Politics and Polls

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#201: Mobilizing Young Voters Featuring Vote100 Sep 17, 2020

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Young voters are notoriously criticized for not making it to the ballot boxes. What motivates young people to vote? And how we can ensure that more college-aged students make it to the polls this fall?

In this episode, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang are joined by Emma Parish '21 and Kesavan Srivilliputhur '23, two Princeton University undergraduate students who are part of the Vote100 initiative, which aspires for 100% of the Princeton undergraduate body to engage civically, and for every eligible student to vote. The group engages in a lively discussion about what young people care about, their unique voting behaviors, and how older generations can help mobilize youth to vote.

This episode first aired on Facebook Live on Sept. 15.

#200: Ask Us Anything Sep 10, 2020

Show notes

In honor of the 200th episode of Politics & Polls, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang reflect back on the show's history with the show's producer, B. Rose Huber. Zelizer and Wang answer a series of questions from how they met/started to the show to their most embarrassing moments on air to which historical figure they'd most like to interview (Hint: They share the same answer!). Miss your chance to submit a question? Email us at politicspolls@princeton.edu.

#199: Trump: A Cause or Product of the GOP? Featuring Stuart Stevens Sep 03, 2020

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Many policies under President Donald Trump seem out of step with traditional Republican platforms. This has caused many conservatives to take a look at the party and ask: Is Trump a cause or product of the GOP?

Veteran political consultant Stuart Stevens is among those embedded in such conversations. In this episode with Julian Zelizer, Stuart discusses where the party has been, where it is today, and where it's going. Stevens also dives into details from new book: "It Was All a Lie: How the Republican Party Became Donald Trump."

Stevens is an American travel writer and political consultant. He is the cofounder of the political media consultancy Stevens & Schriefer Group. In 2013, he became a founding partner in Strategic Partners & Media, the consulting firm with the best record in statewide races. He served as a top strategist for Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign. He's now part of the Lincoln Project, a conservative "Never Trump" group for the 2020 United States presidential election.

The Clumsy Road to Antiracism Aug 27, 2020

Show notes

This week's show is special: We're running an episode of Democracy Works, a podcast produced by Penn State University's McCourtney Institute for Democracy. (You may remember we swapped episodes with them last summer.)

This episode features Tehama Lopez Bunyasi, assistant professor at the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, and Candis Watts Smith, associate professor African American Studies and political science at Penn State.

Bunyasi and Smith are coauthors of a book called "Stay Woke: A People's Guide to Making all Black Lives Matter," which looks at the history of structural racism in the U.S. and gives people information and tools to become antiracists.

In this episode, they talk about the clumsiness associated with changing patterns of thinking and behavior and how that's playing out across our online and offline lives and among both individuals and companies. They also discuss the inherent messiness of the Black Lives Matter movement and why that's not necessarily a bad thing.

#198: Free Speech, "Call-Out Culture," and Social Justice Featuring Suzanne Nossel Aug 23, 2020

Show notes

With the rise of online and social media platforms, free speech and political discourse have taken on new complexities. While providing the opportunity to connect with large audiences, social media platforms have increasingly depersonalized discussions.

Suzanne Nossel joins Sam Wang and Julian Zelizer to discuss censoring speech, freedom of expression during the Trump administration, and distrust in our public institutions. She's the author of a recent book: "Dare to Speak: Defending Free Speech for All." The trio look at "call-out" culture and whether free speech comes at the expense of social justice.

Nossel currently serves as the chief executive officer of PEN America, an organization focused on free speech and human rights issues. Since 2013, she has overseen PEN America's growth, doubling its staff, budget, and membership. She previously served as chief operating officer of Human Rights Watch and as executive director of Amnesty International USA. She also has served in roles under the Obama and Clinton administrations. Her work has been published in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and more.

#197: The Making of the Modern Conservative Movement Featuring Matt Grossmann Aug 13, 2020

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The GOP went from full control in only three state governments in 1992 to 26 in 2018. How did the party achieve such rapid success on the state-level?

Political scientist Matt Grossmann joins Julian Zelizer in this week's episode to discuss the rise of the modern conservative movement, its grassroots origins, and its state legislature strategy. Grossman also touches upon the social issues that have driven the conservative movement in America.

Grossman is a professor of political science at Michigan State University and the director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research. He's also the author or co-author of four books, and his most recent book, "Red State Blues: How the Conservative Revolution Stalled in the States," was published by Cambridge University Press in 2016.

#196: Political Conventions, Polls, and "Moneyball 2020" Aug 07, 2020

Show notes

With the Covid-19 pandemic, the conventions will look vastly different from previous years. In this episode, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss the run-up to the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. They look at how a virtual convention might affect election coverage, voter enthusiasm, and rising political talent. Later in the episode, they dig into polling numbers across the United States, particularly within the potential swing states of Georgia, Florida, and Texas. They discuss the impact of a potential Supreme Court vacancy or vote-by-mail suppression on the presidential election. Finally, Wang tells listeners about "Moneyball 2020," a model designed by the Princeton Election Consortium to identify races where voters have the most leverage to prevent partisan gerrymandering in 2021.

#195: What Happened to the Modern GOP? Jul 30, 2020

Show notes

On Politics & Polls this week, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss the roots of the modern Republican Party. Zelizer talks about his newly published book, "Burning Down the House: Newt Gingrich, The Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of a New Republican Party," which explores how Newt Gingrich's political tactics and partisan maneuverings led to the modern GOP.

Julian Zelizer is co-host of Politics & Polls. He is the Malcolm Stevenson Forbes, Class of 1941 Professor of History and Public Affairs at Princeton University, and a CNN political analyst. He has written more than 100 op-eds and has edited and authored 21 books. He has been a fellow at the Brookings Institute, the New York Historical Society, New America, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the Russell Sage Foundation.

#194: How Gerrymandering Turned America from Red to Blue Featuring Dave Daley Jul 24, 2020

Show notes

Redistricting has increasingly transformed the Congressional delegations of many states. Even slight changes in streets and neighborhoods can drastically shift who represents each district. Journalist Dave Daley joins Sam Wang and Julian Zelizer in this episode to speak about redistricting and gerrymandering across the United States. Daley's book, "Ratf**ked," examines the legacy of Republican redistricting efforts in the 2010s. Daley, Wang, and Zelizer trace the history of gerrymandering since the late 1700s and explore how technology has accelerated the issue. Daley also is the author of the new book "Unrigged: How Americans are Battling Back Efforts to Save Democracy." He is the former editor-in-chief of Salon.com, and the former CEO and publisher of the Connecticut News Project. He is a digital media fellow at the Wilson Center for the Humanities and the Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia. He has appeared in the New Yorker, Washington Post, The Guardian, and Rolling Stone.

#193: The Electoral College Featuring Jesse Wegman Jul 16, 2020

Show notes

With two of the past three American presidents winning the electoral vote, but losing the popular vote, many question whether the institution stifles the will of the people and goes against the concept of democracy.

Jesse Wegman joins Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang to speak about the electoral college, political gridlock, and how to fix the system. Wegman recently published his first book, "Let the People Pick the President." On this week's episode, he discusses his book, alternatives to the system, the National Popular Vote Compact, and more.

Wegman is a member of The New York Times editorial board and writes on issues concerning the Supreme Court and legal affairs. He previously worked as a reporter, editor, and producer at outlets including National Public Radio, The New York Observer, Reuters, The Daily Beast, and Newsweek.

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