Politics and Polls

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#172: George Washington Reimagined Ft. Alexis Coe Feb 20, 2020

Show notes

Presidential biographies are some of the more popular forms of historical literature. They provide valuable insight into our founders, giving us some sense of who our leaders were and giving historical context to understand the presidency today. But there are some limits to these works. One author is reexamining how we talk and write about presidential history in our modern time.

Alexis Coe joins Julian Zelizer in this week's episode to discuss her new book, "You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington." Coe reimagines how we think about the first president, taking another look at the precedents he set and their implications on leadership today.

Coe is a writer, historian, and the award-winning author of "Alice + Freda Forever: A Murder in Memphis." She is also a consulting producer on Doris Kearns Goodwin's three-part series on George Washington and the host of "No Man's Land." She appears frequently on CNN and the History Channel and has contributed to a number of publications such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, The New Republic, and The Paris Review.

#171: An Episode We Love Feb 13, 2020

Show notes

In honor of Valentine's Day, we're rereleasing an episode we love: #82 featuring Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers. This Southern rock band has tackled a number of contentious political issues through song - from class to race and even partisan politics. They just released a new album, "The Unraveling," available now wherever you find music. Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang interviewed the band a year ago when they visited Princeton University for a public talk.

#170: The Aftermath of Iowa Feb 06, 2020

Show notes

Monday night's Iowa primary caucus ended without a clear Democratic winner at the end of the night, leaving many wondering what impact the results will have on the 2020 election and future caucuses. As the Democratic National Committee calls for accountability, voters are taking a closer look at the app created to streamline the process of reporting caucus results.

But how much does the Iowa caucus matter? While the winners of the Iowa caucus don't always go on to become their party nominee, the caucus plays an overwhelming role in media coverage of how an election will play out. Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss this year's caucus, its implications, and current prospects for Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren's presidential campaigns.

#169: Women's Rights in the 21st Century Ft. Fatima Goss Graves Jan 30, 2020

Show notes

Today's fight for women's rights has been decades in the making. Feminist movements in the U.S. have lobbied for national progress on a number of issues, including suffrage, reproductive rights, and pay equity. While thousands of protestors gathered for the Women's March in early January, a network of legal and political support continued to work behind the scenes to pass legislation to break down gender inequality.

Fatima Goss Graves joins Julian Zelizer in this week's episode to talk about activism and leadership in light of the #MeToo Movement and the Trump administration. Goss Graves is the president and CEO of the National Women's Law Center, where she and other members work to improve the lives of women and girls in areas such as income security, health and reproductive rights, education access, and workplace fairness.

Goss Graves is also currently an advisor on the American Law Institute Project on Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct on Campus and was on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace. She also is a Ford Foundation Public Voices Fellow.

#168: The Struggle for Liberty Ft. Daron Acemoglu Jan 23, 2020

Show notes

Liberty is a value often associated with democracy. Grassroots advocates and organizers have historically mobilized to pressure leaders and bring about change in society. But these efforts haven't always been successful. With this in mind, what does it take for liberty to emerge?

This pursuit of liberty is at the center of economist Daron Acemoglu's new book, "The Narrow Corridor: States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty." In this week's episode, Acemoglu joins Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang to discuss the role of norms and mobilization as states and societies struggle in the corridor to liberty.

Acemoglu is the Elizabeth and James Killian Professor of Economics at MIT. Earlier this year, he was named Institute Professor, the highest faculty honor at MIT. Acemoglu has authored multiple works, including "Economic Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy" and "Why Nations Fail."

#167: Ronald Reagan and the Origins of Modern Conservatism Ft. Robert Mann Jan 16, 2020

Show notes

Ronald Reagan is often regarded as a champion of modern American conservatism, but the former president didn't always hold these political beliefs. Reagan actually grew up in a New Deal family and voiced his support for the Democratic Party well into the 1950s. So how did he come to be such a prominent figure in the Republican Party?

