We Made This Political Podcast

From the archives: We’re reposting one of our favorite conversations from last year to celebrate the 4th while we take some time off with our families. Enjoy! In this special July 4th episode, we explore what patriotism looks like in 2025 and what we are truly celebrating on Independence Day. Lura and Lauren emphasize the importance of community, civic engagement, and the unique diversity of Ameri...

Lauren Hall and Lura Forcum host We Made This Political with guest Maryam Mehrtash , a former marketing executive ( Disney, Marvel Studios, 20th Century, and the Paramount+ launch ) who pivoted after a late-2023/early-2024 layoff into writing, Substack ( This Is Not a Memo ), speaking, and authoring her first book on reinvention, leadership, and how systems are failing people. She describes losing...

Lauren Hall and Lura Forcum host Scott Warren (SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins) and Morgan Ramsey-Elliot (ReD Associates) to discuss their report, “Faith, Freedom, Family and Place,” an ethnographic study of conservative Americans’ relationships to democracy and institutional trust. They explain why common “save democracy” messaging often falls flat, arguing that democracy means different thi...

Lura Forcum and Lauren Hall host We Made This Political with congressional reporter Paul Kane of NOTUS , who explains how he moved from planning for law school to a 26-year career covering Congress and what makes a good congressional reporter. Kane argues that communications technology and the collapse of local and regional news have reshaped Congress, enabling “radical transparency” without relia...

On We Made This Political, hosts Lura Forcum and Lauren Hall interview Nate Smolensky, a strategist for independent candidates and author of Common Ground From the Ground Up , about why independent identification is rising (about 45% and growing) and what people want from politics: less pessimism, more authenticity, problem-solving, and respectful engagement. Smolensky distinguishes independents a...

On We Made This Political, hosts Lura Forcum and Lauren Hall talk with writer Ben Appel about his memoir Cis White Gay: The Making of a Gender Heretic and how identity, group loyalty, and the need for belonging shape belief and punish dissent. Appel describes returning to school at Columbia at 33 after a career in hairdressing and personal struggles, and how campus culture, critical theory, and po...

Lura Forcum and Lauren Hall host We Made This Political live with guest Corey Nathan, host of Talking Politics and Religion Without Killing Each Other , to discuss how to disagree without dehumanizing. Corey shares his shifts from an observant Jewish upbringing to becoming a born-again Christian, how family and church conflicts shaped his commitment to healthier civic conversation, and his critiqu...

Lura Forcum and Lauren Hall interview writer and essayist Leah Sargent about her book The Dignity of Dependence , arguing that dependence is a normal, dignified part of human life rather than an interruption to flourishing, and that a false ideal of autonomy undermines a just society. They discuss how prosperity and medical buffering foster illusory control, American frontier individualism, and ri...

On the We Made This Political podcast, hosts Lura Forcum and Lauren Hall interview David Beckmeyer, creator of Outrage Overload, about how constant political conflict shapes emotions, behavior, and relationships. Beckmeyer explains he began the project after seeing post-2016 and COVID-era outrage break friendships and families, and after recognizing his own role in online pile-ons. They discuss ho...

Lura Forcum and Lauren Hall interview Colleen Shogan, the 11th Archivist of the United States, about practicing public history in a polarized, low-trust environment. Shogan explains the Archivist’s nonpartisan, Senate-confirmed role overseeing a nationwide federal agency, and describes being fired by President Trump without the legally required explanation to Congress. She discusses the personal i...

Lura Forcum and Lauren Hall host “We Made This Political,” a podcast about making politics more about flourishing than power, and interview Joshua Bandoch, author of How to Get What You Want and VP of Policy at the Illinois Policy Institute. Bandoch explains he wrote the book after seeing good ideas fail without effective communication, arguing persuasion requires emotional intelligence because pe...

Laura Forcum and Lauren Hall host “We Made This Political,” a podcast about making politics more about flourishing and less about power, and interview civic entrepreneur Sam Daley-Harris, author of Reclaiming Our Democracy. Daley-Harris recounts his path from percussionist and former symphony musician to founding the anti-poverty lobby RESULTS after confronting world hunger and discovering most st...

Lura Forcum and Lauren Hall host Joe Waters, CEO of Capita, to discuss how government should promote the common good by creating social conditions that help people and families flourish. Waters explains Capita’s founding in 2018 to address how major transformations—artificial intelligence, demographic change, political realignment, and climate disruption—affect families, and to push longer-term po...

Lura Forcum and Lauren Hall interview Mike Lee , director of the Civility Initiative at the College of Charleston and host of When We Disagree , about how to improve disagreement through both debate and dialogue. Lee argues dialogue requires letting go of winning to humanize conflict and preserve long-term relationships, while debate uses evidence and stress-testing to clarify issues and strengthe...

Lura Forcum and Lauren Hall host Elizabeth Neumann , former DHS assistant secretary for counterterrorism and author of Kingdom of Rage , to discuss how dynamics long studied overseas—radicalization, identity threat, and extremist mobilization—have intensified in U.S. politics, with data showing a post-2016 shift in plots and attacks and a growing public tolerance for hostile action. Neumann argues...

In the final episode of their parenting series, hosts Laura Forcum and Lauren Hall recap conversations with Peter Gray, Darby Saxby, and Helen Roy, focusing on what it would mean to take care seriously in a culture that undervalues and genders care. They discuss how care has become siloed and often invisible through professionalization, regulation, and divided civic spaces, with COVID highlighting...

Lura and Lauren welcome writer and mother of four Helen Roy of Helen Roy Writes to the podcast We Made This Political for their parenting month series. Roy describes how her early work as an analyst at the Defense Intelligence Agency, graduate study in Western moral tradition and Aristotle’s virtue ethics, and concern about national identity and lack of grand strategy led her to see the family as...

Lura Forcum and Lauren Hall host an episode of We Made This Political featuring clinical psychologist and USC professor Darby Saxbe, whose research focuses on the transition to parenthood, fathers’ roles, and how family relationships shape mental and physical health. The conversation covers alloparenting and humans as cooperative breeders, arguing that shared caregiving and community support are c...

In this episode of ‘We Made This Political,’ hosts Lura Forcum and Lauren Hall are joined by Peter Gray, research psychologist and professor emeritus at Boston College, to discuss the crucial role of play in human development and education. Peter shares insights from his studies on the impact of unstructured play, autonomy, and curiosity on children’s psychological well-being and learning. Through...

In this episode of ‘We Made This Political,’ hosts Lura Forcum and Lauren Hall host documentary filmmaker Rob Feld. The conversation delves into the increasing polarization in American politics and public discourse, highlighting the impact of social media and algorithms. Rob shares insights from his film ‘Jesters and Fools,’ which uses comedians to explore polarization, cancel culture and self-cen...

In this episode of We Made This Political, Lura Forcum and Lauren Hall talk with Emma Adams, founder and co-executive director of Mormon Women for Ethical Government (MWEG). Emma shares her journey from refugee resettlement volunteer to leading a national organization advocating for ethical governance. The discussion covers MWEG’s mission, peacemaking principles, and fostering bipartisan cooperati...

In this episode of ‘We Made This Political,’ hosts Lauren Hall and Laura Forcum welcome back Shannon Watson , a civic leader from Minnesota, to discuss the current political climate in the state. They explore how Minnesotans are coping with federal interventions, the challenges of polarization, and the importance of local engagement and community resilience. Shannon shares insights on the nuanced...

Show Notes: Episode 35: Josh Lewis on Classical Conservatism in a MAGA World Guest: Josh Lewis, founder of Saving Elephants podcast and blog About Josh: Josh Lewis is a CPA and longtime student of conservative thought who founded Saving Elephants to reignite classical conservatism as a tradition rooted in prudence, gratitude, and community—rather than populism or personality-driven politics. He br...

In this episode of ‘We Made This Political,’ hosts Lura Forcum and Lauren Hall engage with Russ Green, managing director of Prime Mover Institute, on the impending crisis of social security and Medicare entitlements in America. They discuss the significant automatic cuts expected by 2033, the misallocation of resources benefiting wealthier retirees at the expense of the younger generation, and the...

In part two of their conversation with Musa Al-Gharbi, Lura Forcum and Lauren Hall explore the future of universities, the impact of AI on faculty, and the sociopolitical dynamics affecting higher education. They discuss the overproduction of PhDs, the exploitative conditions of adjunct faculty, and the erosion of trust in academic and media institutions. The episode delves into how systemic issue...