Radically Pragmatic, a podcast from the Progressive Policy Institute

Latest Episodes:

Joint Episode: The Neoliberal Podcast Sits Down with Matt Gertz to Discuss the Right Wing Media Monster May 20, 2021

Show notes

This is a joint episode with The Neoliberal Podcast, and cofounder Jeremiah Johnson sat down with Media Matters Senior Fellow Matt Gertz, who follows the ecosystem of lies that is the right wing media system. Coincidentally, he is often mistaken for a certain Florida GOP Congressman, causing his Twitter mentions to explode. Both Jeremiah and Matt break down the many moving parts of this media monster, and how we ended up with a news cycle that misconstrues reality for millions of Americans.

Learn more about the Neoliberal Project here.

Learn more about Media Matters here.

Follow Matt Gertz on Twitter: @MattGertz

Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.

UK Unrest: A Frank Conversation About the State of Politics in the United Kingdom and Around the World May 10, 2021

Show notes

On this week's Radically Pragmatic Podcast, Will Marshall, President of the Progressive Policy Institute sat down with Matt Goodwin, Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Kent, a researcher and a published author. They discussed the dynamic political atmosphere across Europe and how it relates to the US political stage, among a host of other topics and issues.

Matthew Goodwin is an academic, bestseller writer and speaker known for his work on political volatility, risk, populism, British politics, Europe, elections and Brexit. He is Professor of Politics at Rutherford College, University of Kent, Senior Visiting Fellow at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House and previously Senior Fellow with the UK In a Changing Europe.

Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.

May The Fourth Be With You: Congressman Derek Kilmer Joins PPI's Caleb Watney for a Star Wars Themed Episode May 04, 2021

Show notes

In a Star Wars Day-themed Radically Pragmatic podcast episode, Caleb Watney, Director of Innovation Policy at the Progressive Policy Institute, sits down with Rep. Derek Kilmer (WA-06) - Congress’ top Star Wars super-fan - for Star Wars trivia, and an exciting conversation on the future of technology innovation in America.

Caleb and Rep. Kilmer dig deep into their shared love of Sci-Fi, and talk about how fiction helps inspire technology improvements and innovations that can become a reality. Representative Kilmer also calls for more Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education and apprenticeship opportunities and a reinvestment in research and development funding.

Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.

Full Speed Ahead: Congressman Seth Moulton Joins Paul Weinstein to Discuss the Need for High-Speed Rail in America Apr 30, 2021

Show notes

On this week's Radically Pragmatic Podcast episode, Paul Weinstein, Jr., Senior Policy Fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute, sits down with Rep. Seth Moulton (MA-06), for a special conversation about infrastructure development and high-speed rail. Congressman Moulton serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, as well as the House Budget and Armed Services Committees.

They discuss the need for more high-speed rail funding in the American Jobs Plan, the history of public and private investment in high-speed rail, and the potential for growth of high-speed rail projects across the country. Representative Moulton recently introduced a new bill, the American High-Speed Rail Act, which would invest $205 billion federal dollars into high-speed rail and create at least 2.6 million direct American jobs over five years.

Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.

MOSAIC MOMENT: Uplifting Women in a Post-COVID World with Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan Apr 28, 2021

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On this week’s Radically Pragmatic Podcast, Crystal Swann, Senior Policy Fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute and Mosaic Economic Project lead and Hilary Abell, Mosaic Economic Project Cohort member and co-founder of Project Equity, sit down with Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), a trained engineer, entrepreneur and veteran.

Congresswoman Houlahan serves on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Small Business Committee. Additionally, she is the Chair and Founder of the Servicewomen and Women Veterans Congressional Caucus, is Co-Chair of the Women in STEM Caucus, and is a Whip in the New Democrat Coalition.

They discuss the role of women in the new post-COVID economy, removing barriers to childcare, supporting access to capital for women of color seeking to become entrepreneurs, expanding access to affordable health care and more.

