The New Liberal Podcast

Why is liberalism in crisis? Jeremiah discusses why people seem to be turning away from liberal principles on both the left and the right. He also talks about the importance of being ruthless within your own party, the benefits of liberal nationalism, and why technocratic competence still matters - and how liberals can tell the stories that will inspire people like they used to. Support the podcas...

This week we're bringing you another joint episode of the podcast. I appeared on the Cato Institute's podcast to discuss a question for its libertarian audience - should libertarians and abundance liberals be political allies? I argue in favor, but also discuss the tricky political realities such an alliance would need to navigate. It's an interesting conversation, so we're also bringing it to you...

In this episode, Jeremiah joins Yascha Mounk to talk about liberal politics, organizing, and why Gen Z isn't actually doomed, even though so many on social media think they are. This episode originally aired on Yascha's podcast The Good Fight, but we're also sharing it here with you! Support the podcast and get involved with your local chapter by becoming a member of the Center for New Liberalism....

In this episode, Jeremiah discusses the many scandals swirling around Maine Senate Candidate Graham Platner, what they say about the state of the Democratic Party, and how we would ultimately vote if he lived in Maine. Support the podcast and get involved with your local chapter by becoming a member of the Center for New Liberalism. Join at  https://cnliberalism.org/become-a-member Got questions?...

The world spends an enormous amount on charity and foreign aid. Would that money be better spent if we just used it to directly give the world's poorest people cash? Nick Allardice is the CEO of GiveDirectly, a charity whose mission is to give people cash. We discuss whether cash is more effective than other forms of charity, the situations in which cash works and the situations where it might not...

People are losing faith in government, and there's anxiety everywhere about the state of society. How can we govern well in an era of institutional collapse? Michael Bennet joins the podcast to talk about polarization, the state of the economy, the cost of living crisis, what voters really care about beyond partisan bickering, and how state-level governance can be the first step towards finding ou...

The growth of the digital economy and of AI in particular means that there's incredible demand for new data centers. But if you listen to the popular discourse, you'll hear all sorts of scary stories - data centers are stealing our land, consuming our water, making people sick, and more. Andy Masley joins the podcast to break down what's real, what's fake news, why people fall for misinformation a...

Alex Bores is a state legislator in New York, and he's running for Congress in the 12th Congressional district that makes up midtown Manhattan. He's been the focus of a series of attacks from tech billionaires over his efforts to regulate AI, and he joins the podcast today to talk about how members of congress from deep blue districts can be the most effective, how he thinks about abundance and af...

Dean Spears is the author of the new book After the Spike about why the world's population will peak this century. We discuss why demographers are pretty certain that worldwide population will start to decline around 50 years from now, whether or not we should be concerned about it, and what we can do if we think it's not necessarily a good thing. Support the podcast and get involved with your loc...

Is the Supreme Court really as polarized as people believe? How has it changed over the last few decades? And what can we do if we want the Supreme Court to keep being a neutral, respected, and non-political institution? Sarah Isgur joins the podcast to discuss her new book, Last Branch Standing, about the history of the Court and why it matters. Support the podcast and get involved with your loca...

Jeremiah tackles the recent discourse on popular streamer and influencer Hasan Piker. As many within the Democratic party cozy up to Piker, should we be worried about his history of promoting violence and authoritarianism? Support the podcast and get involved with your local chapter by becoming a member of the Center for New Liberalism. Join at  https://cnliberalism.org/become-a-member Got questio...

The mailbag returns after a long hiatus! Jeremiah answers listener questions about the Iran War, social media discourses, populist anger, Joe Biden's legacy, and more! Support the podcast and get involved with your local chapter by becoming a member of the Center for New Liberalism. Join at  https://cnliberalism.org/become-a-member Got questions? Send us a note at  mailbag@cnliberalism.org . Follo...