In this week's episode, Robert Mann joins Julian Zelizer to discuss Ronald Reagan's political origins and transformation from a Democrat to a Republican, the subject of Mann's book, "Becoming Ronald Reagan: The Rise of a Conservative Icon." Mann discusses Reagan's political philosophies as they changed in the face of communism and the aftermath of the Vietnam War.

Mann holds the Manship Chair in Journalism at the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University. He has authored several works, including "Daisy Petals and Mushroom Clouds: LBJ, Barry Goldwater and the Ad that Changed American Politics" and "The Walls of Jericho: Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Richard Russell and the Struggle for Civil Rights." Mann also has penned op-eds and book reviews in such publications as The New York Times, the Boston Globe, Smithsonian, Politico, Vox, and Salon.

#166: Youth Activism in 2020 Jan 09, 2020

Show notes

We're back - and with a very special episode! Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang interview some young political voices in this week's episode, focusing on their projects, motivations, and hopes for 2020.

ABOUT THE GUESTS

Nick Guthman, Blue Future

Nick Guthman is a co-founder and the executive director of Blue Future, which connects young people to progressive campaigns. The group raised more than $70,000 to support student organizers working on congressional campaigns last year.

Henry Slater, Princeton University Asian American Students Association

Henry Slater is a sophomore at Princeton University. He and others are running voter registration drives on campus with the Asian American Students Association.

Sydney Ward and Hyrum Devenport, Project 320

Sydney Ward is a senior in high school and the founder of Project 320, which connects Utah students with their local reps and works to increase voter registration. Hyrum Devenport is a freshman at Brigham Young University and the community outreach director of Project 320.

Ella Berg, Vote Across America

Ella Berg, a high school senior at Staples High School in Connecticut, runs Vote Across America, which streamlines the voting process not only for Connecticut voters, but voters in every state and U.S. territory.

Natalie Sweet, Zero Hour

Natalie Sweet is a student at the Horace Mann School in the Bronx. She is co-head of Zero Hour, a non-profit organization dedicated to taking action to end climate change.

#165: Dealing with College Debt Ft. Caitlin Zaloom Dec 19, 2019

Show notes

College debt is a defining characteristic of middle class life in America.

In this episode, Caitlin Zaloom joins Julian Zelizer to discuss the impact of debt on families and students, the historic value of education, and explanations behind the rising costs of college. These are all topics of her new book, "Indebted: How Families Make College Work at Any Cost."

Zaloom is the editor-in-chief of Public Books and an associate professor in the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University. Her research focuses on urbanization, globalization, financial markets, science and technology, and social theory. She also is the author of "Out of the Pits: Traders and Technology." Zaloom's work has been recognized by multiple organizations, including the National Science Foundation, and the International Center for Advanced Study.

#164: Indivisible with Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg Dec 13, 2019

Show notes

After President Donald Trump was elected, two congressional staffers wrote a guide to "resisting the Trump agenda," which immediately went viral. Known as "Indivisible," the guide sparked a grassroots movement across the country, and invisible groups are now working across the country to advocate for progressive leaders and policies.

Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg, who are married, are the cofounders and executive directors of Indivisible and have published a book about the story of the movement: "We are Indivisible: A Blueprint for Democracy After Trump." They join Sam Wang and Julian Zelizer in today's episode to discuss.

Before starting Indivisible, Levin, an alumnus of Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School, was a federal antipoverty advocate. Greenberg was a human trafficking policy advocate on Capitol Hill. The two have been listed in Time's "100 Most Influential People of 2019," Politico 50 list, and GQ's "50 Most Powerful People in Trump's Washington."

#163: The Crisis of Democracy Dec 05, 2019

Show notes

Is democracy under attack? With the rise of authoritarianism abroad and the erosion of rights and norms at home, many have started to reexamine the strengths and weaknesses of democratic institutions. Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss the state of American democracy in this week's episode, looking at voting rights, truth in politics, and impeachment as the country enters the final year of President Trump's term.

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