You Don't Have to Yell: Recent Episodes
Dan Sally
38% of Americans feel the two party system works great.
This podcast is for the other 62%
Every week, host Dan Sally dives deep into the most talked about issues of the day with activists, historians, and subject matter experts to go beyond the "red vs blue" narrative that dominates American politics and get to the heart of the issues the country faces today.
Josh Lewis was a longtime conservative who began to question the GOP after their embrace of Trump and his brand of populist nationalism. In an attempt to find a solution, Josh studied conservative thinkers going back decades and began Saving Elephants, a blog and podcast dedicated to defining the conservative movement for the next generation.
Josh talks about his journey and the difficulty of balancing restraint in government with the need for action.
Josh's blog and podcast can be found at www.savingelephantsblog.com
Last week, the Supreme Court heard arguments challenging Section 230, which gives tech companies immunity from content posted on their platforms. At the core of the debate is whether the government should take a more active role in policing how tech platforms moderate content.
In the 1920s, America was in the midst of a similar debate as the radio gained rapid adoption and gave Americans access to an unprecedented variety of information over the airwaves.
In this episode, Paul Matzko, historian and research fellow at the Cato Institute discusses the parallels between the current debate over tech regulation and attempts to regulate content over the radio, and how government oversight often led to content moderation that, at best, amplified the prejudices of those in power and, at worst, was used for outright political gain.
Matzko's book, Radio Right: How a Band of Broadcasters Took on the Federal Government and Built the Modern Conservative Movement can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/Radio-Right-Broadcasters-Government-Conservative/dp/0190073225
You can find Matzko on Twitter @PMatzko
Or on TikTok by searching him by name (he's the only Paul Matzko there).
Sign up for YDHTY's newsletter for a summary of this episode and other issues of the day at https://www.ydhty.com/.news
In the 19th century, Great Britain found itself saddled with debt after funding the Napoleonic Wars in continental Europe. In this episode, Ben Studebaker and Dan revisit how austerity measures taken by the British government ultimately led to its decline as a world power, how falling into the trap of "sensible spending" often forgoes investments for the future, and how the United States could fall into the same trap.
For additional commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's email newsletter at https://www.ydhty.com/news
Last week, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced the federal government would hit the debt ceiling limit sooner than expected, and "extraordinary measures" would need to be taken to keep the government functioning.
In this episode, Marc Goldwein of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget discusses how a lack of congressional oversight has led to unchecked spending, the financial crisis that would follow a default, and the slow-motion catastrophe that will come if we don't tackle the issue of deficit spending now.
You can reach Marc on Twitter @MarcGoldwein
You can play God and try to fix the debt yourself here https://www.crfb.org/debtfixer
For a summary of this episode and commentary on other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's email newsletter at www.ydhty.com/new
CORRECTION: If you happened to download this episode and find the prior week's episode instead, apologies. This is the correct file.
Nathan Lockwood of Rank the Vote discusses his journey from volunteer to Executive Director of a nationwide grassroots organization promoting ranked-choice voting nationwide and the growing momentum the electoral reform movement has seen in recent years.
You can learn more about Rank the Vote at www.rankthevote.us
For additional commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's email list at www.ydhty.com
Nathan Lockwood of Rank the Vote discusses his journey from volunteer to Executive Director of a nationwide grassroots organization promoting ranked-choice voting nationwide and the growing momentum the electoral reform movement has seen in recent years.
You can learn more about Rank the Vote at www.rankthevote.us
For additional commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's email list at www.ydhty.com
Gordon Hanson of the Harvard Kennedy School discusses how increasing the number of work visas issued for skilled and unskilled labor could help curb the short-term problem of inflation while ensuring the US economy remains competitive over the long-term.
America Needs More Immigration to Defeat Inflation, an article Gordon co-authored with Matthew J. Slaughter of Dartmouth, can be found here: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/america-needs-more-immigration-defeat-inflation
For additional commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's email newsletter here: www.ydhty.com/news
With Kevin McCarthy's victory as Speaker of the House secured after 15 tries and a series of concessions, Data Mike joins Dan to discuss the implications this could have on regulation and the global economy as we continue to grapple with the nation's debt.
Since the election of Donald Trump in 2016, a party once based on free markets and multilateralism pivoted to a more nationalistic approach to immigration, trade, and military alliances. In this episode, Leonie Huddy discusses how - despite the fact nationalist sentiment has declined in the US over the last 20 years - a mix of political opportunism and economic conditions have led to the adoption of nationalist policies by the GOP.
Leonie's paper, The Rise of Populism in the USA: Nationalism, race, and American Party Politics, can be found here: https://cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/you.stonybrook.edu/dist/f/1052/files/2021/05/Huddy-and-Del-Ponte-The-rise-of-populism.pdf
For a summary of this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's weekly newsletter at https://www.ydhty.com/news
In this rebroadcast (originally published in Feb 2002), Maya MacGuineas of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget discusses how an inherently political process for allocating federal funds combined with an increasingly contentious political climate has put the United States in a fiscally dangerous situation.
You can learn more about the CFRB at https://www.crfb.org/
For commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's email list at https://www.ydhty.com
(NOTE: This episode was republished due to a flaw in the original file. Apologies if your were among the afflicted)
Income inequality has been blamed for the rise in populism and political polarization over the last decade, but is the link causal or coincidental? In this episode, Nolan McCarty of Princeton University explains the evidence linking income inequality with polarization, and how this trend began long before the rise of the Occupy Movement, the Tea Party, and Donald Trump.
You can find Nolan's study here: https://www.princeton.edu/~nmccarty/ineqpold.pdf
For a write-up on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's weekly newsletter at https://www.ydhty.com/news
Income inequality has been blamed for the rise in populism and political polarization over the last decade, but is the link causal or coincidental? In this episode, Nolan McCarty of Princeton University explains the evidence linking income inequality with polarization, and how this trend began long before the rise of the Occupy Movement, the Tea Party, and Donald Trump.
You can find Nolan's study here: https://www.princeton.edu/~nmccarty/ineqpold.pdf
For a write-up on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's weekly newsletter at https://www.ydhty.com/news
Carey King of the Energy Institute of the University of Texas at Austin discusses how the last 80 years of American history have shown a connection between energy consumption, economic output, and political polarization.
Carey's book, The Economic Superorganism, can be purchased here: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-50295-9
For additional commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's email newsletter here: www.ydhty.com/news
Almost 80 years ago, the world discovered a carbon-free way to generate vast amounts of energy via nuclear power. While it remains the most reliable source of zero-carbon electricity, it's barely mentioned in conversations around combatting climate change.
In this episode, Mark Nelson of Radiant Energy Group discusses how a mix of market forces, government interventions, and resistance from the environmental movement stopped nuclear's rise, and how current government interventions in the energy market continue to work against nuclear energy while simultaneously reinforcing our dependence on fossil fuels.
Mark's website can be found here: https://www.radiantenergygroup.com/
For additional commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's email newsletter at https://www.ydhty.com/news
The removal of Donald Trump and other prominent conservatives from social media platforms prompted cries of censorship from the right. Elon Musk's decision to reinstate these figures on Twitter has prompted similar pushback from the left.
