Woocast's Politics & Polls

Aiming to "fix the bugs in our democracy," a people-powered activism movement has taken hold since the 2016 election. Those who are part of this wave are tackling difficult issues like gerrymandering, voting rights, and fairness in democracy through grassroots efforts. Today's guest is an experienced leader in this area. Katie Fahey is the executive director of The People, which empowers individuals to get involved in the political process. Previously, Fahey was the executive director of Voters Not Politicians (VNP), where she led more than 14,000 volunteers across Michigan to pass a ballot proposal with 61% of the vote that made political gerrymandering illegal. Prior to VNP, she worked in the garbage and recycling industry. She received her BA in Sustainable Business from Aquinas College in 2012. This episode is part of a series produced by the Princeton Gerrymandering Project and Princeton's Pace Center for Civil Engagement.

In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court forcing Wisconsin residents to the polls during a global pandemic, many are wondering how 2020’s remaining elections may unfold. Congress is debating a massive expansion of absentee voting, and questions around microtargeting and dark money have resurfaced. Amid public health concerns and an increase in online campaigning, how do we protect the integrity of our elections? Ellen Weintraub joins Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang to talk about how to make voting available to every citizen. Weintraub discusses the importance of an informed electorate and the regulatory jurisdiction of the U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC), where she has served as a commissioner since 2002. Weintraub most recently served as chair of the Commission in 2019 — her third time in this role. She has called for meaningful campaign-finance law enforcement and robust disclosure. Prior to her appointment to the FEC, Weintraub served as counsel to the House Ethics Committee.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on American life. As people prepare for extended stay-at-home orders, policymakers are looking for ways to mitigate the economic and financial ramifications of the crisis. Congress already passed a $2 trillion stimulus package, and talks are underway for additional relief. But is this enough? In this episode, Torsten Sløk, Julian Zelizer, and Sam Wang discuss the impact the first stimulus bill will have on consumers and businesses, as well as what the economy could look like in the aftermath of the pandemic. Sløk is the Chief International Economist at Deutsche Bank Securities in New York. Prior to joining the firm, he worked at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and at the International Monetary Fund. He has published numerous journal articles and reviews on economics and policy analysis in publications including the Journal of International Economics, the Journal of International Money and Finance, and The Econometric Journal.

As the number of COVID-19 cases around the nation continues to climb, Americans are racing to respond. Entire cities have ground to a halt. Doctors have appealed for more masks, gowns, and eye gear. And many states have closed nonessential businesses and issued shelter-in-place orders. The pandemic is undoubtedly one of the biggest crises the nation has faced in recent decades. What will the next few months look like? And are our state and national governments doing enough? Juliette Kayyem joins Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang in this week’s episode to discuss these questions, drawing on her experience as the assistant secretary for intergovernmental affairs at the Department of Homeland Security under the Obama administration. Kayyem explains how past governments have responded to crises and proposes two critical elements of good leadership: numbers and hope. Kayyem has spent more than 15 years managing complex policy initiatives and organizing government responses to major crises in both state and federal gover

World leaders continue to grapple with the appropriate crisis response for COVID-19, showcasing the need for stable leadership and a continuity of government officials. Christopher Lu '88, former deputy secretary of labor, joins Sam Wang in this episode to discuss how U.S. presidents respond to crises and what a future administration would look like. Lu was present at the Obama administration's tabletop exercise of coordinated response to a hurricane, pandemic, and cyber intrusion — attended by the incoming Trump administration. He also makes the observation that if Biden was elected, his administration would bring in its own continuity, essentially from the Obama administration.  Lu served as assistant to the president and White House cabinet secretary for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as well as the co-chair of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Lu graduated from the Woodrow Wilson School and from Harvard Law School, where he was a classmate of Obama's. Read th

It's been a tumultuous week in American society as many are adjusting to life with the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, Democratic primaries have also taken quite a turn, with Joe Biden solidifying his position as the Democratic front-runner. In this episode, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang sort out all that's transpired over these past few (and wild) weeks.

