The Political Orphanage

Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton offered two contrasting visions of what America should be and how the Constitution applies to it. Jeffrey Rosen is a legal scholar and the President of the National Constitution Center. He's the author "The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle over Power in America."

Can comedians ethically perform standup for a despotic regime without endorsing it? Recently the Riyadh Comedy Festival invited furor when some comics schlepped to Saudi Arabia to perform–at great expense–while others declined in protest of supporting human rights abuses. Turner Sparks and Michael Ira Kaplan join to discuss. Space Tractor: And Other Short Stories, by Josh Jennings https://www.amaz...

Okay, so what constitutes "cruel and unusual"? Why was it okay to brand horse thieves in the face in old timey days, but it's barbaric now? In the final installment of this year's Judge Week, we go over the history of cruel and unusual punishments; what scared the English into outlawing it in their Bill of Rights, and how America interpreted it for the first century of the Constitution. Then, land...

Pornhub ceased operating in the Lone Star State after Texas implemented an age verification law. Pornhub, and other adult websites, said the compliance was too onerous, and the potential fines too staggering. In response, the Free Speech Coalition sued Texas in court for an injunction to block the law, on the grounds that by burdening protected (if offensive) speech it violated the first amendment...

In Mahmoud v. Taylor the Supreme Court affirmed parents rights to remove their children from LGBTQ material used in public schools. The Court ruled that opt-outs preserve separation of church and state, and protect parental rights.  The Dissent maintains that exposure is not the same thing as indoctrination, and opt-outs are at best going to be an administrative nightmare, at worst a religious vet...

In Trump v. Casa the Supreme Court ruled that district judges cannot issue "universal injunctions" against the federal government… Well, what the hell does that mean? The ruling comes in regard to Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship. Is the Trump administration accurately "rediscovering" the true meaning of the Constitution, or just twisting and mangling it to make sure nobody here i...

I think I probably drink too much, and I ought to curb that before I wrinkle prematurely. Fortunately, there is Katie Herzog. You may know her as the host of the Blocked & Reported podcast, but she is also the author of "Drink Yourself Sober: The Science-Based Method to Break Free from Alcohol." LINKS: Addicted to Dopamine https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/addicted-to-dopamine/id1439837349?i=1...

Daryl Davis is an African American musician responsible for de-radicalizing over 200 Klansmen and Neo-Nazis in his attempts to understand racism. He joins Heaton to talk about his experience, contact science, and the best ways to overcome bigotry. This episode has been corrected for an audio error which previously occurred. If you see two episodes in your player, go with this one! Original air dat...

Europe's GDP and purchasing power lag behind that of the United States. Why?  Sam Bowman is the Editor of Works in Progress at Stripe, and the former Executive Director of the Adam Smith Institute. He recently wrote an article for Reason Magazine entitled "The Europoors Are Choosing to Have Less Then Americans. It Doesn't Have to Be this Way."  He joins to discuss if Europe is actually poorer, and...

Liberalism was once thought to be triumphant and inevitable, but at the moment it's losing ground across the globe. Cass Sunstein joins to discuss what liberalism is, why it's good, and some of the in-family debates.    LINK: Cass Sunstein on Smarter Regulations https://www.thepoliticalorphanage.com/p/cass-sunstein-on-smarter-regulations-85e  

Well, how do we respond after assassinations and political tragedies? Let's talk about it. Ugh. Link: Assassins Part II: A Loser Kills Garfield https://www.patreon.com/posts/130642450

If Iran's Islamic Republic collapsed—or got pushed out—who would pick up the pieces? This week we look at the recent history of Iran, and the coup perpetrated by the CIA and MI6. To understand Iran's broader political context, and the power players poised to seize leadership.   Linked Bonus Episode: McKinley Dies and the Empire is Born On Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-mckinley-1313...

Is Sweden a socialist paradise? What do they do right and what have they screwed up on? Most importantly, what can Americans steal, replicate, and improve upon? To find out, I abducted the handsome and urbane intellectual Johan Norberg. Also I visit the ABBA Museum. 

Finland routinely winds up at the top of global happiness surveys. Why? In this episode, I flew to Helsinki to wander around and chat up locals. Trying to figure out why: Their social trust is so teeteringly high How their social safety nets work How this combines to result in their contentedness. So that we can steal all that, and replicate it. Relevant Episode: The Nordic Theory of Everything ht...

It turns out, young voters (under fifty) are openly hostile to political parties, and are most likely to flip from election to election. This means the game is about to change as Millennials displace Baby Boomers as the largest voting bloc. So what happens? Adam Brandon is a senior advisor at The Independent Center, and the former and final president of FreedomWorks. He joins the show to discuss h...

Greg Lukianoff is the President of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, and along with Nadine Strossen, is the author of "The War on Words: 10 Arguments Against Free Speech--And Why They Fail."

Does the Fed achieve its own stated goals? What are underlying ethical or practical issues with it? Soho Forum founder and economist Gene Epstein joins to make the case against the Federal Reserve. The SoHo Forum: https://www.thesohoforum.org/ Uncut Gene Epstein interview on the Federal Reserve: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1h_8wTj-0VrlMWsrtI6iIsewKvjZworu_/view?usp=sharing  

What is the purported aim of the Federal Reserve? Why is it independent, or shoot for 2% targeted inflation? In part one of our series on the Fed, Jeremiah Johnson of the New Liberal podcast joins to explain, discuss, and field objections.

How can an unscrupulous person get elected to high office and make a buck by abusing public trust? To look into this matter we speak with former congressman (and former lobbyist) Scott Klug. 

Melissa Chan and Badiucao have both been exiled from the People's Republic of China; the former as a journalist and the latter as an artist and political cartoonist. They join the show to discuss censorship and authoritarianism in China, and their new book, "You Must Take Part in Revolution: A Graphic Novel."

Ever wonder why Canada didn't become the 14th colony during the American War of Independence? It turns out, America invited Canada to join. Then, when they turned down the invitation, invaded. Then again in 1812. In this episode we return to States that Weren't: Canada. Plus, how Nova Scotia and Newfoundland almost became states. www. ThePoliticalOrphanage.com

America is littered with lots of almost-states, which very nearly joined the Union in their own right, but for some reason did not. In today's episode we cover Vandalia, Transylvania, Westylvania, Franklin, and Nickajack. By investigating these almost-states, we delve into constitutional law on matters of succession, and tap into a centuries-old conflict between populist hillbillies and English lo...

This week New York City Democrats held their primary for mayor, and nominated Zohran Kwame Mamdani. Mamdani is a Democratic Socialist who promises to implement free bussing, a $30 per hour minimum wage, universal childcare, and a government-run grocery store program. Hosts of the World's Smartest Podcast Network hosts, Turner Sparks and Dr. Andrea Jones-Rooy join to discuss.

Iran is accused by Israel of pursuing a nuclear weapons program, and President Trump is weighing US military intervention. In this episode we chart the history of nuclear non-proliferation, and assess Iran in light of it.

A terrorist shot William McKinley at a World's Fair in Buffalo in 1901. In this episode, we go over the specter of anarchism in that era, why McKinley embodied the establishment, and how he died.