The Rational Policy Podcast

The Rational Policy Podcast is back with Episode 45! We have returned to our regularly-scheduled programming, with hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay breaking down the week in current events. In this slightly longer than usual episode, we hit on the biggest topics of the past week and the week to come. We lead off with geopolitics, previewing the NATO summit this week in Ankara, Turkey. We use that...

Welcome back to the Rational Policy Podcast! You’re in luck, as this Very Special Episode is our America 250 Extravaganza, a paean to America so awesome that you’ll involuntarily grow a mullet. In all seriousness, though, this is the greatest nation that has ever existed, the greatest triumph for human freedom that mankind has ever created, and the most incredible, dynamic, creative society full o...

Welcome to a Very Special Episode 43 of the Rational Policy Podcast! In this installment, host Mike Coté interviews Dr. Arthur Herman, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times bestselling historian, about his new book Founder’s Fire: From 1776 to the Age of Trump . We discuss the idea of the founder’s fire – the risk-seeking, action-oriented, visionary strain in American life – and how it char...

Welcome back to the Rational Policy Podcast! In this installment, Episode 42, your steadfast hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay break down the week in news, touching on policy, politics, and foreign affairs. We start with the latter, delving into the latest updates on the Iran ‘deal’ and how things look a week later. (Spoiler alert: not great!) We talk about the Iranian refusal to comply with the ve...

The Rational Policy Podcast is back! After a weeklong hiatus, we return with Episode 41, in which hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay dive into the latest developments in news and politics over the past fortnight. Unsurprisingly, we spend the lion’s share of the podcast discussing the war (or conspicuous lack thereof) in Iran, breaking down the just-signed Memorandum of Understanding between Tehran a...

Episode 40 of the Rational Policy Podcast is here! In this freewheeling episode, hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay skip the usual news of the week for a series of digressions and tangents that actually ended up being one of our better podcast installments. In this semi-rambling hour or so, we hit on everything from American patriotism and the UFC fight on the White House lawn to the uselessness of...

Episode 39 of the Rational Policy Podcast is here! Join hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay for a breakdown of the most important topics in policy and politics - this time with a focus on everything AI. The subject is nigh-inescapable, impacting essentially all aspects of life today, from the economy to the dinner table. On this episode, we discuss the topic, both in broad and narrow terms. Are the c...

Welcome to Episode 38 of the Rational Policy Podcast! In this installment, hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay break down the news of the week, both foreign and domestic. We start with the latter, discussing the White House’s announcement of a $1.776 billion fund to compensate the purported victims of a politicized, abusive, and vindictive Justice Department – essentially, an unregulated pot of money...

Episode 37 of the Rational Policy Podcast is live! In this installment, hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay dive into the news of the week, touching on global, domestic, and media affairs. We start with an update on the progress (or lack thereof) of the Iran War, exploring how things have changed and what might come next for the conflict. Most of the show, however, is dedicated to a different topic e...

Welcome back to the Rational Policy Podcast! In Episode 36, hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay explore the week in news, delivering our hot takes on the key events of the past seven days. We spend much of the show diving into the seemingly-stable situation in Iran and detailing the developments (or lack thereof) emanating from Washington and Tehran. We explain what it all means, how to think about t...

On Episode 35 of the Rational Policy Podcast, hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay return to our regularly scheduled show format, where we discuss a number of topics in the news this week. Naturally, we spend much of the podcast discussing the latest assassination attempt against President Trump – the fourth such attempt in less than two years. We explore the attempted assassin’s rationale, what it sa...

Welcome back to the Rational Policy Podcast! In this episode, hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay once again plumb the depths of the events in the Middle East. We discuss the latest developments in the Iran War, including the escalating naval conflict and the potential for future negotiations with the regime in Tehran. Is this a lull in the war, or the start of a new phase? We explore the near-global...