In this episode (originally published in August of 2021) Ben Studebaker discusses the parallels between the current debate over speech on tech platforms and what America saw during the Red Scare, and how our reaction to Americans embracing controversial ideology is to suppress the ideas, rather than address the issues that led people to embrace them in the first place.
For additional commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's email newsletter at www.ydhty.com/news
You can also get this newsletter via Substack at https://youdonthavetoyell.substack.com/
As the Fed raises interest rates to fight inflation, the economic models they use include energy as a small part of the overall picture. Is that model flawed?
Jed Dorsheimer, head of Group Head of Energy & Sustainability at William Blair and former advisor on US Energy Policy to the Obama Administration explains how dependent economic activity is on energy and an innovative framework that takes this into account.
You can learn about Jed's work at www.williamblair.com or at www.bpeinstitute.org
For additional commentary on this episode and more, sign up for YDHTY's email newsletter at www.ydhty.com/news
Mark Bauer of Rank the Vote joins Dan to discuss the surprising impact independent candidates had in this year's midterm elections, Donald Trump's political future, and what that means for electoral reforms such as ranked choice voting.
All opinions expressed are solely those of Mark and Dan and do not reflect those of Rank the Vote and other affiliated organizations.
You can learn more about the benefits of Ranked Choice Voting and how to get involved at www.RanktheVote.us
Globalization has resulted in higher living standards, cheaper products, and brought many out of poverty. It's also reduced the ability of states to manage their economies and safeguard the well being of their citizens.
Ben Studebaker discusses how nationalist movements and autocraticies have gained strength as a result of states becoming weaker in recent decades.
You can read more of Ben's work on the subject here: https://cosmosandtaxis.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/studebaker_ct_vol10_iss11_12.pdf
For commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's newsletter ay https://www.YDHTY.com/news
Globalization has resulted in higher living standards, cheaper products, and brought many out of poverty. It's also reduced the ability of states to manage their economies and safeguard the well being of their citizens.
Ben Studebaker discusses how nationalist movements and autocraticies have gained strength as a result of states becoming weaker in recent decades.
You can read more of Ben's work on the subject here: https://cosmosandtaxis.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/studebaker_ct_vol10_iss11_12.pdf
For commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's newsletter ay https://www.YDHTY.com/news
The discussion around undocumented immigrants often devolves into numbers and statistics, without much thought to the lives of those affected.
In this episode, Dan speaks with David, whose came to the United States from Colombia with his mother at 8 years of age and lived undocumented until his late teens. David discusses navigating work and school while trying to remain under the radar, and how our current stance on undocumented immigrants creates gaps the black market is more than willing to fill.
For additional commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's email newsletter at www.YDHTY.com/news
Reece Jones, political geographer from the University of Hawaii Manoa, discusses how borders across the developed world have become more militarized as the economy has become more interconnected, and how the US has inadvertently created a nationalized police force whose powers extend further into the country than most Americans realize.
Reece's most recent book, White Borders: The History of Race and Immigration from the Chinese Exclusion Act to the Border Wall, can be purchased here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/676268/white-borders-by-reece-jones/
For additional commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's email newsletter at www.ydhty.com/news
Reece Jones, political geographer from the University of Hawaii Manoa, discusses how borders across the developed world have become more militarized as the economy has become more interconnected, and how the US has inadvertently created a nationalized police force whose powers extend further into the country than most Americans realize.
Reece's most recent book, White Borders: The History of Race and Immigration from the Chinese Exclusion Act to the Border Wall, can be purchased here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/676268/white-borders-by-reece-jones/
For additional commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's email newsletter at www.ydhty.com/news
Julia Young of Catholic University discusses how economic interests competed with nativist fears in America's debate over immigration, how the effort to secure the US border with Mexico was originally out of concern about Chinese immigrants, and how the Irish and Italians once evoked the same fears many express over those crossing our southern border today.
Julia's article, which served as the basis for this conversation, can be accessed here: https://www.immigrationresearch.org/system/files/Making_America_1920_Again.pdf
Her book, Mexican Exodus: Emigrants, Exiles, and Refugees of the Cristero War, can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/Mexican-Exodus-Emigrants-Refugees-Cristero/dp/0190205008
Sign up for YDHTY's email newsletter for commentary on this episode and other issues of the day at www.ydhty.com/news
Julia Young of Catholic University discusses how economic interests competed with nativist fears in America's debate over immigration, how the effort to secure the US border with Mexico was originally out of concern about Chinese immigrants, and how the Irish and Italians once evoked the same fears many express over those crossing our southern border today.
Julia's article, which served as the basis for this conversation, can be accessed here: https://www.immigrationresearch.org/system/files/Making_America_1920_Again.pdf
Her book, Mexican Exodus: Emigrants, Exiles, and Refugees of the Cristero War, can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/Mexican-Exodus-Emigrants-Refugees-Cristero/dp/0190205008
Sign up for YDHTY's email newsletter for commentary on this episode and other issues of the day at www.ydhty.com/news
Karina Breceda is a lifelong resident of El Paso, TX with family on both sides of the border. For the past decade, she's worked with migrant women and children in Juaréz, Mexico, who are often the victims of violent crime and exploitation as they seek asylum in the United States.
In this episode, we discuss how both Democratic and Republican administrations have met a humanitarian crisis at the border with a military solution, and whether that aligns with our values as Americans.
You can support Karina's work with migrant women here: https://www.newwavefeminists.com/thebombshelter
For additional commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's email newsletter here: www.ydhty.com/news
Karina Breceda is a lifelong resident of El Paso, TX with family on both sides of the border. For the past decade, she's worked with migrant women and children in Juaréz, Mexico, who are often the victims of violent crime and exploitation as they seek asylum in the United States.
In this episode, we discuss how both Democratic and Republican administrations have met a humanitarian crisis at the border with a military solution, and whether that aligns with our values as Americans.
You can support Karina's work with migrant women here: https://www.newwavefeminists.com/thebombshelter
For additional commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's email newsletter here: www.ydhty.com/news
Is modern society more prosperous because we're freer, or are we freer because we're more prosperous?
In this episode, Christopher L. Brown of Columbia University discusses the history of the transatlantic slave trade, the role national identity played in dismantling the institution of slavery, and whether economic drivers carried more weight than moral ones in the rise of the abolitionist movement.
Chris's book, Moral Capital: Foundations of British Abolitionism, can be purchased here: https://uncpress.org/book/9780807856987/moral-capital/
For additional commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's newsletter at YDHTY.com/news
While the appointment of a special master in the case involving ex-president Donald Trump's handling of classified documents raised eyebrows, the use of special masters in federal cases at large has risen 300% in the past 20 years and is the symptom of a much larger problem in the courts.
Gabe Roth of Fix the Court discusses how judicial vacancies and an unproductive legislature create an environment where judges rely more and more on outside help and both victims of crime and those wrongly accused see a delay of justice.
You can learn more about Gabe's organization at FixTheCourt.com
For additional commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's newsletter at YDHTY.com/news
In 1944, 44 nations came together to create a set of economic reforms designed to promote economic stability and a lasting peace. Almost 80 years later, this order has given way to a runaway financial sector that has destabilized the world economy with repeated financial crises and asset bubbles, and increasing hazards created by climate change.
