The Selfie Vote examines the radical transformation of the American electorate driven by cultural factors, demographic shifts, and technological advances. Kristen Soltis Anderson blends observations from focus groups, personal stories, and polling results to offer insights into how youth, women, and minorities vote. The book introduces tech-savvy political consultants using data mining and social media to transform electoral politics, including tracking consumer behavior to predict voting patterns. It busts established myths about campaigns and elections, providing data-driven yet highly readable insights into the future of American politics and governance.
In this book, Stephanie Kelton challenges conventional economic wisdom by arguing that government deficits are not inherently bad and can actually strengthen economies. She dispels six key myths about deficits, such as the idea that governments should budget like households, that deficits harm future generations, crowd out private investment, and undermine long-term growth. Kelton explains that in a fiat currency system, governments are not constrained by the same budgetary rules as households or businesses. Instead, the real constraints are the limits of real resources and the threat of inflation. The book advocates for using MMT to address critical social issues like poverty, inequality, unemployment, healthcare, and climate change by shifting the focus from narrow budgetary questions to broader economic and social benefits.
This week, Reason editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Matt Welch are joined by Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson to analyze Zohran Mamdani's primary win over Andrew Cuomo in New York City's mayoral race and what it signals about the future of Democratic politics. They also discuss the Senate GOP's version of President Donald Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" and how Republican views on gay marriage have shifted since the Obergefell decision in 2015. Finally, a listener question prompts a discussion on Modern Monetary Theory and the risks it poses from a libertarian perspective.
0:00—What does it mean to be a party pollster?
2:53—Socialist Mamdani wins NYC Democratic primary
11:59—The politics of the housing crisis
15:18—The abundance agenda and Mamdani
21:15—Mamdani as the Trump of the left
27:07—Listener question on Modern Monetary Theory
37:15—Senate GOP version of Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill"
42:45—Republican voters shift on gay marriage
48:28—Is the GOP more libertarian under Trump?
50:28—Chances Trump might prove us wrong on Iran strategy
54:22—Weekly cultural recommendations
Mentioned in the podcast
"On Housing, All New York Politicians Are Socialists," by Christian Britschgi
"Libya, End Zone Taunting, and the Success Curse," by Matt Welch
"Sovereignty Is Such a Lonely Word," by Matt Welch
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- Producer: Paul Alexander
- Video Editor: Ian Keyser
The post Did NYC Vote for Socialism or Against the Establishment? appeared first on Reason.com.
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