Woocast's Politics & Polls

Presidents have a unique way of shaping polity, though government strength is also tested in other ways. Party polarization, money in politics, economic inequality, and other forces have all hindered the ability to govern. American legal scholar Jack Balkin joins Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang in this week's episode to help walk through these “constitutional cycles.” He explains how the rise and fall of parties, polarization and de-polarization, as well as episodes of "republic decay" and renewal have all shaped American polity over time. These are all subjects in his latest book: “The Cycles of Constitutional Time.” Balkin is Knight Professor of Constitutional Law and the First Amendment at Yale Law School. He is the founder and director of Yale’s Information Society Project, an interdisciplinary center that studies law and new information technologies. He also directs the Abrams Institute for Freedom of Expression and the Knight Law and Media Program at Yale. *This episode was recorded in September 2020.