Podcasts

How much time does the Biden administration have until Republicans revitalize their strength or even expand in the midterms? This is a question brewing among Democrats who wonder whether they should go bold with legislation, or tread lightly to protect the slim majority of Democrats in the House and Senate. In this episode and article, Paul Starr argues that Democrats must be bold in the battles they fight but careful about those they choose. Perhaps above all else, the party must prove that government can work for ordinary people while improving election reform so democracy survives. Starr is professor of sociology and public affairs at Princeton…

Catching up on the politics of the week, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss how Rep. Liz Cheney was ousted from her role as House Republican Conference chair by the GOP, a position she's held since 2017, and what it means for democracy. Sam uncovers some suspicious Census undercounting of Hispanics in New York City, and they both evaluate COVID-19 vaccine messaging — and how to reach herd immunity. Princeton Policy Podcasts · #232: Liz Cheney Ousting, Census Accuracy & Vaccine Persuasion

The Biden Administration is steadfastly pushing through a $4.1 trillion infrastructure plan, which some are comparing to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal of the 1930s. Moving beyond roads, bridges, and tunnels, Biden’s bipartisan bill includes improvements to broadband internet, climate change, and even racial justice. Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang examine the plan with journalist Matt Yglesias — who recently wrote about it in his newsletter “Slow Boring.” Yglesias co-founded Vox.com with Ezra Klein and Melissa Bell in 2014. In 2020, he moved to Substack, an email newsletter subscription platform, where he writes independently. Princeton…

After the election of Donald Trump, rural America — which made up a good portion of Trump's base — quickly became a focal point. Authors like J.D. Vance and others wrote about their struggling hometowns in the hopes of understanding the Trump appeal. And despite his 2020 election loss, Trump’s foothold remains strong in many of these pastoral pockets. A native Nebraskan, author Ross Benes joins Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang in today's episode to discuss what made the Cornhusker State drift right in the 2016 election. Benes is the author of "Rural Rebellion: How Nebraska Became a Republican Stronghold," published by the University Press of Kansas. A…

Given today's anti-immigrant, nativist sentiments, is the American Dream even still possible for immigrants to the U.S.? For decades, the politics behind immigration control have undermined the idea of citizenship for all, making this a hard question to answer. In a new book, historian Sarah Coleman reveals the roots behind today's immigration policies. She shows how immigration politics was not just about building or tearing down walls, but about employer sanctions, access to schools, welfare, and the role of local authorities in implementing policies. She discusses this and more in this episode with Julian Zelizer, her mentor when she was a Ph.D…

President Joe Biden is approaching his 100th day in office, yet his ultimate win against incumbent Donald Trump was never a foregone conclusion. In their new book, “Lucky: How Joe Biden Barely Won the Presidency,” political reporters Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes recount Biden’s perilous journey to the White House — from initial primary losses to the now-infamous first presidential debate. Allen is a senior national political reporter with NBC News Digital, and Parnes is a senior correspondent for The Hill. The pair also are the authors of the New York Times bestseller “Shattered,” which debriefed readers on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential…

An often-forgotten champion for racial justice in America is Thaddeaus Stevens, a 19th century statesman. He was a leader of the young Republican Party's radical wing, fighting for anti-slavery and anti-racist policies long before others endorsed them. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he saw the Civil War as a second American revolution — an opportunity to remake the country into a true multiracial democracy. In this episode, Sam Wang takes a deep dive into the life of Stevens with historian Bruce Levine, a professor emeritus of history at the University of Illinois and the bestselling author of four books on the Civil War era. They also discuss …

As America’s only Black prime-time anchor, Don Lemon's monologues on racism, antiracism, and the nation's systemic flaws speak for his millions of fans. In this episode, Lemon speaks candidly with Julian Zelizer about his new book, "This Is the Fire: What I Say to My Friends About Racism," which currently sits at number on The New York Times Best Sellers list. In an urgent, deeply personal, riveting plea, Lemon shows us all how deep our problems lie, and what we can do to begin to fix them. This podcast originally aired as a virtual book talk on March 29 co-sponsored by the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and Labyrinth Books. …

Conspiracy theories are embedded in American history, though today they circulate at speeds we haven't seen before. Qanon, or Q, is a modern-day example of the power of conspiracies in American political discourse. Loyalty to Q is a common theme among those involved in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang work to disentangle the web of conspiracy theories and their effects in this episode with two experts: Michael Butter and Nancy Rosenblum. Butter is author of "The Nature of Conspiracy Theories" and is professor of American literature and cultural history at the University of Tübingen. Rosenblum is author of "A Lot of…