This podcast was in partnership with PPI’s Mosaic Economic Project. The Mosaic Economic Project is a network of diverse and highly credentialed women in fields of economics and technology. Mosaic programming focuses on upskilling, connecting, and advocating for cohort participants’ meaningful engagement in public policy debates, with a particular focus on engaging Congress and the media.

Learn more about the Mosaic Economic Project here.

Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.

Infrastructure and Coronavirus Relief, a discussion from the perspective of the US Virgin Islands with Rep. Stacey Plaskett Apr 26, 2021

Show notes

On this week’s Radically Pragmatic Podcast, PPI President Will Marshall and Center for New Liberalism Policy Director Jeremiah Johnson sit down with Rep. Stacey Plaskett, Delegate to the United States House of Representatives from the United States Virgin Islands' at-large congressional district. Congresswoman Plaskett serves on the House Ways and Means, Agriculture and Budget Committees, and is a leadership member of the New Democrat Coalition.

They discuss the New Democrat Coalition’s 100 Days Agenda, and the need for continued coronavirus relief and recovery measures - especially for regions like the Virgin Islands. Additionally, Congresswoman Plaskett outlines the critical nature of the American Jobs Plan, and the need to invest in long-term resiliency measures like job training, infrastructure development and clean energy.

Learn more about the Center for New Liberalism here.

Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.

Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland and Former Kansas City Mayor Sly James Join PPI President Will Marshall and Senior Policy Fellow Crystal Swann Apr 20, 2021

Show notes

On this week’s Radically Pragmatic Podcast, PPI President Will Marshall and Senior Policy Fellow Crystal Swann sit down with Rep. Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), a former Mayor of Tacoma, and Sly James, former Mayor of Kansas City.

They discuss a new “metro-federalism” - the role of local leaders in effectively deploying the public resources provided by Congress in the American Rescue Plan Act, and how mayors will support the Biden Administration's COVID-19 relief and recovery goals - often as Republican-controlled state legislatures are hostile to the new Democratic administration.

The leaders also discussed the American Jobs Plan, the Biden Administration’s next phase of the Build Back Better agenda, which will invest billions in traditional and human infrastructure so we can get every American - including women - back to work and back on track.

This episode is in partnership with New Urban Progress, who aim to spark a cross-fertilization of ideas for local initiative and problem-solving. The New Urban Progress project compares metropolitan regions that have emerged as hubs of public innovation and collaborative problem-solving, and uses the results as frameworks to build inclusive, innovative, digital, and diverse cities.

Learn more about New Urban Progress here.

Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.

RAS REPORTS: How Can Public Charter Schools Improve America's Education System? Apr 15, 2021

Show notes

Can charter schools help improve America's education system? Tressa Pankovits and Curtis Valentine from the Reinventing America's Schools Project at PPI join the show to discuss charter schools and school choice. What's the value in having local autonomy and experimentation in schools? How do you guard against potential downsides to charter schools? Ultimately, how can charter schools help improve outcomes for students?

Learn more about the Reinventing America’s Schools Project here.

Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.

Congressman Ami Bera Talks Health Policy with PPI's Director of Health Care Arielle Kane Apr 08, 2021

Show notes

On this week’s PPI Podcast, Arielle Kane, PPI’s Director of Health Care sits down with Rep. Ami Bera (CA-7), a leader of the New Democrat Coalition. They discuss National Public Health Week, the critical funding within the American Rescue Plan Act, and the state of health care after the COVID-19 pandemic. Representative Bera also discussed the intersection of health care and infrastructure, and the work Congress and the Biden Administration is doing to improve access to care for all Americans.

Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.

Congressman Ron Kind and PPI President Will Marshall Mar 01, 2021

Show notes

Representative Ron Kind of Wisconsin's 3rd District joins the PPI Podcast this week, offering the perspective of a Democrat in a district twice-won by Donald Trump. Kind discusses the work of the New Dem Coalition in the first few weeks of the Biden administration, the impact of Trump's trade war on farmers, and the need for Democrats to step up in rural areas.

Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.

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