The Political Orphanage

In Kennedy v. Bremerton the Supreme Court revisited–and reversed–long-standing precedents on public teachers and administrators leading prayers in school and at events. Paul Townsend, of "In Summation - The Final Word" joins to assess its impact and diagnose the decision.

What happens when a law affecting public safety or basic governance comes into conflict with someone's deeply-held religious beliefs? In this episode we explore religious exemptions, and how the court addresses carveouts from otherwise applicable laws.

The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, but also forbids the establishment of religion. What happens when the two come into conflict?   In Judge Week 2: Separation of Church and State, we investigate the First Amendment, and how the courts balance its competing clauses.

Civilization has made warfare more indirect, streamlined, technological, and distant. What if making warfare nicer makes us less hesitant to begin conflicts, and slower to stop them? Samuel Moyn is the author of "Humane: How the United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented War."

The Founding Fathers were all children of the Enlightenment, and they agreed on kicking King George out, but they never agreed on how to run the country. Seth Radwell, author of American Schism: How the Two Enlightenments Hold the Secret to Healing Our Nation joins on to discuss these two halves of our Founding, and how they are ultimately complimentary.

How do we determine when to retire truly offensive words and replace confusing ones, against virtue signaling and shifting goal posts? Ron Hayden of "Worth Watching" and Dr. Andrea Jones-Rooy of "Majoring in Everything" join to discuss.

Inflation is at an 11-year high--what's causing it! How do we solve it, and how does it effect us (and our bank accounts)? John Cochrane, "The Grumpy Economist" joins to discuss.  Plus: Hyperinflation . . . via the French Revolution!

In "How to Change Minds: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion," science writer David McRaney explores proven ways to get people to unstuck themselves from entrenched opinions and think straight.  Get "How to Change Minds" at www.mightyheaton.com/featured Relevant Episodes: Peter Boghassian on "How to Talk to Insufferable Ideologues" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to...

Court Packing! In the wake of Roe v. Wade, Progressives want to insert new justices to tip back the majority. In this episode we explore the several times politicians have rigged the courts. And then analyze the best available reforms to make the Supreme Court less of a partisan volcano.

Let's talk to a treasure hunter about the laws and politics of finding old gold at the bottom of the ocean!   Who owns the gold? Do governments squabble o ver it? What ratio of lawyers to diving equipment do you need to salvage and sell said gold?   Chip Forsythe is establishing a multi-million dollar treasure hunting expedition along the Atlantic seafloor--in search of sunken gold.

Let's take a numbers-first approach to gun legislation. In the wake of horrible mass shootings, gun control and advocacy groups are digging their heals, and often relying on bumper sticker canards. Rather than approaching this issue ideologically, or even inductively, we're going to look at ways to dramatically reduce gun deaths by looking at the numbers.   "Gun Deaths by the Numbers" with Guy Smi...

"Demographic Winter" occurs when a nation's population growth is so bottlenecked that its labor is unable to sustain the economy in basics like tax revenue, health care services--and food. Much of the developed world, with laggardly birthrates, is poised to tumble off that demographic cliff.   Ken Gronbach is an internationally lauded demographer. Analyzing population macrotrends, he forecasts cal...

What happens when authorities try to shield their decisions by draping themselves in lab coats? What's the difference between the Scientific Method, and a religious "appeal to authority" where the authority is a scientist we agree with? Ron Hayden joins to discuss the difference between science and scientism, and the downsides of conflating the two.

Jamie Kilstein got canceled and canceled hard–in 2017 his marriage, podcast, standup comedy career, and social life all imploded in a fiery explosion. He joins the show to talk about what happens when you build a career around instigating the mob, and then the mob suddenly turns on you. And what rehabilitation looks like after. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/q5_EFZ7K-sM SUPPORT THE SHOW! Patreo...

Rerun from Judge Week!   Originalism is the favored jurisprudence of conservative scions like Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. It's predicated on the notion that laws have fixed meanings, determined at the moment of their ratification according to the language of their day.   Professor Green is the H.L.A. Hart Scholar of Law & Philosophy at the University of Mississippi. A graduate of Princeton...

A rerun from Judge Week!   When the Constitution says "cruel and unusual punishment" does it mean by the standards of the 18th century, or our own? How much latitude should jurists take when interpreting the law?   Professor David Strauss of the University of Chicago has argued nineteen cases before the United States Supreme Court, formerly served as Special Counsel to the Committee on the Judicia...

Does the Constitution affirm a right to abortion? The Supreme Court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, removing federal protections on abortion. We explore this historic case, as well as the leaked Alito draft on Dobbs v. Jackson, and how constitutional law applies to abortion. YouTube at: https://youtu.be/7D2ozfZOab4

Larry Sharpe is running for governor in New York as a Libertarian, but may not even be able to get on the ballot. When third parties pick up steam, state governments erect barriers to keep them off the ballot and maintain the system.   In this episode we explore the issue of ballot suppression, and how it stacks up alongside gerrymandering and voter suppression.

Comedians, television, and film all tend to lean Democrat. Why is that? Is there something inherently unfunny about Republicans, or do the powers that be just not let the funny ones inside the building? Comedians Jeff Maurer and Andrew Young discuss orthodoxy and anti-authoritarianism in comedy, and media scholar Matt Sienkiewicz discusses his new book "That's Not Funny: How the Right Makes Comedy...

Cognitive dissonance occurs when our actions are out of sync with our perception of ourself or the world, or a new opinion or piece of data makes us question our worldview. It's an incredibly uncomfortable feeling, which most people wave away by dismissing the objection, redefining the situation, or sometimes outright violence.    Adaam Levin-Areddy, host of the "Uncertain Things" podcast joins to...

Does distributed power check tyranny, or simply empower petty tyrants? What's the relationship between efficiency, scale, and the size of government? In this episode we explore the pro's and con's of dispersed power.   Join the Orphanage! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton

Batya Ungar-Sargon says liberal pieties have more to do with the managerial class's disdain for the poor and maintaining elite status than with actual racism in the country. She is the deputy opinion editor of Newsweek, and the author of "Bad News: How Woke Media is Undermining Democracy." JOIN THE ORPHANAGE: www.patreon.com/andrewheaton Paypal: andrew@mightyheaton Venmo: andrew-heaton-1

David McRaney is host of the "Your Are Not So Smart" podcast, and joins to discuss how our monkey brains are more wired to promote group cohesion than to think critically or logically--and what to do about it.   JOIN THE ORPHANAGE! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton  

Scuzzy businesses routinely try to regulate away competitors so they don't have compete in a free and open market. Those cads! Justin Pearson of the Institute for Justice joins to discuss the many ways in which dubious characters use the power of the state to stifle competition. Join the Orphanage! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton

Are you a Liberal or a Realist when it comes to geopolitics? This episode is a crash course in International Relations Theory: What is the fundamental nature of conflict between states? Naked power, relationships, or a clash of ideas? By the end of today's program, you'll grasp the fundamentals of IR Theory. JOIN THE ORPHANAGE: www.patreon.com/andrewheaton Venmo: andrew-heaton-1 PayPal: andrew@mig...