transformations that have redefined politics there, and what it means for the rest of the country. In this episode, Mike talks to legendary political strategist Stu Spencer about how Orange County became Reagan Country. ...

To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plus This week, we discuss Kamala Harris and Tim Walz being the most progressive presidential ticket in American history.  Next, we break down the storm of major news stories about escalating wars and conflict across the globe—in the Middle East, in Venezuela, and Ukraine, what they mean for Americans here at home.  We also discuss the influence of th...

To unlock exclusive content, visit: https://politicology.com/plus Michele Gelfand (Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Professor of Psychology by Courtesy at Stanford University) joins host Ron Steslow to discuss culture, social norms, and her book Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World  (01:46) Why she decided to...

In this special six-part narrative series, Mike Madrid, in partnership with the UC Irvine School of Social Ecology, takes a deep dive into Orange County, California to explore the transformations that have redefined politics there, and what it means for the rest of the country. In this first episode, Mike talks to Jon Gould (Dean of the UC Irvine School of Social Ecology) about their work, their O...

To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plus This week, we discuss the Trump and Harris campaigns battling to define Kamala Harris for voters. Next, we talk about the Democratic messaging shifting to focus on MAGA being “weird” and reporting that Trump is regretting choosing Vance as his running mate . Then, we talk about Donald Trump’s appearance at the largest Bitcoin conference of the ye...

Over the last 100 years, we have streamlined the process of food production. A hundred years ago, 99% of people were engaged in the agricultural process in some way. Today, that number is 1%. As a result, our relationship with food has become desperately impersonal. But what are the consequences of all that efficiency? Embark on a transformative journey into the heart of our food systems with Jeff...

To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plus This week: Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the presidential race, Kamala Harris clears the field as she rides a tidal wave of support to the top of the Democratic ticket , Republicans switch gears to campaign against her, and the dizzying narrative change about Joe Biden’s capacities that have devastated trust in media.  Finally, in our exclu...

Host Ron Steslow welcomes Mike Brock, CEO of TBD, a subsidiary of Block Inc. (formerly Square), the financial technology firm led by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey. The Internet is dominated by massive, corporate walled gardens like Google, Facebook, and Twitter (now X), where centralized control makes their users (us!) vulnerable to censorship and manipulation. In this episode, we explore how the mo...

To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plus After three of the most chaotic weeks in American political history, Ron Steslow and Mike Madrid (Cofounders of the Lincoln Project) discuss: - Joe Biden leaving the Presidential race after the pressure campaign from Democrats - Kamala Harris consolidating support and whether it changes the electoral college map - Whether Harris helps or hurts wi...