Democratic senators are proposing plans that would drastically reduce taxes on the middle and upper middle class. Tax cuts are always popular with the people who receive them - but are they a good idea? Ben Ritz joins the podcast to discuss why Democrats keep proposing 'slopulism' ideas about the budget, why the budget math for huge tax cuts doesn't work, and why this approach is politically dange...

DC is facing a number of crises - interference from a hostile Congress, high levels of crime, and a local economy gutted by DOGE. Kenyan McDuffie is a former city councilman and candidate for mayor, and he joins the podcast to discuss how DC can recover and grow past its current challenges. Support the podcast and get involved with your local chapter by becoming a member of the Center for New Libe...

President Trump has started a war between the United States and Iran. Jeremiah walks through what we know so far, the historical and regional context for how this war started, what good and bad outcomes might look like, and what sorts of core values liberals should keep in mind as they analyze Trump's actions. Support the podcast and get involved with your local chapter by becoming a member of the...

Society has gotten radically more inclusive the last few generations. This has largely been a good thing, and prevented countless people from being discriminated against on the basis of their gender, race, or sexuality. But is there an upper limit to inclusivity? Can it go too far? And can we become so 'inclusive' that we end up alienating, harming, and excluding people? Support the podcast and ge...

Over the last decade, conversations about criminal justice have become more and more prominent in our national politics. But how can we tell what works and what doesn't? Jennifer Doleac joins the podcast to discuss her new book, The Science of Second Chances. We talk about the best evidence for how to reduce harms from the criminal justice system, to reduce crime levels in our communities, and why...

Opponents of immigration often cite the idea that immigrants are a drain on the system. It's commonly believed that immigrants don't pay enough in taxes and take too much in government benefits. But is that true? David Bier joins the podcast to discuss the counterintuitive truth - that immigrants are net fiscal contributors, not takers.  Full report - https://www.cato.org/white-paper/immigrants-re...

Many of us are political junkies who think about politics all the time. But how do regular swing voters think about politics? Sarah Longwell is the publisher of the Bulwark and host of the Focus Group podcast, and she joins the New Liberal Podcast to talk about what she sees in those focus groups. How do swing voters think about Donald Trump? What issues break through for them? And how should Demo...

How should Congress approach regulating kids on social media? Congressman Jake Auchincloss joins the podcast to discuss his bill, the Parents over Platforms Act. We talk about why he is concerned about 'digital dopamine', why he thinks age verification should be done at the operating system level and not by individual apps, and how he approaches screen time and social media with his own kids. To g...

ICE is rampaging through Minnesota and violating people's constitutional rights. Will Stancil joins the podcast to talk about ICE's tactics, what activists on the ground in Minneapolis are doing to resist ICE and protect their neighbors, and why, despite everything, he remains hopeful. To get bonus episodes, support us at  patreon.com/newliberalpodcast  or  https://cnliberalism.org/become-a-member...

ICE is rampaging through Minnesota, violating the constitution, and assaulting Americans regularly. Polling shows that the public disapproves - but how should Democrats take advantage of this situation? Matt Yglesias joins the podcast to talk about what's happening - how much should Democrats be talking about ICE, what should they be saying about it, and what should their actual immigration policy...

Over the weekend, the US military captured the president of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro and brought him to the United States to face drug trafficking charges. Francis Fukuyama joins the podcast to talk about the geopolitical context for this mission, what comes next for Venezuela, and what questions you should be asking as the situation develops in Venezuela. To get bonus episodes, support us at  pat...

It's the annual books episode! Jeremiah breaks down the best books he read in 2025. This year he's covering books about why America can't build things, the attention economy, Russian propaganda, population ethics, colonizing Mars, Chinese authoritarianism, and more! Check out part one from earlier this year on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/new-liberal-best-136015929 To get bonus episo...

Democrats lost big in 2024. How can they make sure it doesn't happen again in 2026 and 2028? Simon Bazelon is the lead author of the report Deciding To Win about the direction the Democratic Party should take in the next few years. He joins the podcast to discuss why the Democratic Party needs to moderate, how they should build their platforms, and why he thinks objections to his report have been...