In this episode, Kevin Gallagher of Boston University’s Global Development Policy Center and Richard Kozul-Wright of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development discuss their new book, The Case for a New Bretton Woods, which lays the groundwork for moving the global economy away from ever-increasing levels of financialization and instability to one that promotes global prosperity and a stable climate.
You can find their book here: https://www.wiley.com/en-us/The+Case+for+a+New+Bretton+Woods-p-9781509546541
You can find additional commentary on this episode and other issues of the day by signing up for YDHTY’s email newsletter here: www.ydhty.com/news
David Feldman, Professor of Economics at William and Mary University, discusses the drivers behind the cost of education, why its rising costs can be a good sign for the economy as a whole, and how rising levels of income inequality contribute to the current problem.
You can find David's paper with supporting data here: https://www.mhec.org/sites/default/files/resources/mhec_affordability_series7_20180730_2.pdf
For additional commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's weekly newsletter here: www.ydhty.com/news
What impact will President Biden's executive action providing debt relief to those with student loans have on the cost of education and the economy as a whole? Marc Goldwein from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget discusses the impact this will have on inflation and how this program might make student loans more expensive in the long run.
For additional information on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's email list at www.YDHTY.com/news
You can find a write-up on the total cost of Biden's debt releif program here: https://www.crfb.org/blogs/new-student-debt-changes-will-cost-half-trillion-dollars
You can also learn more about how this will impact inflation here: https://www.crfb.org/blogs/student-debt-changes-would-boost-inflation
Michael Chernew of Harvard Medical School discusses the problems with taking a purist stance on government-sponsored or free market solutions to healthcare, how recent innovations that address healthcare consumption could help contain costs, and why there's no silver bullet that will solve the problem of access to affordable care in its entirety.
Michael's study on the impact a payment reform known as AQC had on healthcare costs in Massachusetts can be found here: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1813621
For more information on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's email list at ydhty.com/news
You can also find YDHTY on Substack at https://youdonthavetoyell.substack.com/
Arjun Moorthy and his colleagues at The Factual ran two polls on healthcare reform to see how Americans felt about single-payer healthcare and the more modest public option. In this episode, he shares the arguments for and against both and reveals one point of consensus all Americans share on the subject of America's healthcare system.
You can find more polls and underreported news from The Factual here: thefactual.com
Stay up to date on the latest episodes via YDHTY's weekly newsletter here: ydhty.com/news
Jonathan Gruber played a critical role in the passage of Mitt Romney and Barack Obama's respective healthcare reform bills by helping include the individual mandate for insurance coverage in both. In this episode, Gruber discusses the process of working with both administrations, the backlash he faced as the debate over the ACA became more contentious, and whether our political environment discourages smart people from entering public service.
We're kicking off our third season with Dan Gorenstein, host of the Tradeoffs podcast, and was the healthcare reporter for NPR's Marketplace before that. We call that cred around the YDHTY offices. Dan discusses the state of healthcare in America, what more needs to be done to ensure everyone has access to quality care, and how the solutions are more complex and involve more trade-offs than the solutions we commonly hear of. You can find links to Dan's podcast and a slew of additional information on healthcare reform here: https://tradeoffs.org/
In this rebroadcast of YDHTY, Dan speaks with Mauro Guillén on his new book 2030: How Today's Biggest Trends Will Collide and Reshape the Future of Everything. In it, they discuss how an aging population, increasing automation, and the rise of the sharing economy will fundamentally change the economy as we know it.
Mauro's book can be purchased here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250268181/2030howtodaysbiggesttrendswillcollideandreshapethefutureofeverything
In this rebroadcast of YDHTY, originally aired in the spring of 2021, Dan speaks with Chris Bosso of Northeastern University about how a change to US agricultural policy in the 1970s came at the expense of our health and the environment.
For additional commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's weekly newsletter at ydhty.com/news
Originally recorded in February of 2021, Dan and the Data Monk the then-nascent bitcoin bubble and the potential for bitcoin or something like it to serve as the next global reserve currency.
For additional commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's weekly newsletter via the following links:
https://www.ydhty.com/news
https://youdonthavetoyell.substack.com/
Has late-stage capitalism produced the same results as late-stage communism? In this rebroadcast of the June 25, 2020 episode of YDHTY, the Data Monk and Dan explore how US monetary policy has effectively served as a method of central planning.
A recap of the episode can be found here: https://blog.ydhty.com/is-america-a-centrally-planned-economy
For deeper analysis of this week's episode, sign up for the weekly email newsletter here: ydhty.com/news
Or on Substack here: https://youdonthavetoyell.substack.com/
The Data Monk returns to discuss how easy money policies have created a feedback loop of unsustainable consumption in the United States and contributed to wage stagnation, income inequality, and rising populism.
Time limitations created an unfortunate cliffhanger at the end of this episode, however you can learn more about Dan's proposal for a new global reserve currency via next week's newsletter at www.ydhty.com/news or at youdonthavetoyell.substack.com
Ben Studebaker discusses how trade imbalances enabled by monetary policy have increased political polarization at home, instability abroad, and how reforming our current monetary system is necessary, but unlikely to happen without further unrest.
Additional commentary on this episode and other resources are available via YDHTY's weekly email. Subscribe here: ydhty.com/news
With the Supreme Court poised to overturn Roe v Wade this month, Dan speaks with Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa of New Wave Feminists, a pro-life feminist organization focused on addressing the issues that make motherhood a difficult proposition for many women in America.
In this conversation, we explore the nuances of a complex issue that's too often made out to be black and white.
You can learn more about Destiny's organization at www.newwavefeminists.com
For an overview of the polling behind the issue, check out the May 5 episode of YDHTY.
Sign up for YDHTY's weekly newsletter for commentary on this episode and other issues of the day at www.ydhty.com/news
What impact do agricultural markets have on political stability today, and how might climate change alter that? In this episode, Dan speaks with Cullen Hendrix, Professor at the University of Denver's Korbel School of International Studies, whose work focuses on the intersection of environment, food security, and conflict.
Cullen explains how the financialization of the global food market has led to food insecurity in the developing world, how climate change will alter what we eat and where we get our food, and how climate migration from the global south and population decline in northern countries might have a common solution.
If you're interested in a deeper exploration of today's episode and what's to come on YDHTY, sign up for YDHTY's weekly newsletter here: ydhty.com/news
Jesus "Eddie" Campa, former Chief Deputy of the El Paso County Sherriff's Department and forme Chief of Police for Marshall Texas, discusses the recent school shooting in Uvalde and how loose restrictions on gun ownership complicate the lives of law enforcement.
Sign up for Dan's new weekly newsletter here, which will give additional resources on each episode, and previews of upcoming episodes.
Eddie's book and other content can be accessed at https://jesuseddiecampa.com/
Recommendations on gun reform from the International Association of Chiefs of Police can be found here.
Here's 2021 article from the Associated Press that outlines some of the issues law enforcement has with the loosening of restrictions on gun ownership.
Andrey Scherbak of HSE St. Petersburg discusses how changes in diet are often a predictor of democratic reform, and the surprising role lactose tolerance played in democratizing Europe.
