Politicology

This week, Ron Steslow and Olivier Knox (Senior National Political Correspondent at U.S. News & World Report) talk about Trump's federal control over the Metropolitan Police Department and the longstanding crime problem in Washington, D.C.  Later, they discuss the tensions between local and federal law enforcement nationally, the increasing surveillance and privacy concerns in society, and redisco...

For the ad-free version of this episode, subscribe to Politicology+ at https://politicology.com/plus In this episode, Ron Steslow and Isaac Stone Fish (founder and CEO of Strategy Risks) discuss China's influence and the risks associated with corporate exposure to the Chinese Communist Party They explore the shifting public perception of China, the implications of leadership conflicts in major com...

This week, Ron Steslow and Mike Madrid (Author of The Latino Century) talk about the threats of the escalating, mid-decade redistricting war that Texas and California are kicking off. Later, they discuss some of the shocking, but not surprising, news on the Epstein scandal. Then, in Politicology+ they discuss the major jobs number revision from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Trump firing the agen...

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...

This week, Ron Steslow and Katherine Mangu-Ward (Editor in Chief of Reason) examine some major current developments through a libertarian lens, focusing on negative liberties, free expression, and privacy. They discuss the threats to privacy and free expression from age-verification laws to "misinformation" regulation to the battle over values on the Internet. Then, in Politicology+ they discuss “...

Contribute to Politicology at politicology.com/donate To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plus This week, Ron Steslow and  Hagar Chemali (Fmr. spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the UN) examine how efforts to “protect democracy” can sometimes undermine its foundations. They unpack the ongoing Epstein investigation and what it reveals about the importance of impartial justice and truth...

Dr. Catherine Sanderson (@SandersonSpeaks), Poler Family Professor, Chair of Psychology at Amherst College and the author of Why We Act: Turning Bystanders Into Moral Rebels joins host Ron Steslow (@RonSteslow) to analyze why Trump was able to exert control on the Republican party, how to recognize leaders who will stand up for what’s right—and what we can do to become moral rebels . To contribute...

We’re doing it! This December, Ron Steslow and Mike Madrid are excited to host our first-ever salon-inspired retreat. Unscripted: A Politicology Gathering is a 3 night/4 day in-person retreat at a luxury villa in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico from December 5-8, 2025. You can find more information and apply at politicology.com/unscripted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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...

Contribute to Politicology at politicology.com/donate To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plus This week, Ron Steslow and Mike Madrid (author of The Latino Century) discuss the unraveling of our political institutions, the devolution of political parties, what’s happening with them, where they’re heading and what it means. They dive into the Epstein Files and the MAGA backlash, Mamdani’...

For the ad-free and full version of this episode, subscribe to Politicology+ at ⁠https://politicology.com/plus 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 ...

Contribute to Politicology at politicology.com/donate To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plus This week, Ron Steslow and Isaac Stone Fish (CEO and founder of Strategy Risks) discuss what it means to win the AI race with China, what the CCP’s ambitions are, and whether we could be sleepwalking into a future shaped by authoritarian values.    Then, in Politicology+ they discuss how China...

In this conversation, Susan Del Percio discusses Zohran Mamdani’s win in the Democratic Primary for New York City Mayor, what it means for New York, and what it will mean for Democrats in and outside the state.  Listen to our episode with Mike Madrid about the Fighting Oligarchy Tour: https://bit.ly/45Rr2lL Find our sponsor links and promo codes here: https://bit.ly/44uAGZ8 Follow Ron and Susan on...

Contribute to Politicology at politicology.com/donate To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plus This week, Ron Steslow and Jennifer Schulp (Director of Financial Regulation Studies at the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives) discuss the Senate passing the GENIUS Act to regulate stablecoins. They dive into the implications of the Bank Secrecy Act and the critic...

Ron Steslow, Mike Madrid, and Marc Polymeropoulo discuss the shift in immigration enforcement, the protests in LA, and the values America stands for.  Related Reading:  CBS News - Afghan ally detained by ICE after attending immigration court hearing - CBS News WSJ - The White House Marching Orders That Sparked the L.A. Migrant Crackdown - WSJ The Dispatch -This Won’t End Well SacBee - A message to...

Contribute to Politicology at politicology.com/donate To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plus This week, Ron Steslow, Mike Madrid (author of The Latino Century), and Marc Polymeropoulos (Former CIA Official) discuss the recent military operations by Israel against Iran and the implications for U.S. foreign policy.  They dive into Trump becoming wartime president and the internal divisi...

Contribute to Politicology at politicology.com/donate To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plus This week, Ron Steslow and  Izabella Kaminska (Founder and Editor at The Blind Spot and Senior Finance Editor at Politico Europe) discuss Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill and why the controversy over debt and deficits has come to the forefront.  Then, in Politicology+ they discuss what we can learn...

Mike Madrid and host Ron Steslow discuss the Coinbase data leak, why data leaks in the A.I. era are so dangerous and will hurt more than we can possibly imagine, and the desperate need for greater privacy protections. Related media: Mashable - Coinbase confirms data breach with hackers demanding $20 million ransom | Mashable Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Contribute to Politicology at politicology.com/donate To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plus In this week’s wide-ranging Roundup, Ron Steslow and  Hagar Chemali (Fmr. spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the UN) discuss their key take aways from the Oslo Freedom Forum, the future of the Middle East and the influence of Qatar and the Muslim Brotherhood.  Then, they talk about the spike...

For the ad-free version of this episode, subscribe to Politicology+ at https://politicology.com/plus In this episode Ron talks to Molly McKew (writer and lecturer on Russian influence and information warfare) and Steve Kettmann (former San Francisco Chronicle staff reporter) about Ukraine's audacious attack on about 40 Russian aircrafts Read Molly’s work: https://www.greatpower.us/ Read Molly’s pi...

Contribute to Politicology at politicology.com/donate To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plus In this week’s wide-ranging Roundup, Ron Steslow and Andy Kroll (Investigative Reporter at ProPublica) discuss Alex Thompson and Jake Tapper’s book Original Sin,  “conspiracy theories” that turn out to be possible, and the role that the media and eroding trust in the news are playing in the ag...

For the full and ad-free version of this episode, subscribe to Politicology+ at https://politicology.com/plus In this episode, Ron talks to  Casey Michel (Director of the Combating Kleptocracy Program at the Human Rights Foundation) about his book Foreign Agents: How American Lobbyists and Lawmakers Threaten Democracy Around the World and how foreign money  influences our politics. They discuss: (...

Contribute to Politicology at politicology.com/donate To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plus In this week’s wide-ranging Roundup, Ron Steslow and Mike Madrid (author of The Latino Century)  discuss the connection between MAGA’s economic populism and immigration agendas and populism as a force seeking to dismantle existing systems.  Finally, in Politicology+, they discuss the Coinbase...

Mike Madrid and host Ron Steslow discuss Bernie Sanders and AOC’s “Fighting Oligarchy Tour” and where economic populism on the left is heading. Related media:CNN - Bernie Sander's Town Hall Clip Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the ad-free and full 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 w...