Episode 33 of the Rational Policy Podcast sees your hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay deliver a sixth consecutive update on the Iran War. On this installment, we discuss the newly-implemented American blockade of Iranian ports, how it could impact the next steps of the conflict, and how it helps solve the biggest concern of critics thus far: the navigability of the Strait of Hormuz. We also talk ab...

On Episode 32 of the Rational Policy Podcast, hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay talk about something entirely different. Just kidding, we talk about the Iran War, obviously. We catch up on everything that has happened since we last convened, starting with the incredible combat search and rescue feat that our military pulled off over Easter weekend, safely evacuating a downed airman from Iranian ter...

Episode 31 of the Rational Policy Podcast sees your hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay discuss the developments in the Iran War after a month of intense fighting. First, however, we spend some time praising the incredible Artemis II mission and America’s return to the Moon, a beacon of national unity in a time of political strife. In the war update, we break down Trump’s address to the nation, menti...

On Episode 30 of the Rational Policy Podcast, hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay recap another week of developments in the only story really worth discussing: the war against the Iranian mullahcracy. We talk about the current state of play, the possible challenges to come, and the vast successes thus far. We touch on the Strait of Hormuz and whether its temporary closure is as big a deal as it is be...

Welcome back to the Rational Policy Podcast! On episode 29 of the show, hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay discuss the new developments over the past week of the Iran war. We talk about the extraordinary military success of the US and Israel, how the Iranian regime is being battered, and what sort of tactics and strategy we may be seeing in the coming weeks. We touch on the closure of the Strait of...

We’re back! After a brief hiatus, the Rational Policy Podcast has returned in its full glory - and not a moment too soon. Join your hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay for a wide-ranging discussion on the one topic that matters right now: the war against the Iranian regime. In this episode, we break down what is happening, why it is happening now, how the war against the mullahcracy is in American in...

Episode 27 of the Rational Policy Podcast, hosted by Mike Coté and Art Vandelay , is here! In this installment of the show, we discuss three of the week’s top stories: the Epstein file release, mass layoffs at the Washington Post , and the lapsing of the US-Russia nuclear arms limitation treaty known as New START. And be sure to stay tuned to the end of the show for a very special announcement and...

The Rational Policy Podcast is back with Episode 26, hitting three stories, foreign and domestic, from the past week. Your hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay start with the issue taking up almost all of the political oxygen: the chaotic situation in Minneapolis surrounding the enforcement of federal immigration law. We talk about the specific events that have made this an omnipresent story, the role...

On Episode 25 of the Rational Policy Podcast, hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay break down the good, the bad, and the ugly from the first 365 days of Trump’s second term as president. We focus on the four most important domestic concerns in the 2024 election and the four key regions for American foreign policy. In the process, we give out letter grades for a whole slew of issues, ranging from the e...

In episode 24 of the Rational Policy Podcast, hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay discuss three topics in current events, foreign and domestic. We start with what could easily be the biggest story of the year so far: the incipient revolution in Iran. Next, we touch on an idea that just keeps coming back: the annexation of Greenland. Finally, we dive into a broad domestic issue that has received relat...

Episode 23 of the Rational Policy Podcast focuses on one topic and one topic only this week: the incredible US raid to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. We break down the events themselves, how the operation was executed, what comes next for Maduro, as well as the future of the Venezuelan people and their repressive government. Who is in charge of the regime in Caracas? When will there b...

On Episode 22 of the Rational Policy Podcast, your hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay step away from the immediate news of the day to take a broad look at the year past. In this 2025 Year in Review show, we hit on seven questions about the events, ideas, and politics of the past 365 days - and the next 360. What was the biggest story of the year? The most undercovered issue? The biggest disappointme...

The Rational Policy Podcast is back with another Very Special Holiday Episode! On this show, hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay avoid politics entirely, focusing instead on the greatest holiday of all: Christmas. We have a free-wheeling discussion about traditions, gifts, decorations, food, family, entertainment, and more. Merry Christmas! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this...