The Political Orphanage

There's a pervasive idea that in the 1950s America had single-earner families who could more easily afford housing, car payments, groceries and college, so maybe we should go back to the political economy of that era? In this special, we visit Fiftiesland and see how it stacks up to modern America. Support the show! Patreon.com/andrewheaton Venmo: @andrew-heaton-1  

Tom Merritt of Daily Tech News joins to discuss the underlying technology of AI and Large Language Models, and what people get wrong about both.  Pre-order Tom's book at: www.tomsnewbook.com SUPPORT THE SHOW! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton  Heaton and Nick sketch comedy: mightyheaton.com/vagabonding Bonus Episode: How to Use AI for Work https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-how-to-use-98003840?utm_med...

Jennifer Doleac is Executive Vice President of Criminal Justice at Arnold Ventures, a major funder of criminal justice research and reform in the United States. She joins to discuss trends in crime, causes and deterents of crime, and cheap or easy ways we can make the country safer.  Support the show! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton .

Adam Andrzejewski is CEO and Founder of Open The Books, an organization which files thousands of FOIA requests each year to document and expose government budgets and employee salaries, to identity waste and fraud. Website: https://www.openthebooks.com/

Jonathan Rauch of the Brookings Institution joins to discuss the most openly totalitarian period of American history: the Lavender Scare. And to point out that there are still people alive who suffered through it, and what restitutions can be made.   Article at The Atlantic: "The U.S. Should Apologize to Gay People." https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/01/lavender-scare-gay-people-publi...

Donald Trump is being prosecuted under RICO law in Georgia, wherein District Attorney Fanni Willis has charged him and parts of his campaigns as criminal conspirators in a criminal enterprise. What is RICO law, and does Trump qualify for prosecution under it? Attorney Paul Townsend rejoins to discuss.  

In this travel episode our intrepid hosts journeys to McAllen, TX on the US-border to see the river, the wall, and to interview employers who hire immigrants as well as US Border agents.   Guests: Former Border Patrol chief Clem Clemson, and Lee Wicker, Deputy Director for the North Carolina Growers Association.   Support the Show! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton   Relevant Links:   Bryan Caplan on O...

Xi Xinping, the leader of China, has dramatically consolidated power and extended his reign indefinitely. What does he think and what does he want? Steve Tsang is the Director of the SOAS China Institute at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. He is the author of "The Political Thought of Xi Xinping," and joins to discuss.

Rudyard William Lynch is the host of WhatifAlHist, a popular history channel on YouTube. He joins to discuss how the origins and circumstances of America's regions permanently imprinted on its cultures and political outlooks. Colin Woodard's Map: https://www.businessinsider.com/the-11-nations-of-the-united-states-2015-7 Rudyard's Map: https://preview.redd.it/cultural-map-of-america-done-by-whatifa...

Alain Bertaud is a feted urbanist, who before becoming a professor at NYU, worked in city planning in communist China, as well as on projects in Algeria, Cuba, and his native France. He joins to discuss what work and results look like in top-down command economies.   Alan Bertaud from City Week: https://www.patreon.com/posts/sim-city-was-79663680?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_c...

Is AI biased towards a particular viewpoint, and if so, how does it affect national sentiment and elections? Maxim Lott has built an AI tracking website that charts the political orientation of Large Language Models, and watches their development in real time. He joins to discuss. Maxim's Website: trackingai.org Maxim's Substack: https://maximumtruth.substack.com/ Political Compass Quiz: https://w...

I flew to New Hampshire to check out the primaries, and to visit this historically independent-minded state to see how independents think. In this episode we see a Nikki Haley concert, and get invited to a Libertarian Clubhouse. TPO: Don't Screw This Up, New Hampshire (Feb, 2020)  https://five.libsyn.com/show/episodes/view/13086767

Donald Trump has been removed from the ballot in Colorado and in Maine, on the grounds that he is an insurrectionist ineligible to hold office under the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court will hear an appeal from the Trump campaign in the following weeks. Anna Gorisch comes to discuss the specifics and impacts of this case, and what will be of issue to the highest court in the land.