You can read Andrey's paper and the data he used to support his conclusion here: A Recipe for Democracy? The Spread of the European Diet and Political Change
Carey King of the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin discusses how the last 70 years of economic and population growth have been fueled by the transition to petroleum, how a decreasing supply of it has increased political polarization, and what the future might hold as supplies continue to dwindle.
Carey's book, The Economic Superorganism: Beyond Competing Narratives on Energy, Growth, and Policy can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/Economic-Superorganism-Beyond-Competing-Narratives/dp/3030502945
Additional reading can be found here:
- A summary of Carey's latest paper on the economic dependence on resource consumption: http://careyking.com/new-harmoney-insights-into-the-interdependence-of-growth-structure-size-and-resource-consumption-of-the-economy/
- The full paper referenced above: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs41247-021-00093-8
- A Lack of Systematic Thinking Keeps America from Staying Great, Energy Institute Commentary, January, 2018: https://energy.utexas.edu/news/lack-systematic-thinking-keeps-america-staying-great
- The Rising Cost of Resources and Global Indicators of Change, American Scientist, 103 (6), November/December, 2015: https://www.americanscientist.org/article/the-rising-cost-of-resources-and-global-indicators-of-change
- Delusions of Grandeur in Building a Low-Carbon Future, Earth Magazine, August 2017, 32-37, online link. https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/delusions-grandeur-building-low-carbon-future
The Data Monk rejoins YDHTY after a long hiatus to explain how the current debt driven model of global trade fuels consumption at the expense of future growth.
A recently leaked draft of a Supreme Court decision indicates the court might plan to overturn Roe v Wade has added heat to an already contentious issue. While the abortion debate seems to be a war between two intractable sides, a large group of Americans stand in the middle who are both uncomfortable with the practice of abortion and supportive of Roe v Wade.
Arjun Moorthy from The Factual discusses some recent polls that show Americans' opinions on the subject are far more nuanced than the narrative would have us believe.
NOTES:
-
Polls referenced in this interview can be found here and here.
-
NYT Article: On Abortion Law, the U.S. Is Unusual. Without Roe, It Would Be, Too.
- The Dishonesty of the Abortion Debate: Why We Need to Face the Best Arguments from the Other Side, Katelynn Flanagan, The Atlantic
The Saudi government made headlines in March by hinting they might take payment for oil in China's currency, the yuan, breaking with a long history of buying and selling oil exclusively in USD. In this episode, Dan speaks with world renowned energy expert, Anas Alhajji, and learns why this is unlikely to happen anytime soon.
Anas can be found on Twitter at @anasalhajji
His research on the correlation between the US dollar and oil futures on the Shanghai Energy Exchange can be found here.
Are you a longtime subscriber who never misses and episode of YDHTY? I'm building a community to make the show better. Email me at heydan@ydhty.com if you're interested in learning more.
Macro-commentator, author, and PhD in Cosmology (not kidding), Bob Swarup, explains how the US built an economic empire around the dollar, how the last imperial era ended in two World Wars, and how the current trend of deglobalization could land us back in the same spot.
Bob's book "Money Mania: Booms, Panics, and Busts from Ancient Rome to the Great Meltdown" can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/Money-Mania-Panics-Ancient-Meltdown/dp/1608198413
In last week's episode, we discussed China's ambition to replace the dollar as the world's global currency. In this episode, Benjamin J. Cohen of UCSB takes the conversation a step further as we discuss how the US became the dominant international currency, why China would need to implement democractic reforms to take its place, and why this is unlikely to happen.
Benjamin's book, "Currency Statecraft: Monetary Rivalry and Geopolitical Ambition" lays the groundwork for our conversation.
You can purchase it direct from the publisher here: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/C/bo29141097.html
Recording (at least some of it!) from San Juan, Puerto Rico this week, You Don't Have to Yell is the home for the politically homeless, and a haven for anyone that sees politics in colors other than red and blue.
Following up on last week's PetroDollar primer, we're jumping right into the thick of it. China recently offered to buy oil in Yuan/Renminbi (it's a context thing). As of press time, Saudi Arabia is considering the option.
What comes next could rock the global economic landscape, and potentially dethrone the US Dollar as THE dominant global currency.
This week we talk to Zoe Liu, from the Council on Foreign Relations. She's an expert in Economic Statecraft and Chinese Foreign Policy and has some amazing insights on China's motivations for testing these waters, how Russia remains a factor, and what it might mean for the global financial landscape
Read more from Zoe Liu and her colleague Mihaela Papa here:
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/russian-federation/2022-03-07/anti-dollar-axis
Arjun Moorthy from TheFactual.com shares polling of his readership that shows the surprising lengths Americans would be willing to go to support Ukraine, and the red lines that might trigger deeper involvement.
Source polls can be found here:
https://www.thefactual.com/news/poll/341/Should-NATO-join-the-Ukraine-conflict-if-Russia-uses-chemical-weapons-
https://www.thefactual.com/news/poll/330/Does-the-war-in-Ukraine-make-the-case-for-an-increase-in-nuclear-arsenal-
https://www.thefactual.com/news/poll/329/Do-refugees-from-Ukraine-deserve-special-consideration-compared-to-other-refugees-
https://www.thefactual.com/news/poll/326/Could-Russia-s-military-operations-in-Ukraine-have-been-avoided-
https://www.thefactual.com/news/poll/347/Should-NATO-enforce-a-no-fly-zone-
After Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the sanctions that followed, it began seeking closer ties with China. Andrew Small of the German Marshall Fund explains how this relationship has developed over the past decade, what role China could play in the current war in Ukraine, and how this fits into China's larger plan for its role as a world power.
Ben Studebaker returns to discuss the competing factions within the Russian government, how the war in Ukraine serves their interests, and why, for Putin, the outcome of this conflict is literally life or death.
Seth David Radwell left a successful career as an executive in the consumer goods industry to find the root of polarization in American politics. His journey led him all the way back to the enlightenment.
In this episode, Seth discusses his book "American Schism: How the Two Enlightenments Hold the Secret to Healing our Nation", which documents the historical origins of todays political fault lines and how we can keep them from breaking the country apart.
You can purchase his book here: https://www.amazon.com/American-Schism-Enlightenments-Secret-Healing/dp/1626348618
Our month-end wrap up with Arjun Moorthy explores the polling data from his website, TheFactual.com, and just how much Americans understand about our national debt, the ways it could all go sideways, and what we can do about it.
You can hear more from Arjun and our very own Dan Sally on the Unbiased podcast: https://www.thefactual.com/unbiased-podcast/
Barry Eichengreen of UC Berkeley discusses the history of sovereign debt and the strategies nations have used to resolve it. His book, In Defense of Public Debt, can be purchased here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/in-defense-of-public-debt-9780197577899?cc=us⟨=en&
Maya MacGuineas of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget discusses how an inherently political process for allocating federal funds combined with an increasingly contentious political climate has put the United States in a fiscally dangerous situation.
Of the many who fear the size of the US national debt, the parties that keep buying more of it are not among them. Tara Sinclair of George Washington University explains why people keep buying US debt, the many ways we can safely emerge from under the current load, and the one way it could end very, very badly for all of us.
Arjun Moorthy shares recent polling from TheFactual.com that shows a rare bright spot in today's political landscape - that Americans, while polarized, are still overwhelmingly opposed to political violence.
