Podcasts

Issues related to immigration have occupied a central role in political debates, especially during the Trump presidency. Although the current focus tends to be on Central and Latin America, backlash unfolded throughout American history, including among Chinese immigrants in the 19th century. Much of what took place then has shaped the contours of immigration policy today. Joining today's episode to discuss immigration is Beth Lew-Williams, assistant professor of history at Princeton University. Lew-Williams is a historian of race and migration in the United States, specializing in Asian American history. Her book, "The Chinese Must Go: Violence,…

First ladies often play big roles in the White House, either behind the scenes or in the public eye.In this episode, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss the highly variable roles played by first ladies with Lauren Wright, a lecturer in politics and public affairs at Princeton University.Wright is the author of “On Behalf of the President: Presidential Spouses and White House Communications Strategy Today” and is a regular contributor to The Hill and The Huffington Post. She’s currently working on a book about celebrities running for elected office, which will be released next year.ABOUT THE HOSTSZelizer has been among the pioneers in the revival of…

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing the world today. In this episode, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss the politics of combating climate change with author Jeff Nesbit.Nesbit examines the consensus in the scientific community concerning climate change. He explains how the U.S. is effectively shielded from the worst effects of climate change because of its wealth and situation in a temperate zone. This is not the case in the rest of the world.Nesbit sees a bipartisan opportunity to address climate change through clean energy, but it's a race against time.Nesbit is the author of several books, including “This is the Way the World…

Donald Trump’s presidency has been unsettling to some, often spurring controversy while testing our country’s political institutions. Some argue he is at the root of the problem while others say he is simply a symptom of an already broken system.To unravel this a bit more and to offer possible ways out, Greg Sargent of the Washington Post’s Plum Line Blog joins this episode of Politics & Polls with Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang. Sargent has written a new book on the subject, “An Uncivil War: Taking Back Our Democracy in an Age of Trumpian Disinformation and Thunderdome Politics.”Sargent is an opinion writer covering national politics at the…

Three weeks after the midterm elections, the results are finally clear.In this episode, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang examine the emerging consensus regarding the outcome of the midterms that there was, in fact, a Blue Wave—at least in terms of the U.S. House of Representatives.The pair discuss the effects of geographic polarization and gerrymandering on the election results and how the size of the Democratic party’s popular vote victory is historic. Zelizer and Wang also discuss Nancy Pelosi’s prospects for resuming the title of Speaker of the House. ABOUT THE HOSTSZelizer is the Malcolm Stevenson Forbes, Class of 1941 Professor of History and Public…

How is today’s brand of conservatism different from past presidencies? In this episode, Julian Zelizer discusses the ins and outs of conservatism today, particularly compared with that during the Ronald Reagan presidency, with economist Arthur Brooks.Brooks elaborates on his own unlikely path to becoming a leading conservative thinker and expresses his firm belief that, because of the unique history of the United States, nearly all Americans are progressive, regardless of their party identification. He also takes an historic look at the conservative movement, noting, for example, that while many of Trump’s views are in opposition to those of Reagan,…

Democrats gained control of the U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 6, while Republicans bolstered their majority in the U.S. Senate. Democrats also gained seven new governorships, including in states key to President Donald Trump’s victory in 2016 like Michigan, Wisconsin and Kansas. In this episode, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss the election results and voting rights with Valerie Jarrett, former senior advisor to President Barack Obama. Jarrett believes that wrestling control of the House from the Republicans was a massive accomplishment and asserts that the Democrats did what they set out to do, successfully communicating a message to the…

The past week has been marked by a series of hate crimes. Pipe bombs were sent to a few political critics of President Donald Trump by a fanatic in Florida; two African Americans were shot by a white nationalist in Kentucky; and a horrific attack at a synagogue in Pittsburgh left 11 people dead.In this episode, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss how these events could influence next week’s midterm elections. They examine how white nationalism is being leveraged to maximize voter turnout and if voter suppression attempts will affect tight gubernatorial and Congressional races. They also discuss voter rights expansion, which has substantial…

Uncertainty looms regarding next week’s midterm elections.In this episode, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang consider the dynamics shaping the midterm elections and the potential implications with journalist Barry Yeoman and political scientist Danielle M. Thomsen.Yeoman discusses a judicial race in North Carolina that has significant implications for democracy and voting rights in the state. Thomsen speaks about the likely role that female candidates and women voters will play in November.Thomsen is an assistant professor of political science at the University of California, Irvine, and a visiting scholar at the Center for the Study of Democratic Politics,…