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Politics in Question — Government
Politics in Question

A podcast about how our political institutions are failing us and ideas for fixing them. Join hosts Lee Drutman and James Wallner as they imagine and argue over what American politics could look like if citizens questioned everything. Politics In Question is a joint venture of New America and the Foundation for American Innovation.

Latest Episodes:

Is it time to rethink how we understand political parties? Jul 14, 2022

Show notes

In this week’s episode of Politics In Question, Hans Noel joins Julia and James to talk about political parties. Noel is an associate professor in the Department of Government at Georgetown University, where he conducts research on political coalitions, political parties, and ideology. He is the author of Political Ideologies and Political Parties in America, and a co-author of The Party Decides: Presidential Nominations Before and After Reform. Noel also blogs on political parties at Mischiefs of Faction and the Monkey Cage.

How have events over the last decade shaped our understanding of political parties? Should we think about parties differently today than how we thought about them ten years ago? Why are the Democratic and Republican parties comprised of certain groups and interests? And does the conventional view of ideological polarization distort political reality when it comes to parties? These are some of the questions Hans, Julia, and James ask in this week’s episode.

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Is it a good idea to require Americans to vote in federal elections? Jul 06, 2022

Show notes

In this week’s episode of Politics In Question, E.J. Dionne and Miles Rapoport join Lee to discuss their new book, 100% Voting: The Case for Universal Voting. Dionne writes about politics for The Washington Post. He is also a government professor at Georgetown University, a visiting professor at Harvard University, a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution and a frequent commentator on politics for National Public Radio and MSNBC. Rapoport is Senior Practice Fellow in American Democracy at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Harvard Kennedy School. Prior to his appointment to the Ash Center, Rapoport was president of the independent grassroots organization Common Cause and headed the public policy center Demos.

What would happen if everybody voted? How would democracy change? In some countries, voting is mandatory. Should the United States become one of those countries? These are some of the questions E.J., Miles, and Lee ask in this week’s episode.

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Is the Supreme Court's legitimacy at risk? Jun 22, 2022

Show notes

In this week’s episode of Politics In Question, Julia, Lee, and James discuss the Supreme Court and democratic legitimacy in front of a live audience at The Washington Center in Washington, D.C. How does public opinion influence the Supreme Court? What role does the Court play in the federal government? Is it the ultimate arbiter of controversial policy questions? And should it be reformed? These are some of the questions Julia, Lee, and James discuss in this week’s episode.

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What will it take to change how the federal government budgets? Apr 26, 2022

Show notes

In this week’s episode of Politics In Question, Jonathan Bydlak joins James to talk about the federal budget. Bydlak is director of the Governance Program at the R Street Institute, where he also oversees the Fiscal and Budget Policy project and the Legislative Branch Capacity Working Group.

Why does the federal government budget like it doesn’t care about the future? How will events like the war in Ukraine, the pandemic, and inflation impact the United States’ fiscal health. And what will it take to change the federal government’s fiscal trajectory? These are some of the questions Jonathan and James ask in this week’s episode.

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What if things happened differently? Apr 11, 2022

Show notes

In this week’s episode of Politics In Question, Julia, Lee, and James consider what could have been if things happened differently at key moments in American political history. What would politics look like today if Richard Nixon defeated John F. Kennedy in the 1960 presidential election? Would Barack Obama’s defeat in the 2012 presidential election alter the trajectory of American politics over the last ten years? What impact do individuals have on politics? Do events matter? Or is politics determined by forces beyond our control? These are some of the questions that Julia, Lee, and James ask in this week’s episode.

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Is Trumpism in decline? Apr 03, 2022

Show notes

In this week’s episode of Politics In Question, Julia, Lee, and James ask about Donald Trump’s ongoing influence on the Republican Party. Will the former president be the GOP nominee in 2024? Can anyone defeat Trump if he seeks the nomination? What is the present state of Trumpism in the Republican Party? Is Trumpism changing? Is it in decline? And what do we mean by “Trumpism” in the first place? These are some of the questions Julia, Lee, and James discuss in this week’s episode.

Julia Azari, “How Republicans Are Thinking About Trumpism Without Trump,” FiveThirtyEight (March 15, 2022).

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What do Americans think about immigration policy? Mar 24, 2022

Show notes

In this week’s episode of Politics In Question, Sophia Jordán Wallace joins Lee and James to discuss public opinion on immigration policy. Wallace is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Washington. She specializes in Latino Politics, representation, and immigration politics and policy. Wallace is the author of Walls, Cages, and Family Separation: Race and Immigration Policy in the Trump Era (Cambridge University Press 2020). And she has published articles in the American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics, International Migration Review, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Political Research Quarterly, Politics, Groups, & Identities, American Politics Research, Social Science Quarterly, Political Science Quarterly, and Urban Affairs Review.

What do Americans think about immigration policy? How does the rhetoric on immigration policy impact American elections? And why can’t Congress pass legislation reforming immigration policy and securing the border? These are some of the questions Sophia, Lee, and James discuss in this week’s episode.

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Why did Russia invade Ukraine and what can the United States do about it? Mar 17, 2022

Show notes

In this week’s episode of Politics In Question, Heather Hurlburt joins Julia and James to talk about what’s happening in Ukraine. Hurlburt is the director of the New Models of Policy Change project at New America’s Political Reform program. She is a contributor to New York Magazine and she has published articles in numerous publications, including Politico, Foreign Affairs, The National Interest, Fortune, Vox, and Time. Hurlburt also co-hosts the Drezburt podcast and frequently appears in print and broadcast media. Previously, she ran the National Security Network, a premier source for internationalist foreign policy messaging and advocacy, held senior positions in the White House and State Department under President Bill Clinton, and worked on Capitol Hill and for the International Crisis Group.

What can the United States do to help Ukrainians repel Russia’s invasion of their nation? What are the diplomatic, economic, and military tools at the federal government’s disposal? Why did Russia invade Ukraine in the first place? And are America’s political institutions capable of crafting a Ukraine strategy that isn’t counterproductive in the long run? These are some of the questions that Heather, Julia, and James ask in this week’s episode.

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What's stopping the United States from changing its energy policy? Mar 11, 2022

Show notes

In this week’s episode of Politics In Question, Leah Stokes joins Lee and James to discuss energy policy in the United States. Stokes is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science and affiliated with the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management and the Environmental Studies Department at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). She is the author of Short Circuiting Policy (Oxford University Press, 2020). Her articles have appeared in the American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, British Journal of Political Science, Nature Energy, Energy Policy, and Environmental Science & Technology, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, The Atlantic, The Boston Globe, and CNN.

What is the current state of the nation’s energy policy? How does the U.S. compare to other industrialized nations in this area? Are things as stagnant as many people think? Or is the federal government making progress? And what is stopping the government from moving more quickly? These are some of the questions Leah, Lee, and James ask in this week’s episode.

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Where is the Republican Party headed? Mar 04, 2022

Show notes

In this week’s episode of Politics In Question, Julia, Lee, and James talk Republican Party politics. What’s happening inside the GOP? Has the party become more authoritarian in recent years? Are there any Republicans who will push back against former President Trump and his allies? Can they succeed? Or is this the wrong way to think about Republican Party politics altogether? These are some of the questions Julia, Lee, and James ask in this week’s episode.

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