The National Affairs Podcast

This year's public-health crisis has ravaged state budgets across the country, as revenues plummet while spending explodes. For some states, this has dramatically worsened pre-existing fiscal problems caused by decades of mismanagement of pension obligations. Guest David Skeel argues that in order to help those states in particular, Congress should create the option of state-government bankruptcy,...

When we step back and consider America's 21st-century politics, our responses to crises — in 2001, 2008-09, and this year — vastly exceed "normal" times in terms of importance. This change of perspective should compel us to reject the idea that polarization is the defining feature of our era, and to reassess our understanding of the American political system's capacities and infirmities. Guest Phi...

Legal and cultural debates involving religious liberty are converging toward a single question: is free religious exercise an element of the common good, that contributes to society’s overall well-being? In the landmark 1990 case of Employment Division v. Smith, the answer was no. But the Supreme Court issued several decisions favorable to religious liberty in the […] The post Religious liberty at...

Just a few years ago, e-cigarettes were lauded as a public-health miracle that could wean addicts off of far more harmful smoking habits. Today, the same e-cigarettes are denounced as a public-health nightmare, and their sale is increasingly restricted. How did this happen? And which view is more right? Guest Sally Satel joins us to […] The post Vapers and public-health experts (with Sally Satel)...

Ryan Anderson shares his views that recent battles over religious liberty don't actually have anything to deal with religion, but deeper moral debates The post Religious liberty is not enough (with Ryan Anderson) appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI .

When it comes to education, conservatives have been far better at explaining what they are against than what they are for — at least beyond school choice in K-12 and freedom of speech on campus. But guest Rick Hess argues that conservatives are actually well positioned to lead much more effectively on education, because the […] The post A new education agenda for the right (with Rick Hess) appeare...

Cultural renewal is a generational project, and therefore an educational project. Guest Ian Lindquist suggests that Americans looking for signs of hope that such a project remains achievable should look to a growing network of primary and secondary schools preparing young Americans for life in a free society. These schools compose what is now called […] The post The classical-education movement wi...

Don Schneider joins and shares his views of how shifts in the US economy have contributed to labor inequality and responses to counteract these disparities The post The limits of economic populism with Donald Schneider appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI .

Unemployment rates are down... why are so many men still without work? Guest Nicholas Eberstadt argues that the issue is more complex than most experts say The post The crisis of men without work with Nicholas Eberstadt appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI .

Is open trade as simple as it seems? Current trade tensions with China indicate otherwise. Samuel Hammond joins the show to discuss it's hidden complexities and what they could say about the future of America's labor market The post The China trade shock with Samuel Hammond appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI .

Guest Oren Cass joins hosts Dan Wiser and Devorah Goldman to discuss the hidden dangers within the ever-popular concept of economic dynamism The post Economic Dynamism: with Oren Cass appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI .

AEI Fellow James Capretta joins hosts Dan and Devorah to discuss the problems plaguing the Medicare system and the fundamental changes needed to fix it. The post Rethinking Medicare: with James Capretta appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI .

AEI Fellow Matthew Continetti joins hosts Devorah Goldman and Danier Wiser, Jr. to discuss the enduring work of Irving Kristol and it's continued impact on current cultural issues The post Matthew Continetti on Irving Kristol appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI .

Public support of art and culture was an important facet of Cold War diplomacy that has persisted into this century. Yet while such support still exists, it is currently without much direction or purpose. In this episode, Philip Jeffery joins Devorah and Daniel to discuss why now may be the time to end that complacence. […] The post America’s Cultural Agenda: with Philip Jeffery appeared first on...

How should we interpret and apply the Constitution? Hosts Dan and Devorah talk to Joel Alicea about originalism, a key conservative tenet now under debate The post Originalism: with Joel Alicea appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI .

Hosts Daniel and Devorah talk with AEI scholar Diana Schaub about one of the greatest speeches in history: Lincoln's Gettysburg Address The post Lincoln at Gettysburg: with Diana Schaub appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI .

Dan and Devorah talk with guests C. Jarrett Dieterle and Shoshana Weissmann about what steps the federal government should take to improve licensing reform The post Licensing Law Reform: with C. Jarrett Dieterle and Shoshana Weissmann appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI .

AEI's Adam White, Daniel Wiser, Jr., and Devorah Goldman discuss the life and lasting impact of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia on American legal education The post On Antonin Scalia: with Adam J. White appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI .