You Might Be Right

To kick off a new season of You Might Be Right, Heather Long, opinion columnist for The Washington Post, and James Lake, associate professor of economics at the University of Tennessee, join Governors Bredesen and Haslam to discuss trade policy and the impact of tariffs.

Following an unprecedented presidential campaign, Andy Busch, Associate Director of the Institute of American Civics at the Baker School, and Lindsay Chervinsky, a presidential historian and executive director of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon, join Governors Bredesen and Haslam to debrief the election. What have we learned and what can history tell us about what might...

Steve Vladeck, law professor at Georgetown and CNN Supreme Court analyst, and John McGinnis, law professor at Northwestern, join Governors Bredesen and Haslam to discuss the impact of polarization and declining public trust on the Supreme Court. Is the Supreme Court as partisan as Americans think it is? Are reforms needed to help rebuild trust?

While constitutional issues are at the heart of many of our disagreements, it may also be the solution to our increasing political polarization. Yuval Levin, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and author of a new book "American Covenant", join Governors Bredesen and Haslam to explore how the Constitution can guide us to disagree constructively and resolve problems.

Anthony Foxx, Secretary of Transportation in the Obama Administration and Margaret Spellings, Secretary of Education in the Bush Administration, join Governors Bredesen and Haslam for a wide-ranging conversation, reflecting on experiences navigating divisions then and the changes they see today. They also share lessons learned while in office, from navigating relationships with the White House and...

Brothers, professors, and authors Hyrum Lewis and Verlan Lewis join Governors Bredesen and Haslam to discuss their new book "The Myth of Left and Right", and its premise that the "left" and "right" are social groups united by tribal loyalty rather than consistent philosophies. Could a more multidimensional view of politics improve our civic discourse? This episode was recorded live at the Chattano...

Are Americans as divided as we think we are? To kick off Season Five, Rachel Kleinfeld, an international relations scholar and senior fellow in the Democracy, Conflict and Governance program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, joins Governors Bredesen and Haslam to discuss what the research says about the roots and repercussions of polarization in American politics.

Two years and over 200,000 downloads later, "You Might Be Righ"t has inspired listeners nationwide. To mark this milestone, we invited our most avid listeners to ask Governors Bredesen and Haslam questions about the podcast, their time in office, and current hot topics.

Nearly a year after the first You Might Be Right episode on AI, Michael Kratsios, former U.S. Chief Technology Officer, joins Governors Bredesen and Haslam to revisit this rapidly evolving topic. They discuss recent AI developments, its societal impact, and America's role in global tech leadership.

Frank Fahrenkopf, co-chairman of the Commission on Presidential Debates, joins Governors Bredesen and Haslam to discuss the history of televised presidential debates, his reaction to two major party campaigns agreeing to debates this year without the Commission's involvement, and the future of these essential civic events.

Two Governors from adjacent states and opposing parties, Utah's Spencer Cox (R) and Colorado's Jared Polis (D), join Governors Bredesen and Haslam to share their "Disagree Better" initiative. They affirm the need to "disagree without hating each other" and explore practical ways to disagree better in everyday life.

Historian Allen Guelzo of Princeton University and political scientist Daniel Ziblatt of Harvard join Governors Bredesen and Haslam to delve into our presidential election process, its history, and arguments for (and against) reform.

Natalie Allison, national political reporter for Politico, and Dan Balz, Chief Correspondent for The Washington Post, join Governors Bredesen and Haslam to examine the evolving role of traditional media in a modern presidential campaign.

Dan DiSalvo, a political scientist and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, and Bill Galston, a senior fellow at Brookings and Wall Street Journal columnist, join Governors Bredesen and Haslam to discuss our two-party system and if a third-party candidate for president can be successful.

Galen Druke, host and producer of the FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast and Jonah Goldberg, Editor-in-Chief of The Dispatch and host of The Remnant podcast, join Governors Bredesen and Haslam to explore the modern presidential primary system – how it evolved, how it works, how it has changed politics, and if it ultimately reflects the will of the people.

To kick off Season Four, former Tennessee Governors Phil Bredesen and Bill Haslam reveal why they chose to be part of their respective political parties and how they are squaring their own values with America's evolving political landscape. Their conversation was moderated by Marianne Wanamaker, Dean of the Baker School. Season Four of "You Might Be Right" will focus on election-related topics, in...

In this bonus episode, former Tennessee Governors Phil Bredesen and Bill Haslam share their own perspectives on immigration, modeling the type of civil debate that "You Might Be Right" seeks to foster. From controlling the border to dealing with illegal immigrants already in the country, work visas, and humanitarian borders, the hosts discuss one of the most divisive – and nuanced – challenges fac...

As we approach the 2024 election, 2016 presidential candidate and fmr. HP CEO Carly Fiorina joins Governors Bredesen and Haslam for a wide-ranging discussion about democratic engagement, running for office, and her advice for business leaders.

Recorded live at the Baker School in October 2023, economist Melissa Kearney, author of "The Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling Behind," and Brookings Sr. Fellow Richard Reeves, president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, join Governors Bredesen and Haslam to discuss the challenges facing America's youth.

Recorded live at Launch Tennessee's 3686 Festival, founders Sarah Bellos of Stony Creek Colors and Brad Smith of Russell Street Ventures join Governors Bredesen and Haslam to explore the interaction between entrepreneurship and public policy.

Legal analyst Sarah Isgur and fmr. college admissions official Marie Bigham join Governors Bredesen and Haslam to discuss the Supreme Court ruling banning race-conscious admission policies in higher education, responses to the ruling, and what's next.

Dr. Sarah Kreps, a political scientist and director of the Cornell Tech Policy Institute, and Bruce Schneier, a technologist and Harvard Kennedy School lecturer, join Governors Bredesen and Haslam to dig into the good, the bad, and the unknown about how AI will impact democracy.

Two Secretaries of State, Brad Raffensperger (R) of Georgia and Jocelyn Benson (D) of Michigan, join Governors Bredesen and Haslam for a conversation about their efforts to safeguard elections and combat misinformation.

Longtime CNN and PBS anchor Judy Woodruff and fmr. Fox News political editor Chris Stirewalt join Governors Bredesen and Haslam to discuss the role the media plays in our democracy and the future of local news.

Harvard University professor, author, Washington Post columnist, and democracy scholar Danielle Allen joins Governors Bredesen and Haslam to share her vision for shoring up democracy. Allen discusses her work on civics education as the founding director of the Democratic Knowledge Project, specific proposals for a democracy "renovation" such as increasing the size of the U.S. House of Representati...