Live from Des Moines, Iowa, Heaton transforms into a 'thinky travelogue' guide, unraveling the mysteries of state-by-state primaries, and the often confusing blend of direct democracy and representative democracy that characterizes American politics. This episode isn't just about the mechanics of the caucus; it's an exploration of the philosophical underpinnings of the American political system, d...

Hey gang, I will be joining Jen Briney and Justin Robert Young for a live show of our podcast "We're Not Wrong" at 7:00 PM at the Share Brewing Company in Manchester, NH, this Saturday, January 20th. If you're in the area, this is a great alibi--come on out!

Zach Weinersmith is the author of "A City on Mars: Can we settle space, should we settle space, and have we really thought this through?"   He joins to discuss the legal and economic feasibility of building settlements on Mars or the Moon   SUPPORT THE SHOW! www.patreon.com.andrewheaton   Robert Zubrin: Want to Build a Moon Base https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-98-i-want-to-build-a-moon-ba...

Greg Lukianoff is the President of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, and along with Rikki Schlott, is the author of "The Cancelling of the American Mind: Cancel Culture Undermines Trust, Destroys Institutions, and Threatens Us All--But There Is a Solution."    Get the the book: www.mightyheaton.com/featured TPO: Greg Lukianoff discussing his last book, "The Coddling of the Ameri...

New York Times columnist David Brooks believes a basic breakdown in interpersonal skills is the origin of our current political rancor. His new book, "How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply And Being Deeply Seen" aims to fix that. He joins to discuss how to better connect with people, and its implications.  Support the show!  www.patreon.com/andrewheaton Buy the book: www.mightyheat...

Highlights from Christmas comedy specials of years gone by. Enjoy!

It's the sixth annual comedy Christmas special! Underwritten by Snuffy's (Off Route 44).   This year's Christmas special includes: Muppets, Artificial Intelligence, circumcision, a robotic horse, and beloved English actors.   Enjoy!   Link for Christmas Zoom: www.mightyheaton.com/christmas   Venmo: andrew-heaton-1   PayPal: andrew@mightyheaton.com     PREVIOUS CHRISTMAS SPECIALS   Snuffy's Explosi...

Deed restrictions allow you to make contractual obligations with other homeowners–often, dead ones. How do deed restrictions and HOA's drive up housing costs and hurt density? How do we allow private contracts to exist without running into the downsides of neighborhood covenants. Chris Gannon works with the American Institute of Architects on their Housing Committee. He joins to discuss.

Chris Moody and his wife called their telecom provider, to ask that their Internet service be scrapped, and replaced by a landline. They do not have cell reception on the mountain where they live, so eschew wifi and the world wide web in favor of a single hardwired phone inside their home. Chris joins the show to discuss how the change affected his lifestyle and happiness, and offer advice on what...

Juries have the ability to vote "not guilty" even when it's clear the accused violated established law. If a jury judges a law as unjust and refuses to convict, is that a needed recourse within our judicial system, or contrary to objective and universal justice?  Attorney Paul Townsend joins to discuss.

This Thanksgiving Brian Brushwood joins to discuss the many ways an average American's life is more comfortable, affluent, and magical than the vast majority of human history--including that of pharaohs and kings.   B O O K S : This episode relies heavily on "The Rational Optimist" by Matt Ridley, "Ten Global Trends Every Smart Person Should Know" by Ron Bailey, and "The Better Angels of Our Natur...

How many nuclear bombs do we actually need to sufficiently scare an enemy? How many is too many? If we agree to reduce our stockpiles… how can we trust that the other guy really did? Travis Halleman is an expert on nuclear deterrence, and joins to discuss.    Links:   Who Actually Survives a Nuclear War: https://www.patreon.com/posts/who-actually-war-71978682?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&u...