Dan speaks with Garrett Epps, Professor Emeritus of the U of Baltimore School of Law, about the case of DeRay Mckesson - a BLM organizer locked in a 5 year legal battle with a police officer who sustained injuries at a rally he spoke at. In this episode, we discuss how civil suits provide states a convenient way to suppress free speech through threat of financial ruin.
Are those who spoke at Trump's January 6 rally guilty of inciting the violence that occurred afterward? John Vile, Dean and Professor of Political Science at Middle Tennessee State University joins me to discuss the 200 years of case law that make it difficult to hold someone criminally responsible for what they say, whether Trump and his allies crossed the line, and whether civil suits offer a way to fill the gap left by the Constitution.
Political theorist, Ben Studebaker, discusses how America's political parties have used the culture wars to distract from an inability to improve the lives of voters, how the attack on the Capitol was a logical byproduct of its escalation, and the real economic drivers behind this problem.
In this episode, originally released in January of 2020, Ben Studebaker discusses the impact Great Britain's effort to reduce its national debt in the 1800s had on the nation. In this conversation, Studebaker shares his insights into how societies respond to economic change that seem oddly prescient in light of the events that would follow this episode.
In this rerelease of the 8th episode of YDHTY, originally published October of 2019, we explore Ireland's effective and confusing method of proportional representation, the impact it has on politics, and how it results in happier voters and fewer angry mobs storming government buildings (NOTE: Published well before the attack on the Capitol, so the part about mobs storming buildings was pure editorializing).
Polling shows the majority of Americans approve of term limits for Supreme Court justices, but some experts say the unintended consequences would be disastrous. Arjun and Dan discuss polling on the subject from The Factual, how liberal and conservative justices often rule alike, and Dan’s journey from being a firm yes to a hard no on the idea.
Americans expect the Supreme Court to be above partisanship, but was this always the case? Rachel Shelden of Penn State discusses how Lincoln appointed his campaign manager to the Supreme Court, how he expanded it to make room for an additional pro-Union justice, and how the desire for a non-partisan court came as the court and political parties gained more power.
Term limits on Supreme Court Justices have been proposed as a way to reduce some of the issues of partisanship plaguing the nomination process. Suzanna Sherry of Vanderbilt University explains how this would only make the problem worse.
While much attention is paid to the partisan makeup of the Supreme Court, there's little focus on the loosely enforced code of ethics surrounding the behavior of justices and those serving on the lower courts. Gabe Roth of Fix the Court discusses his organization's efforts to change that.
Arjun Moorthy of The Factual discusses polling around Biden's infrastructure package and reveals the key difference between supporters and opponents is how much you trust the government.
Collin Yarbrough discusses his new book 'Paved a Way: Infrastructure, Policy & Racism', which documents how communities of color in Dallas were broken apart in the construction of the I-30 corridor and how subsequent urban planning projects led to further displacement.
Nathaniel Baum-Snow of the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management discusses how the Interstate Highway System changed America's cities, how a similar investment in infrastructure changed China's, and what lessons we can learn from both as Congress debates an ambitious overhaul of America's infrastructure.
Why are political foes important to democracy? Turns out, they keep you from turning against your allies. Bob Talisse, Chair of the Philosophy Department at Vanderbilt University and author of 'Sustaining Democracy: What We Owe to the Other Side' explains.
What does polling from Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan tell us about how Americans view foreign wars and our likelihood to get involved in one again? Arjun Moorthy from The Factual discusses on this episode of YDHTY.
Quassim Cassam of the University of Warwick discusses the philosophical distinctions of a political extremist, the link between extremism and conspiracy theory, and how the current political conditions in the US eerily resemble those that created the 9/11 hijackers.
Historian Ken Hughes of UVA's Miller Center discusses what America's response to the withdrawals from Vietnam and Afghanistan says about the politics of war and how they incentivize presidents to stay in forever wars, rather than be blamed for losing one.
Benari Poulten arrived at Kandahar Air Force Base shortly after the killing of Osama bin Laden. In this episode, he describes the frustrations of fighting in America's longest war, returning home to a nation that seemed to forget it was going on, and finding purpose through sacrifice and service.
Arjun Moorthy of The Factual shares a recent poll on the teaching of critical race theory in public schools. In this episode, we explore the nuanced stances on the subject that don't make it to the top of your social media feed.
Amna Khalid of Carleton College discusses growing up in a country where freedom of speech was restricted, how she saw similar efforts to shut down certain types of thought upon arriving in America, and how our biggest mistake is teaching our children what to think, rather than how to think.
Jean Beaman of UC Santa Barbara discusses what, exactly, is Critical Race Theory, why it elicits such an emotional response, and how the open discussion of the flaws in America's history and those who founded it can reveal a path for modern-day Americans to build a more just society.
Arjun Moorthy from The Factual shares polling from his site around the issue of tech regulation and tech censorship, and enters into a larger discussion around how monetary policy and a focus on engagement above all make social media a less pleasant place to be.
Technology lawyer Denise Howell discusses the current laws regulating how tech companies moderate content, the 100+ laws being drafted to alter that, and how everyone misunderstands the First Amendment.
Political theorist and YDHTY favorite, Ben Studebaker, discusses how the debate around regulating social media is part of a larger pattern the government has used to remove ideas it finds threatening from public discourse since the Cold War.
Matthew Feeney of the Cato Institute discusses how the call for regulation of big tech companies may inadvertently make them more powerful while stifling innovation in the process.
J. Kevin Powell of OpenWindowsCulture.com has dedicated his life to helping organizations build a culture where they can speak openly about the most difficult of topics. We discuss the framework he uses, how we can use this in our own lives, and how this can be applied to America's political dialogue.
J. Kevin Powell of OpenWindowsCulture.com has dedicated his life to helping organizations build a culture where they can speak openly about the most difficult of topics. We discuss the framework he uses, how we can use this in our own lives, and how this can be applied to America's political dialogue.
Everyone's favorite Trump-loving Frenchman is back to discuss the events that transpired after the election and reveals how America's partisan media landscape has us watching the same events with starkly different narratives.
Everyone's favorite Trump-loving Frenchman is back to discuss the events that transpired after the election and reveals how America's partisan media landscape has us watching the same events with starkly different narratives.
Political theorist Benjamin Studebaker discusses how the events of 2020 reveal the issues we argue about most are merely a sideshow that distracts the electorate and keeps those in office from having to solve the more difficult problems we face.
Arjun Moorthy of The Factual discusses how a media landscape that disfavors nuance makes left and right appear more divided on issues than they actually are.
The Big Geno, YDHTY's tireless producer for the last 99 episodes, gives his perspective on the topics we've covered and also shares some helpful tips for killing snakes.
Ken Hughes of the University of Virginia discusses how Richard Nixon used the Vietnam War to polarize the American electorate, secure reelection, and turn America from a center left country to a center right one. In this conversation, we learn how much of US politics is about governing by misdirection, and the repercussions it can have for years to come.
Ken Hughes of the University of Virginia discusses how Richard Nixon used the Vietnam War to polarize the American electorate, secure reelection, and turn America from a center left country to a center right one. In this conversation, we learn how much of US politics is about governing by misdirection, and the repercussions it can have for years to come.
