Woocast's Politics & Polls

The GOP is often seen as "the party of the rich," enacting policies that benefit the wealthy and leave the poor behind. However, a new book by historian Lily Geismer reveals that Democrats also played a significant role in deepening American inequality. In this episode, she and Julian Zelizer discuss the Clinton-era policy decisions that led to skyrocketed inequality and poverty in the U.S. today. Her book, "Left Behind: The Democrats' Failed Attempt to Solve Inequality," was published in March 2022 by PublicAffairs. Geismer is an associate professor of history at Claremont McKenna College. Her research and teaching focuses on 20th century political and urban history in the United States, especially liberalism and the Democratic Party. * We apologize for any sound-quality issues in this episode. (Headphone microphones can be unkind.)

Big questions are coming up as the midterm elections inch closer. Where does the GOP stand in the post-Trump era? How severe is political polarization? And how will President Biden and his team tackle some of the country’s biggest challenges from responding to the war in Ukraine to getting a handle on inflation? Former Congressman Will Hurd — and self-described “idealist” — proposes a blueprint for getting things done in Washington, all of which is explained in his new book, “American Reboot: An idealist Guide to Getting Things Done,” published this week by Simon & Schuster. He discusses this and more in a lively conversation with Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang in this week’s episode. Hurd represented Texas’s 23rd Congressional District from 2015 to 2021. He previously worked for the CIA stationed primarily in Washington, D.C., including a tour of duty as an operations officer in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.  

Russia's attacks on Ukraine are getting closer to NATO countries and striking civilians trying to flee. Negotiations for a resolution have been attempted, but all have failed so far. Nuclear weapons seem as though they loom large, as the world watches how the conflict continues to unfold. Julian and Sam discuss the current state of the war in Ukraine, how the media is responding, and what might lie ahead in this week's episode.

Following Russia's invasion into Ukraine, the world finds itself again in a moment of war. As gunfire and bombings continue, it's unclear whether Putin will give up this fight, leading to questions about how to achieve an end to the conflict. Moving into a successful post-war peace will require thoughtful and deliberate leadership — characteristics that President Abraham Lincoln displayed during and after the Civil War.   A new book by author John Avlon provides a groundbreaking, revelatory account of Lincoln's approach to peace — one that's inspired many famous leaders including Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Avlon joins Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang in this week’s show to talk about the book, “Abraham Lincoln: Fight for Peace,” published by Simon & Schuster in February 2022.   Avlon is a senior political analyst and anchor at CNN. He is an award-winning columnist and the author of Independent Nation, Wingnuts, and Washington’s Farewell. Previously, he was the editor-in-chief a

COVID-19 restrictions are being dropped around the country as the U.S. enters what feels like a state of normalcy, at least to some. Oncologist and health expert Ezekiel J. Emanuel joins Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang to discuss how the nation will continue to live with the virus. As Sam described on his Twitter feed: “What’s out: surface transmission. What’s in: air quality, HEPA filters.” Tune in to learn more.   Emanuel is the vice provost for global initiatives, the Diane v.S. Levy and Robert M. Levy University Professor, and co-director of the Healthcare Transformation Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. From January 2009 to January 2011, Dr. Emanuel served as a special advisor on health policy to the director of the Office of Management and Budget and National Economic Council. He is the most widely cited bioethicist in history. Emanuel visited the Princeton campus on Feb. 7-8 as part of the SPIA Leadership through Mentorship Program.  

Taking readers from Ground Zero to the Capitol Insurrection, Karen Greenberg describes the subtle tools that were forged under George W. Bush in the name of security — all of which had profound effects on democracy. She details these tools in a new book, "Subtle Tools: The Dismantling of American Democracy from the War on Terror to Donald Trump," which she discusses with Julian Zelizer in this episode. Greenberg is director of the Center on National Security at Fordham Law, an international studies fellow at New America, and a permanent member of the Council on Foreign Relations.  This recording debuted as a virtual book talk sponsored by the Princeton Public Library on Jan. 6, the anniversary of the insurrection. This interview was first recorded as a virtual public book talk sponsored by the Princeton Public Library Library. 

Laura Coates '01, CNN anchor and legal analyst and, believes in education as a form of activism. This led her to write her new book, "Just Pursuit: A Black Prosecutor's Fight for Fairness," a groundbreaking account of bias in the courtroom. In this episode, Julian and Sam talk with Laura about the essays in her book, which document her time as a prosecutor in the Department of Justice, and reveal how she experienced both racism and sexism in the courtroom. Despite her best intentions, she quickly realized that the "pursuit of justice creates injustice." Considered a constitutional expert, Laura is a former federal prosecutor who served as assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, as well as a trial attorney in the Voting Rights Section of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. In private practice, Laura was an intellectual property litigator with an expertise in First Amendment, defamation and media law. In addition to her role with CNN, she is also a SiriusXM Talk Show Host and a

On the anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection, this week's episode focuses on the strains placed on American democracy. From voter suppression to wreckage at the U.S. Capitol, many of our political processes feel under attack, leaving some hopeless and others searching for solutions. Julian and Sam dive into the subject with scholar Carolyn Shapiro, an expert on the Supreme Court and its role in our constitutional democracy. She provides a primer on the Guarantee Clause, which provides Congress with the authority to ensure that each state's internal governance meets a minimum standard of republicanism. This was the subject of a paper she penned for the Arizona Law Review.