Mike Bloomberg and Tom Steyer’s self-funded presidential campaigns have revived questions about campaign finance reform. Before dropping out of the race, Bloomberg spent more than $500 million and Steyer more than $250 million dollars on their respective campaigns. Under current regulations, there is no limit on how much of their personal funds candidates can use for campaign purposes. Should there be? And how much does money actually influence an election?

With the 2020 campaign season underway, some are growing concerned about the fairness and accuracy of elections. The news is dominated with stories of Russian-based Internet hackers, voter suppression, and flaws in the campaign finance system. Given all this talk of “stolen” or “rigged” elections, can we be confident in the integrity of the results? Rick Hasen joins Julian Zelizer in this week’s episode to discuss the state of our election system. Hasen’s latest book, “Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat to American Democracy,” examines the country’s decline in trust in our elections and proposes possible fixes. Hasen is the Chancellor’s Professor of Law and Political Science at the University of California, Irvine. His research focuses on election law and campaign finance regulation. Hasen previously served as a founding co-editor of Election Law Journal and has authored more than 100 articles on election law issues, which have been published in numerous journals including the Harvard L

Presidential biographies are some of the more popular forms of historical literature. They provide valuable insight into our founders, giving us some sense of who our leaders were and giving historical context to understand the presidency today. But there are some limits to these works. One author is reexamining how we talk and write about presidential history in our modern time. Alexis Coe joins Julian Zelizer in this week’s episode to discuss her new book, “You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington.” Coe reimagines how we think about the first president, taking another look at the precedents he set and their implications on leadership today. Coe is a writer, historian, and the award-winning author of “Alice + Freda Forever: A Murder in Memphis.” She is also a consulting producer on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s three-part series on George Washington and the host of “No Man’s Land.” She appears frequently on CNN and the History Channel and has contributed to a number of publications such as The

In honor of Valentine's Day, we're rereleasing an episode we love: #82 featuring Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers. This Southern rock band has tackled a number of contentious political issues through song - from class to race and even partisan politics. They just released a new album, "The Unraveling," available now wherever you find music.   Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang interviewed the band a year ago when they visited Princeton University for a public talk. 

Monday night’s Iowa primary caucus ended without a clear Democratic winner at the end of the night, leaving many wondering what impact the results will have on the 2020 election and future caucuses. As the Democratic National Committee calls for accountability, voters are taking a closer look at the app created to streamline the process of reporting caucus results. But how much does the Iowa caucus matter? While the winners of the Iowa caucus don’t always go on to become their party nominee, the caucus plays an overwhelming role in media coverage of how an election will play out. Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss this year’s caucus, its implications, and current prospects for Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaigns.

Today’s fight for women’s rights has been decades in the making. Feminist movements in the U.S. have lobbied for national progress on a number of issues, including suffrage, reproductive rights, and pay equity. While thousands of protestors gathered for the Women’s March in early January, a network of legal and political support continued to work behind the scenes to pass legislation to break down gender inequality. Fatima Goss Graves joins Julian Zelizer in this week’s episode to talk about activism and leadership in light of the #MeToo Movement and the Trump administration. Goss Graves is the president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center, where she and other members work to improve the lives of women and girls in areas such as income security, health and reproductive rights, education access, and workplace fairness. Goss Graves is also currently an advisor on the American Law Institute Project on Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct on Campus and was on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Liberty is a value often associated with democracy. Grassroots advocates and organizers have historically mobilized to pressure leaders and bring about change in society. But these efforts haven’t always been successful. With this in mind, what does it take for liberty to emerge? This pursuit of liberty is at the center of economist Daron Acemoglu’s new book, “The Narrow Corridor: States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty.” In this week’s episode, Acemoglu joins Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang to discuss the role of norms and mobilization as states and societies struggle in the corridor to liberty. Acemoglu is the Elizabeth and James Killian Professor of Economics at MIT. Earlier this year, he was named Institute Professor, the highest faculty honor at MIT. Acemoglu has authored multiple works, including “Economic Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy” and “Why Nations Fail.”

