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Hold These Truths with Dan Crenshaw

Expectations vs Reality in Congress | Jonah Goldberg

Dec 5, 2023
Jonah Goldberg discusses the problems in the GOP and Congress, including the populist stranglehold, broken incentive structures, expectations vs reality in Congress, and the media industrial complex. They also explore Chinese and Russian influence, the dysfunction of Congress, and the challenge of low voter turnout in primaries. The chapter concludes with discussions on border security, compromises in politics, and the dangers of isolationism.
01:45:46

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The legislative process in Congress is broken, with power concentrated in leadership and not enough in committees, leading to lack of thorough review and weak debate.
  • Hyper-partisanship, weak parties, and powerful interest groups contribute to a lack of compromise and effective governance in Congress, as politicians prioritize ideological purity and avoiding primary challenges.

Deep dives

Congress and the Broken Legislative Process

The legislative process in Congress has become broken, with too much power concentrated in the leadership and not enough in committees. Legislation is often written in private and presented as a fate accompli to be voted on without thorough review or debate. Weak parties and the primary system contribute to the dysfunction, as politicians prioritize avoiding primary challenges over compromising for the greater good. Congress no longer serves as a check on the executive and absorbs too much of the nation's divisive politics. This has led to performative politics and a lack of focus on effective governance. The media industrial complex and outside interest groups also contribute to the dysfunction by amplifying extreme voices and incentivizing hard-line positions. The broken legislative process hinders effective lawmaking and creates a divisive political environment.

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