Jesus Eddie Campa served as the second highest law enforcement official in El Paso, Texas before moving to the small town of Marshall to change the culture of their police department. He discusses the changing nature of law enforcement and the surprising obstacles to improving the departments that need it most.
The death of the US dollar as the world's reserve currency has come front and center as America continues to take on unsustainable levels of debt, but what does it take to kill a reserve currency? Stephen Quinn from Texas Christian University joins me to discuss the decline of the Dutch Guilder - the world's first reserve currency - and what it might tell us about the dollar's future.
The Data Monkey returns to discuss how farm subsidies introduced large amounts of empty calories into the American diet and created an entire industry where people get PhDs to learn how to make things taste like cool ranch.
Julian Go of the University of Chicago discusses how America's wars abroad in the late 1800's influenced policing, and how that history echoes in today's approach to law enforcement.
Julian Go of the University of Chicago discusses how America's wars abroad in the late 1800's influenced policing, and how that history echoes in today's approach to law enforcement.
The Farm Bill was designed to protect America's farmers from short term swings in prices and provide consumers with cheap and stable food prices. Chris Bosso of Northeastern University explains how this has come at the cost of our health, the environment, and the long term viability of America's food supply.
Mauro Guillén discusses his new book, '2030: How Today's Biggest Trends Will Collide and Reshape the Future of Everything' - which outlines how an aging population, immigration, and the rapid pace of innovation will require us to rethink everything from immigration to foreign policy to capitalism itself.
Dan McCrory worked as a union member and labor activist for 37 years, watching the quality of life of the American worker decline as time went on. Dan discusses how Republicans, Democrats, and union leadership all played a role in the process, and his book "Capitalism Killed the Middle Class: 25 Ways the System is Rigged Against You".
Why is Congress 73% male? Jennifer Lawless of the University of Virginia explains how women are just as likely as men to win an election, far less likely to be encouraged to run, and the changes we can make to correct this imbalance.
Steven S. Smith of Washington University explains the history of the Senate, how it serves as a moderating force in US politics, and the difficulty in ending obstructionist tactics like the filibuster without removing the political weight of moderates in the chamber.
Jerry Robinson of FollowTheMoney.com explains how Nixon's petrodollar agreement with Saudi Arabia created artificial demand for the US dollar, inadvertently leading to today's deficit spending and forever wars.
Michael Miller of Barnard College discusses the current moves to undermine voting going on in state houses across the nation, and how history shows structures designed to preserve minority rule arise most when race is a central issue.
Ray La Raja, Professor of Political Science at UMass Amherst, explains how caps on fundraising by political parties has created a power vacuum that's been filled by wealthy donors and ideological groups, tilting the fundraising environment in favor of more extreme candidates.
The House just passed the 'For the People Act', one of the most expansive election reform bills passed in some time. Genya Coulter (a.k.a. @ElectionBabe) joins us to discuss what's good about it, what's not so good about it, and how it's possible to like and dislike individual parts of a legislation and not be ANTIFA and/or a Neo-Nazi.
The US is routinely criticized for light treatment of human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia. What if this had more to do with maintaining the status of the dollar as the world's global reserve currency than it did with oil?
The Data Monkey and I explore this, and revisit YDHTY's own cryptocurrency - McGriddleCoin.
In 2016, personal data harvested from social networks was used to micro-target voters in ways previously unseen. It not only raised awareness of the amount of data available on individuals to those who could pay for it, but also revealed how it could be used to further divisions in society.
Denise Howell, technology lawyer and one of the foremost experts on the legal landscape surrounding digital privacy, discusses the regulatory landscape around digital privacy, and the move to give individuals the ultimate say in what's done with their digital identity.
Walter Olson, Senior Fellow of the Cato Institute and member of Maryland's Citizens Redistricting Commission, discusses the steps the state of Maryland is taking to ensure a fairer redistricting process, and strategies other states can borrow to improve theirs.
Mattias Polborn, Professor of Economics at Vanderbilt University, discusses the impact gerrymandering has on political polarization, and an innovative solution that involves letting both parties taking turns packing voters into districts, instead of just the one in power.
Professor Bob Talisse of Vanderbilt University discusses how politics and consumer branding have blended to the point where we live, shop, and eat in places entirely separate from those who think differently than us, and how this contributes to the polarization we see today.
After years working as a congressional aide on Capitol Hill, Caleb Paxton left DC and embarked on a project designed to celebrate what he dubbed "wholeness in politics". This project turned into Liberatus, an online and print journal featuring stories from people around the country bringing this vision through their work.
Caleb talks about the principles of wholeness in politics, and the journey that lead him there.
The adoption of bitcoin amongst institutional investors and open talk of it being a hedge against a declining dollar raises questions on how long the US Dollar will be the global reserve currency. In this episode, we speculate on a future where the dollar is replaced by a similar cryptocurrency that happens to be based on McGriddles.
The post-truth era has been defined by people inhabiting two separate factual universes. Michael Epstein, author of the new book, Bigfoot Does Not Exist, discusses how scientific method can provide a framework for solving this problem, allowing us to have fact based discussions on everything from voter fraud to climate change to (yes) bigfoot.
Jo'Nathan Kingfisher, co-chair of the Wisconsin Green Party, discusses the intersection between environmental policy, America's relationship with its indigenous people, and the outsized relationship between industry and government.
America's suburban sprawl was a symbol of newfound prosperity in World War 2, but it's lead to cities and towns burdened with the maintenance costs of unnecessary infrastructure. Chuck Marohn, founder of Strong Towns, discusses how slow, organic growth can help create more resilient, fiscally sustainable communities.
Mitch Randall of National Ranked Choice Voting discusses his organization's plan to implement ranked choice voting at the national level and bring more parties into presidential politics.
YDHTY Producer "The Big Geno", Jason Putney, interviews host, Dan Sally, and discusses his past in stand-up comedy, what the current state of comedy reveals about modern taboos, divisions in American society, and mirrors our political dialogue.
YDHTY Producer "The Big Geno", Jason Putney, interviews host, Dan Sally, and discusses his past in stand-up comedy, what the current state of comedy reveals about modern taboos, divisions in American society, and mirrors our political dialogue.
Shai Robkin from Better Ballot Georgia discusses his organization's efforts to bring instant runoff voting to Georgia and why the current runoff election for US Senate in the state makes their case for them.
John Severini and Susan Bottcher of Rank My Vote Florida discuss the obstacles state government can sometimes play in allowing ranked choice voting at the municipal level, and how important educating voters is in the process.
Richard Winger of Ballot Access News (ballot-access.org) discusses how the explicit purpose of modern ballot access laws was to crowd out minor parties, and the simple reforms that can give voters more choices.
The Data Monkey joined me with the intention of discussing the polling data behind the 2020 election. We decided to talk about the things that make data meaningless instead.
Barbara Dahlgren, outgoing co-chair of the Wisconsin Green Party, discusses how the focus on minor parties as "spoilers" in the media distracts from issues popular with the American people not included in major party platforms.
Christian Onuoha, 2020 Republican candidate for New Jersey's 6th congressional district, gives his take on why the Republican Party and Donald Trump seemed to make gains among black voters this year.