Ronald Reagan is often regarded as a champion of modern American conservatism, but the former president didn’t always hold these political beliefs. Reagan actually grew up in a New Deal family and voiced his support for the Democratic Party well into the 1950s. So how did he come to be such a prominent figure in the Republican Party? In this week’s episode, Robert Mann joins Julian Zelizer to discuss Ronald Reagan’s political origins and transformation from a Democrat to a Republican, the subject of Mann’s book, “Becoming Ronald Reagan: The Rise of a Conservative Icon.” Mann discusses Reagan’s political philosophies as they changed in the face of communism and the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Mann holds the Manship Chair in Journalism at the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University. He has authored several works, including “Daisy Petals and Mushroom Clouds: LBJ, Barry Goldwater and the Ad that Changed American Politics” and “The Walls of Jericho: Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Ric

We're back - and with a very special episode! Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang interview some young political voices in this week’s episode, focusing on their projects, motivations, and hopes for 2020. ABOUT THE GUESTS Nick Guthman, Blue Future Nick Guthman is a co-founder and the executive director of Blue Future, which connects young people to progressive campaigns. The group raised more than $70,000 to support student organizers working on congressional campaigns last year. Henry Slater, Princeton University Asian American Students Association Henry Slater is a sophomore at Princeton University. He and others are running voter registration drives on campus with the Asian American Students Association. Sydney Ward and Hyrum Devenport, Project 320 Sydney Ward is a senior in high school and the founder of Project 320, which connects Utah students with their local reps and works to increase voter registration. Hyrum Devenport is a freshman at Brigham Young University and the community outreach director of Project 3

College debt is a defining characteristic of middle class life in America. In this episode, Caitlin Zaloom joins Julian Zelizer to discuss the impact of debt on families and students, the historic value of education, and explanations behind the rising costs of college. These are all topics of her new book, “Indebted: How Families Make College Work at Any Cost.” Zaloom is the editor-in-chief of Public Books and an associate professor in the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University. Her research focuses on urbanization, globalization, financial markets, science and technology, and social theory. She also is the author of “Out of the Pits: Traders and Technology.” Zaloom’s work has been recognized by multiple organizations, including the National Science Foundation, and the International Center for Advanced Study.

After President Donald Trump was elected, two congressional staffers wrote a guide to “resisting the Trump agenda,” which immediately went viral. Known as “Indivisible,” the guide sparked a grassroots movement across the country, and invisible groups are now working across the country to advocate for progressive leaders and policies. Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg, who are married, are the cofounders and executive directors of Indivisible and have published a book about the story of the movement: “We are Indivisible: A Blueprint for Democracy After Trump.” They join Sam Wang and Julian Zelizer in today’s episode to discuss. Before starting Indivisible, Levin, an alumnus of Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School, was a federal antipoverty advocate. Greenberg was a human trafficking policy advocate on Capitol Hill. The two have been listed in Time’s “100 Most Influential People of 2019,” Politico 50 list, and GQ’s “50 Most Powerful People in Trump’s Washington.”

Is democracy under attack? With the rise of authoritarianism abroad and the erosion of rights and norms at home, many have started to reexamine the strengths and weaknesses of democratic institutions.   Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss the state of American democracy in this week’s episode, looking at voting rights, truth in politics, and impeachment as the country enters the final year of President Trump’s term.

Impeachment headlines are dominating the news. Since the start of public hearings in the U.S. House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump last week, several witnesses have testified on concerns about the Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss the impeachment inquiry in this week’s episode, breaking down the substance of and the Republican response to the public hearings so far.

Florida will be a key state in the 2020 presidential election, and one Mayor Andrew Gillum hopes will flip blue. In this episode, he chats with Julian Zelizer about his run for governor and his current efforts to mobilize voters in Florida. Gillum is currently chair of Forward Florida Action, a voter registration organization working to build a vibrant, inclusive democracy that works for all Florida communities.