It's the end-of-the-year broadcast for Politics & Polls! Julian and Sam recap the year, beginning with a discussion on the Jan. 6 insurrection and a seemingly under-the-radar fight for democracy. They also chat about the supply chain, inflation and jobs, as well as some of the biggest news stories of the year. Hint: COVID-19 continues to ravage, sparking anxiety and fear, but vaccine rates are going up. This is why the pair gives kudos to science and scientists at the tail end of the episode. Thanks, as always, for listening, and see you in 2022!

Omicron, a new variant of COVID-19, is making its way around the globe, shuttering international flights and bringing back former restrictions. How will the U.S. react? Julian and Sam discuss this moment and how it's a big test for the Biden administration. They also chat about polarization, redistricting, and — looking ahead to 2022 and 2024 — how we can maintain our faith in elections.

Is it too early to talk about the 2022 Midterm Elections? Julian and Sam don't think so, which is why they unpack some of the issues that may threaten Democratic power next year. They discuss the role redistricting will play and the complexities of gerrymandering — an issue that’s always on Sam’s mind. Thanks for tuning in!

Abraham Joshua Heschel was a Polish-born American rabbi, theologian, and civil rights and anti-war leader. To this day, Heschel remains a symbol of the fight to make progressive Jewish values relevant in the secular world. Julian Zelizer wrote a biography on Heschel’s life from childhood to death, detailing his position at the intersection of religion and progressive politics in mid-20th-century America. Sam Wang interviews Julian about the new book in this week's episode. 

Pro-Trump extremists seem to have a tight grip on the Republican Party at both state and national levels. With elections around the corner, traditional Republicans are now calling for party officials to move the GOP away from "Trumpism." Some are even wondering whether a new center-right party may be needed — as a last resort.   These concerns were expressed by Gov. Christine Todd Whitman and Miles Taylor in a recent Washington Post op-ed. They join Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang in this week’s show.   Todd Whitman is the former governor of New Jersey (1994 to 2001). Taylor served at the Department of Homeland Security from 2017 to 2019, including as chief of staff, and was the anonymous author of a 2018 guest essay for The Times criticizing President Donald Trump’s leadership.

Since President Joe Biden pulled U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, many are sorting through whether a withdrawal was really necessary. Regardless, the decision marks a decided end to a long and protracted war, which began during 9/11. Amb. Robert Finn joins Julian Zelizer in this week's episode to analyze the decision and its effects in this week's episode. A former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Finn is a former lecturer on Turkish literature at Princeton University's Department of Near Eastern Studies and Ertegun Professor of Turkic Studies. His distinguished foreign service career includes posts at U.S. missions in Turkey and as ambassador to Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

Big government is often attacked. In the 1960s and 1970s, social advocates like Ralph Nader and Rachel Carson led the charge in the form of public interest groups. While they disrupted a number of government plans, some unintended consequences emerged: the undermining of big government liberalism, which is the alliance between government, business, and labor. A book by academic and author Paul Sabin traces the history of the public interest movement, showing the ways in which American liberalism has been at war with itself. Sabin is professor of history and American studies at Yale University where he teaches U.S. environmental history; energy politics; and political, legal, and economic history.

How are Congress and the courts exercising their powers on the issue of voting rights? Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang are joined by Wendy Weiser, vice president for democracy at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, for a conversation about voting rights from the Texas State legislature to the U.S. Supreme Court.  Weiser has appeared on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, PBS, and has written for The New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, and others. Before joining the Brennan Center, Weiser was a senior attorney at NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund and a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. 

New daily Covid-19 infections in the U.S. are reaching 100,000+, yet, not too long ago, that number was 11,000. With everyone asking ‘where do we go from here?’, Dr. Leana Wen joins Julian and Sam to consider the path through the pandemic and the future of public health. The trio preview Wen’s brand-new book, “Lifelines: A Doctor's Journey in the Fight for Public Health,” which chronicles public health’s successful innovations through the lens of Wen’s personal journey from young immigrant to Baltimore Health Commissioner. Throughout the pandemic, Wen’s expertise has been front-and-center in her contributing columns for The Washington Post and medical analyses on CNN. She is an emergency physician, visiting professor of health policy and management at George Washington University, and a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Behind almost every U.S. President there has been a First Lady... but we don't always hear much about them. This week, author Julia Sweig joins Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang to discuss her book and podcast, “In Plain Sight,” which delves into the audio diaries of Lady Bird Johnson.  Julia Sweig is a New York Times bestselling author whose writing has appeared in the Washington Post, the Atlantic, the Nation, and more. She’s a senior research fellow at the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas-Austin. Her most recent book, “Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight,” was released in March 2021. Sweig is also the creator, host, and executive producer of In Plain Sight, a podcast developed with ABC Audio and Best Case Studios focused on the same topic. 

How are partisan identity and misinformation connected? Sam Wang is joined by Brendan Nyhan to discuss misinformation, partisan identity, and the stability of America's democratic norms. Nyhan is a professor in the Department of Government at Dartmouth College. He is a researcher on politics, polarization, and healthcare, with an emphasis on false beliefs. He’s also a contributor to the Upshot from The New York Times and the co-founder of Bright Line Watch, a group that monitors the health of American democracy.

What in the world is going on? Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang catch you up on some of the biggest discussions happening in politics today: messaging about vaccines and the ongoing controversy about critical race theory and school curriculums.