What if the mission of America's economic engine was to elevate the quality of life for all, as opposed to simply grow profits and GDP? Author and political reform activist Steven Hill discusses how this has worked in Europe, and how the choice we make between a stronger safety net and economic growth is a false one.
This week's episode dives into the MAGAverse with a guest who moved to the US from France at age 12, found a home in the Republican Party, and later determined Trump was exactly what his party - and the country - needed
Liam O'Mara, Democratic candidate for California's 42nd congressional district, discusses his working class roots, the migration of blue collar voters to the right, and how Democrats can win them back by being Democrats, instead of slightly nicer Republicans.
Steve Cox, running as an independent for California's 39th congressional district, discusses how Tucker Carlson singled him out for a Tweet about the election, how the US has slowly slid into oligarchy, and how both political parties have helped make it happen.
Genya Coulter, Queen of Election Twitter and Precinct Clerk for Polk County Florida, returns to YDHTY to tell us why we shouldn't worry about voter fraud, but should worry about having a plan to vote.
Steve Chessin and Kevin Sabo from Californians for Electoral Reform discuss their organization's successes getting ranked choice voting implemented in the state, and their long term goal to see a statewide system of proportional representation.
Lee Drutman, Senior Fellow of the New America Foundation and host of the podcast "Politics in Question", discusses his new book, 'Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America'.
The Data Monkey joins me to discuss the generational divide among Evangelical voters, the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, abortion, and 80's pro wrestling. All pretty light stuff. Except for the wrestling part.
Douglas Amy, Professor Emeritus of Politics at Mount Holyoke College, discusses the 17 structural issues that make American government less democratic and the reforms we can implement to fix them.
Mark Bauer discusses his upbringing in a conservative Christian household, and how his faith influenced his positions on social justice and his move from the Republican Party.
Ciara Torres-Spelliscy discusses her new book "Political Brands", which examines the use of commercial branding in politics, and how its high costs paved the way for the runaway costs of elections, and the corrupted campaign finance system that funds it.
In 2017, America spent 17% of GDP on healthcare, whereas the average wealthy nation spends 8%. Why?
The Data Monkey joins me to discuss how administrative costs - not drugs or medical devices - contribute to this problem.
Nick Hensley, Chairman Elect of the Reform Party, discusses what the party's been up to since 2000, how lobbyists resort to tactics like creating special spoons to gain access to lawmakers, and the party's plan to curb special interests going forward.
JM Creviere, Green Party candidate for Michigan's 2nd Congressional District, voted for Reagan in the 1980s, before being affected by cuts to education and lack of health care.
We discuss this, how the US healthcare system has merely traded public sector bureaucracy for a private sector one, and the issues affecting voters of the second district.
Arjun Moorthy from The Factual discusses the algorithm he and his co-founder designed to help people sift through disinformation and partisan spin to find the most credible news.
How much of the coverage of COVID and the BLM movement is accurate? The Data Monkey and special guest, YDHTY's producer, "The Big Geno" Jason Putney, join me to discuss my road trip from Boston to Florida, and whether or not I should believe my lying eyes.
We all have that old friend from college or high school classmate who's REALLY vocal about their politics on social media. Have you ever bothered to figure out how they arrived at their conclusions?
For episode 51, I did, and learned about how social media removes depth from both people and the most important issues of the day.
You Don't Have to Yell looks to promote third party participation in American politics by breaking the structural barriers that keep the two party duopoly in power. Every week, third party candidates, electoral reform activists, and other sundry subject matter experts share their experiences, the negative impact America's "Coke or Pepsi" political system, and how we can change it.
Professor Bernard Tamas of Valdosta State University discusses the history of third parties in America, the structural biases against them, and how two party rule could turn into one party rule.
Helen Kioukis of Fair Districts New Jersey discusses the state of gerrymandering in New Jersey and her organizations efforts to create a more fair, transparent process.
Republican candidate for New Jersey's 6th congressional district, Christian Onuoha, discusses his parents' experience as Nigerian immigrants and how that shaped his political philosophy.
The Data Monkey joins me to discuss the current partisan split over the as of yet politically undecided coronavirus, and presents the mind bending theory that the outcome of American Capitalism in 2020 is similar to the outcome of Soviet Communism in 1990.
Nathaniel Lane, co-chair of the Ohio Green Party, discusses the party's plans to transform Ohio's economy and the moving targets the two party duopoly set to prevent third parties from gaining ballot access.
Jeff Gregory, Constitution Party candidate for North Carolina's 5th congressional district, joins me to discuss his candidacy and what made him an early fan of Donald Trump.
In this episode, we discuss the effects of globalization on his district, and draw an interesting comparison between the prohibition of church services due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and the current protests going on in cities across the country.
If we care about racial equality in America, it comes from everyday white people modifying their behavior just a little bit, so people of color don't have to live in fear of being the next George Floyd.
I discuss my journey towards becoming a better ally, and a practical three step guide for anyone who wants to join me.
Mitch Kokai of the John Locke Foundation discusses his organization's efforts to reform the redistricting process in North Carolina, a state whose odd history includes using the Voting Rights Act to gerrymander districts in favor of Republicans, and a district affectionately known as "The Snake".
The Data Monkey joins me to discuss how your partisan leanings affect your view of the COVID-19 pandemic, murder hornets, and how the business model of online media means they make more money when we panic and/or fight.
Dan Vicuña, National Redistricting Manager for Common Cause, discusses the current state of gerrymandering, his organizations efforts to fight it, and what a good framework for redistricting looks like.
4th generation cowboy Wacey Alpha Cody paid his way through college riding rodeo, getting his masters in counseling psychology before deciding to return to his roots ranching cattle in his hometown of San Angelo, Texas.
He's now running as the Libertarian candidate for Texas' 11th congressional district, and discusses his choice to pursue his principles over partisan politics.
Genya Coulter of the US Vote Foundation (Twitter - @ElectionBabe) dispels every conspiracy theory about elections you've learned on social media by discussing how elections are run at the local level, and what we can to to improve them.
Spoiler Alert: It doesn't involve uncovering a plot by the Illuminati or preventing busloads of undocumented immigrants from voting as dead people!
The Data Monkey joins us to explain what it means when oil reaches negative $37 a barrel, whether the President actually said we should drink bleach, and how our current system of congressional districting makes it impossible not to argue about everything.
Are taxes an obstacle to economic growth, or a way to make the rich pay for making so much money? Turns out, it's neither.
Joann Weiner, Professor of Economics at George Washington University, computer programmer, and - as it turns out - log rolling champion joins us to explain.
Tara Sinclair, Professor of Economics and International Affairs at George Washington University, discusses the $2 trillion stimulus, its impact on the economy and the debt, and what post-pandemic economic policy might look like.
What can the economy during the Black Death teach us about today's pandemic?
The good news - Wages rise, social mobility grows, and economic growth follow.
The bad news - One in every three people dies.
I guess every rose really does have its thorn.
Every wonder what Donald Duck did for a living?
Molly Michelmore from Washington and Lee University to discuss tax policy during World War 2, what it might tell us about how to fund our $2 trillion stimulus, and - yes - what Donald Duck did for a living.
The Data Monkey joins us to discuss how the world will change with the current pandemic and how Russian troll farms are keeping themselves busy in an America that's too agitated to agitate.
