Woocast's Politics & Polls

Some say the United States is heading down a road toward isolationism. In this episode, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss the uncertain future of American global leadership with Ivo Daalder and James Lindsay. They are authors of a new book: “The Empty Thrown: America’s Abdication of Global Leadership.” Daalder and Lindsay describe the key aspects of the rules-based international order the United States helped to create after the unprecedented destruction wrought by World War I and World War II. The guests analyze how this order has largely endured, despite periods of American foreign policy mistakes. They feel, however, that the persistence of this order is not assured under President Trump.

In his farewell address, President Barack Obama identified a number of “fault lines” in American society from politics to economics to race. In this episode, Sam Wang discusses these societal divisions with regular podcast co-host Julian Zelizer and guest Kevin Kruse — co-authors of a new book on contemporary American history. Released this week, “Fault Lines: A History of the United States Since 1974,” examines how these political divides evolved into what they are today from what they were during the upheaval of the 1970s. Kruse is a historian and professor at Princeton University where he studies the political, social and urban/suburban history of the 20th century.

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

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

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing the world today. In this episode, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss the politics of combating climate change with author Jeff Nesbit. Nesbit examines the consensus in the scientific community concerning climate change. He explains how the U.S. is effectively shielded from the worst effects of climate change because of its wealth and situation in a temperate zone. This is not the case in the rest of the world. Nesbit sees a bipartisan opportunity to address climate change through clean energy, but it's a race against time. Nesbit is the author of several books, including “This is the Way the World Ends,” which was published in September. He was the director of public affairs for two science agencies: the National Science Foundation and the Food and Drug Administration. He now serves as the executive director of Climate Nexus and is a regular opinion contributor to several national publications.

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

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

How is today’s brand of conservatism different from past presidencies? In this episode, Julian Zelizer discusses the ins and outs of conservatism today, particularly compared with that during the Ronald Reagan presidency, with economist Arthur Brooks. Brooks elaborates on his own unlikely path to becoming a leading conservative thinker and expresses his firm belief that, because of the unique history of the United States, nearly all Americans are progressive, regardless of their party identification. He also takes an historic look at the conservative movement, noting, for example, that while many of Trump’s views are in opposition to those of Reagan, they are very much in line with the conservatism of President William Taft. Brooks is currently the president of the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., and also author of numerous books including “The Conservative Heart: How to Build a Fairer, Happier, and More Prosperous America.” He also writes comments in several media outlets including The Ne

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

he past week has been marked by a series of hate crimes. Pipe bombs were sent to a few political critics of President Donald Trump by a fanatic in Florida; two African Americans were shot by a white nationalist in Kentucky; and a horrific attack at a synagogue in Pittsburgh left 11 people dead. In this episode, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss how these events could influence next week’s midterm elections. They examine how white nationalism is being leveraged to maximize voter turnout and if voter suppression attempts will affect tight gubernatorial and Congressional races. They also discuss voter rights expansion, which has substantial implications for 2020 and beyond.

Uncertainty looms regarding next week’s midterm elections. In this episode, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang consider the dynamics shaping the midterm elections and the potential implications with journalist Barry Yeoman and political scientist Danielle M. Thomsen. Yeoman discusses a judicial race in North Carolina that has significant implications for democracy and voting rights in the state. Thomsen speaks about the likely role that female candidates and women voters will play in November. Thomsen is an assistant professor of political science at the University of California, Irvine, and a visiting scholar at the Center for the Study of Democratic Politics, Princeton University, 2018-19. She is the author of the 2017 book, “Opting Out of Congress: Partisan Polarization and the Decline of Moderate Candidates.” Her research focuses on the kinds of candidates who run for Congress, how this has changed over time, and why this matters for partisan trends in Congress. Barry Yeoman is a journalist who “specializes in

Technological innovations have fundamentally altered the landscape of illicit trade. From war lords to state actors, top-down forces have harnessed technology to expand illicit trade in everything from pesticides to rhino horns. In this episode, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss the current state of the global illicit economy with expert Louise Shelley of George Mason University. Shelley explains the roles of market forces, criminal actors and non-criminal actors in the illicit trade market. Shelley is the Omer and Nancy Hirst Endowed Chair for Civil Intellectuals, a professor in the Schar School of Government at George Mason University and the founder and director of the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center. She also is the author of a new book, “Dark Commerce: How a New Illicit Economy is Threatening Our Future.”

Following a bitter and contentious confirmation process, Justice Brett Kavanaugh has been sworn in to the Supreme Court. Could his confirmation galvanize Republican support in the upcoming midterm elections? And what effect will it have on the reputation of the Court? Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang dive deep into the aftermath of Justice Kavanugh’s confirmation in this episode. They discuss Kavanaugh’s career, the increasingly politicized Supreme Court and whether this confirmation process was, indeed, historically divisive.

Questions abound regarding what impact the recently opened FBI investigation will have on Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation process. In this episode, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss Kavanaugh’s prior political career, recent testimony and prospects for confirmation with research journalist Marcy Wheeler. Wheeler discusses Kavanaugh’s role in both the Ken Starr investigation of President Bill Clinton and the national security legislation of the George W. Bush administration. Wheeler also discusses her unique approach to journalism, which relies predominantly on document analysis rather than human sourcing.

Working-class citizens have been historically underrepresented in American politics. In this episode, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss the influence of money in politics — both in terms of who rises to elected office and how those elected govern — with political scientist Nicholas Carnes. Carnes asserts that government would be more responsive to what the general public wants if the socioeconomic backgrounds of politicians were more in line with those of the general public. Carnes then explains the cash barriers that exist, which bar working-class Americans from running for office.

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has been accused of sexual assault. How might this play out? And what effect will it have on the midterm elections? Professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss this and more in today's episode. (Note: This episode was recorded on Tuesday, Sept. 18.)

The conservative news media has had a historical role in shaping national politics. In this episode, Julian Zelizer discusses the influence of conservative news media, both then and now, with historian Laurence Jurdem. Jurdem goes into detail about how conservative publications were created as a means to influence policymakers and as an alternative to the liberal news media. These outlets influenced presidents like Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan. Jurdem is the author of a new book, “Paving the Way for Reagan: The Influence of Conservative Media on US Foreign Policy 1964-1980.” He also is a regular contributor to numerous national publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the National Review.

Between the death of Senator John McCain, recent developments in the Trump-Russia investigation, and Congressional upsets, quite a bit has unfolded in the political sphere. Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss all that's happened in this week's episode.

Fictional work often stimulates a broader debate about politics and history. This was the case following the release of Harper Lee’s “Go Set a Watchman” in 2015. A beloved literary hero, Atticus Finch was remade into a bigoted antagonist. In today’s episode, historian and author Joseph Crespino joins Julian Zelizer to discuss the controversy that sparked following the release of “Go Set a Watchman.” Crespino, who’s written a book about Harper Lee’s writing, argues that her second book raised a number of questions about race relations and the American South.

The 25th Amendment has returned to national dialogue and become a popular topic during Donald Trump’s presidency. The amendment, adopted in 1967, addresses what happens if the President of the United States is removed, dies, is incapacitated, or otherwise unable to fulfill the powers and duties of the presidency. A leading law expert, Harold Hongju Koh joins today’s episode to explain the intricacies of the 25th Amendment. Earlier this year, Koh worked with the Rule of Law Clinic at Yale Law School to publish, “The Twenty-Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution: A Reader’s Guide,” which provides thorough guidance on the 25th Amendment. Koh is Sterling Professor of International Law at Yale Law School and one of the country’s leading experts in public and private international law, national security law and human rights.