Author Sarah Smarsh discusses how she was encouraged to run for the U.S. Senate in her home state, the financial barriers to that goal, and the avenues she feels could best give voice to the voiceless in Washington.
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What to say to your QAnon-believing relatives
Michael Shermer of Skeptic Magazine discusses why someone might be drawn into a conspiracy. Plus, a blog post from this episode about the dos and don’ts of talking to people who believe conspiracy theories.
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How Trump built up to the Big Lie
Filmmaker Michael Kirk discusses how fragile our democracy is when its legitimacy is called into question – and the politicians who rallied their bases around these claims.
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Were we wrong about Tracy Flick in ‘Election?’
Tracy Flick was the ambitious upstart of her high school in the book “Election,” later played by Reese Witherspoon in the movie. So, whatever happened to her? Author Tom Perrotta talks about his follow-up novel that follows Tracy’s life as an adult.
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Pessimistic world leaders can be dangerous
Professor Daniel Drezner joins us to talk about why power should be measured in how a country’s leader views the future, why that’s key to approaching world affairs and how a negative outlook puts the population at risk.
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Were we wrong about Tracy Flick in “Election?”
Tracy Flick was the ambitious upstart of her high school in the book “Election,” later played by Reese Witherspoon in the movie. So, whatever happened to her? Author Tom Perrotta talks about his follow-up novel that follows Tracy’s life as an adult.
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Is classical liberalism dead?
Francis Fukuyama joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the pushback against classical thoughts about individual rights, rule of law and equality, and what he sees as the decaying of American institutions.
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Has the digital world broken American democracy?
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt discusses how tech companies have sowed rifts and how the communication breakdown means we are now being ruled by mob dynamics.
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Can Will Hurd’s Republican Party exist?
Will Hurd explains his view of today’s Republican party and what he sees as its future, and his argument that Washington should appeal to the political middle to represent America more wholly.
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The life of Madeleine Albright
We revisit our 2017 conversation with Madeleine Albright, who passed away this week. Albright made history as the first woman to serve as the U.S. secretary of state.
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Are trans kids safe in Texas?
Karen Brooks Harper discusses the children and parents concerned that seeking gender-affirming care constitutes child abuse and might mean family separation.
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Is democracy in decline globally?
Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, Kelly and David Pfeil discuss the health of democracies amid the rise of authoritarianism – and what can be done to strengthen them.
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