The Political Orphanage

Latest Episodes:

The Economics of Illegal Immigration Mar 06, 2024

Show notes

In this travel episode our intrepid hosts journeys to McAllen, TX on the US-border to see the river, the wall, and to interview employers who hire immigrants as well as US Border agents. Guests: Former Border Patrol chief Clem Clemson, and Lee Wicker, Deputy Director for the North Carolina Growers Association. Support the Show! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton Relevant Links: Bryan Caplan on Open Borders https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/bryan-caplan Anna Gorisch: Sucks to Legally Immigrate https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/if-i-want-to-naturalize-my-foreign-bastard-foreign

The New Mao Feb 28, 2024

Show notes

Xi Xinping, the leader of China, has dramatically consolidated power and extended his reign indefinitely. What does he think and what does he want? Steve Tsang is the Director of the SOAS China Institute at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. He is the author of "The Political Thought of Xi Xinping," and joins to discuss.

America is Eleven Different Countries Feb 21, 2024

Show notes

Rudyard William Lynch is the host of WhatifAlHist, a popular history channel on YouTube.

He joins to discuss how the origins and circumstances of America's regions permanently imprinted on its cultures and political outlooks.

Colin Woodard's Map: https://www.businessinsider.com/the-11-nations-of-the-united-states-2015-7

Rudyard's Map: https://preview.redd.it/cultural-map-of-america-done-by-whatifalthist-on-youtube-v0-7clddg9nunpa1.jpg?auto=webp&s=663b38b9434bdf7791fac983f0d5e5beb643b779

Relevant Book: American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America, by Colin Woodard

Working with Commies and Frenchmen Feb 14, 2024

Show notes

Alain Bertaud is a feted urbanist, who before becoming a professor at NYU, worked in city planning in communist China, as well as on projects in Algeria, Cuba, and his native France. He joins to discuss what work and results look like in top-down command economies.

Alan Bertaud from City Week:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/sim-city-was-79663680?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

The Politics of Artificial Intelligence Feb 07, 2024

Show notes

Is AI biased towards a particular viewpoint, and if so, how does it affect national sentiment and elections? Maxim Lott has built an AI tracking website that charts the political orientation of Large Language Models, and watches their development in real time. He joins to discuss.

Maxim's Website: trackingai.org

Maxim's Substack: https://maximumtruth.substack.com/

Political Compass Quiz: https://www.politicalcompass.org/test

The Two Kinds of Independents Feb 01, 2024

Show notes

I flew to New Hampshire to check out the primaries, and to visit this historically independent-minded state to see how independents think. In this episode we see a Nikki Haley concert, and get invited to a Libertarian Clubhouse.

TPO: Don't Screw This Up, New Hampshire (Feb, 2020) https://five.libsyn.com/show/episodes/view/13086767

Knocking Trump Off the Ballot Jan 26, 2024

Show notes

Donald Trump has been removed from the ballot in Colorado and in Maine, on the grounds that he is an insurrectionist ineligible to hold office under the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court will hear an appeal from the Trump campaign in the following weeks.

Anna Gorisch comes to discuss the specifics and impacts of this case, and what will be of issue to the highest court in the land.

Iowa, Ancient Greece, and Rome Jan 17, 2024

Show notes

Live from Des Moines, Iowa, Heaton transforms into a 'thinky travelogue' guide, unraveling the mysteries of state-by-state primaries, and the often confusing blend of direct democracy and representative democracy that characterizes American politics.

This episode isn't just about the mechanics of the caucus; it's an exploration of the philosophical underpinnings of the American political system, drawing parallels between ancient Greece and Rome, and our modern-day practices.

TPO: Glen Weyl on How Weighted Voting Could Actually Work https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/glen-weyl

Announcement: Live Show in New Hampshire! Saturday, January 20th Jan 16, 2024

Show notes

Hey gang, I will be joining Jen Briney and Justin Robert Young for a live show of our podcast "We're Not Wrong" at 7:00 PM at the Share Brewing Company in Manchester, NH, this Saturday, January 20th. If you're in the area, this is a great alibi--come on out!

Moon Base Economics Jan 12, 2024

Show notes

Zach Weinersmith is the author of "A City on Mars: Can we settle space, should we settle space, and have we really thought this through?"

He joins to discuss the legal and economic feasibility of building settlements on Mars or the Moon

SUPPORT THE SHOW! www.patreon.com.andrewheaton

Robert Zubrin: Want to Build a Moon Base

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-98-i-want-to-build-a-moon-base-guest-robert-zubrin/id1439837349?i=1000434628317

Robert Zubrin on Mars

https://alienating.libsyn.com/turns-out-were-all-probably-martians

How to Make Money on Mars

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alienating-the-audience/id1488171922?i=1000470956981

Lori Garber: Space Billionaires vs Space Bureucrats