What constitutes a school being "good"? Small class sizes? The latest technology?
Pete Bylsma, Director of Assessment & Program Evaluation for the Mukilteo School District in Washington and co-author of the report 9 Characteristics of High Performing Schools explains why the answer is "none of the above".
Kirabo Jackson, Professor of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University, discusses how a 10% increase in education in the K-12 years translates to a lifetime increase in income.
One of the most progressive efforts towards public education reform in America took place in the South during the Reconstruction Era. Professor Hilary Green of the University of Alabama joins us to discuss.
Brazil's heavily integrated society and lack of historical segregation make addressing inequality between light and dark skinned Brazilian's difficult, and yet the data indicates they exist.
Vânia Penha-Lopes, Professor of Sociology at Bloomfield College and author of "Confronting Affirmative Action in Brazil: University Quota Students and the Quest for Racial Justice" discusses the challenges of implementing affirmative action in Brazil, and what lessons we might learn from it in the United States.
Jason Sokol, Professor of History at UNH and author of “All Eyes are Upon Us: Race and Politics from Boston to Brooklyn”, discusses the history of segregation in the North during the Ciil Rights Era.
Brazil and the United States both share a common history of slavery, however the differences in their paths post-emancipation shed light on the origins of racist ideology in both countries, and what needs to be done to counter it. G. Reginald Daniel, Professor of Sociology at the University of Santa Barbara and author of "Race and Multiraciality in Brazil and the United States: Converging Paths?" joins me to discuss.
For the first installment in Black History Month, Nikki Brown, Professor of History at the University of Kentucky, joins me to discuss the surprisingly dark history behind Forrest Gump, and how the philosophy of white supremacy evolved from the introduction of slavery to the colonies in the 1600s through Reconstruction.
The Data Monkey discusses how curbing agricultural subsidies could trim the budget and contain health care costs and how the consumer driven economy plays a role in our debt problem.
Tara Sinclair, Associate Professor of Economics and International Affairs at George Washington University, discusses how deficits are more dangerous than debt, and some effective strategies for reducing both.
Benjamin Studebaker of Camrbridge University joins us to discuss how austerity contributed to Great Britain's decline in the 1800s, and what the US can learn as we choose between tax hikes and budget cuts to address our fiscal state.
The idea a country can take out all the debt it wants and not go into default sounds like eating donuts to six pack abs, but it's one of the tenets of Modern Monetary Theory.
Economist Greg Hannsgen joins me to explain the nuances behind MMT, and the things that are scarier than our $24 trillion national debt.
Did you know the State of Mississippi was getting collection calls from foreign debtors for bonds issued in the 1830s?
Professor David Thomson of Sacred Heart University discusses this, the broader history of the US National Debt, and what it can tell us about the issue of government debt today.
You're more likely to change your religion than your political party. People vote more in line with their race than their religion.
The Data Monkey joins us to discuss this, what else the polling data says about religion and voting, and how the Elf on the Shelf is the worst thing going.
How can the Bible both justify and prohibit it gay marriage and slavery?
Professor Mark A Smith of the University of Washington joins me to discuss his book Secular Faith: How Culture Has Trumped Religion in American Politics, which discusses how cultural norms have shaped the interpretation of religious texts, rather than the other way around.
Anum Hussain, co-founder of media tech start-up Acciyo, discusses growing up a Pakistani Muslim in predominantly white New Hampshire, and some of the challenges of being a woman of color in tech.
Much of the dialogue around Christianity in the media focuses on divisive social issues, ignoring the ways faith can be used to heal the pains of modern life.
Dave Scott, Founder and CEO of Scott Digital Marketing, discusses his Christian faith, and how he applies it to his professional and personal life to help those in need.
While military spending as percentage of GDP is down, GDP has increased - so we're actually spending more in real terms, but - despite this - the number of deaths due to warfare is down.
Confused? Trust me - it gets a whole lot worse, but the Data Monkey joins me to explain it all.
Stand up comedian and Master Sergeant in the US Army, Benari Poulten, discusses 20 years of military service, the impacts of the War on Terror, and the role Big Macs played in thwarting Al Qaeda.
We talk about military spending in terms of dollars, but rarely do we talk about the opportunity costs of not investing those dollars in other areas. Economist Heidi Peltier from The Costs of War Project discusses the potential job creating benefits of investing in infrastructure, education, and renewable energy we're currently missing out on.
Dr. Lindsay Cohn of the US Naval War College discusses what the military needs to remain competitive in the 21st century, and some of the threats the current instability in the US government present from a national security standpoint.
NRA Heritage Member and former gun retailer Mike Weisser (a.k.a. "Mike the Gun Guy") shares his observations on gun culture, violence in the United States, and how we choose to get upset over silly things.
Attorney Jason Guida talks about Massachusetts' strict gun laws, who gets helped, and who gets hurt by them.
Guest David O'Sullivan explains his adjustment after moving to Oklahoma from his native Ireland, where he found the meat was so bad, he had to go out and kill his own.
What does the Constitution say about the Second Amendment?
Laurel. Or Yanny.
Listen and find out more.
Continuing with last week's airline food analogies, we dive into the expansive menu of options Ireland offers its voters via the proportional system of representation.
Do Independent voters actually exist? Data Monkey Mike brings his bag of numbers, and we learn they're partisans who just REALLY don't like their party.
The phrase "politics make strange bedfellows" is no better exemplified than in the current political environment, where neglected working-class voters from the Rust Belt and Evangelicals bond together to support a millionaire who cheated on his third wife with a porn star.
Mark Horger, Senior Lecturer at Ohio State University, joins us to explain the nonsensical history of America's two party system and why - at least from a historical perspective - this all makes sense.
Trevor Barlow made a late entry in the 2018 Vermont Gubernatorial Race and came in 3rd under a platform that mixed fiscal conservatism, social liberalism, and a penchant for innovation he gained in his time in the tech sector.
He discusses what prompted him to run and some of the structural roadblocks that keep more third party candidates from getting a voice among the two major parties.
Comedic genius and old friend, Mehran Khaghani, comes to wrap up immigration month in a long discussion about everything but. In this episode, he discusses growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, his general disgust for all sorts of people, and the healing nature of featuring butts in video games.
For episodes one and two, we saw history and anecdote paint a picture of an America that's typically less than welcoming to those coming from abroad seeking a better life. How does the data on the state of immigration today back this up?
For this, Data Monkey Mike joins me to discuss numbers. I promise there will be no math in this episode.
What do you think of when you hear the words "undocumented immigrant"? In Episode 2, David tells his story of spending his childhood as an undocumented immigrant and going on to find citizenship and a career in software.
His story couldn't have more surprises than if I jumped out of a cake at the end.
Traditional American immigration lore tends to feature throngs of poor, huddled masses coming over from Europe, who eventually assimilated into American society, giving us green beer and pizza. Often left out of that story is an equally large migration coming to the West Coast from Asia - particularly China.
For episode numero uno of You Don't Have to Yell, Professor K. Scott Wong of Williams College discusses how the experience of Chinese immigrants differed from their European counterparts, how the Chinese laid the groundwork for many of the legal battles on immigration today, and offers some parallels with today's immigration debate we can use as we determine the best path forward as a country.