
American Experiment Podcast
Why are so many Minnesota high school graduates unable to read or do math at grade level? Does Tim Walz actually think he's going to be the next president of the United States? And why does he keep swearing so much? These are the kinds of hard-hitting questions we get into every week on the American Experiment Podcast, where we unpack the week's biggest stories, interview Minnesota's movers and shakers, and "stop the tape" on clips of our state's most ridiculous elected officials. New episodes drop every Tuesday afternoon and are available on every major podcasting platform.
Latest episodes

Jan 25, 2024 • 32min
Hennepin County Attorney Charges MN State Trooper with Felony Murder
Public Safety Policy Fellow and former 30-year law enforcement vet David Zimmer sits down with John Hinderaker to discuss the felony murder charges levied against the MN State Trooper who shot Ricky Cobb during a traffic stop last summer.

Jan 23, 2024 • 18min
The Future of Education: School Choice Week with Amy Marotz, microschool founder
Education Policy Expert Catrin Wigfall and John Hinderaker sit down with Amy Marotz, Director of Awakening Spirit Homeschool Collaborative in Stillwater, MN to discuss the future of education and school choice in Minnesota.

Jan 19, 2024 • 31min
Public Safety in 2024 and Beyond with Rep. Walter Hudson
American Experiment Policy Fellow David Zimmer sits down with Representative Walter Hudson to discuss the future of public safety in Minnesota during the 2024 legislative session and beyond.

Jan 5, 2024 • 27min
Empowering Parents in Education - Minnesota Parents Alliance
John Hinderaker sits down with Cristine Trooien, Executive Director of the Minnesota Parents Alliance, and Catrin Wigfall, American Experiment Education Policy Fellow, to discuss the shift towards parental rights in education. About Minnesota Parents Alliance:MPA exists to ensure that every parent who wants to get involved in their child's education has every resource they need to do so successfully, and that their engagement is an inspiration to others. We connect parents across the state with one another by hosting a variety of educational events and online forums, as well as with individuals and organizations that can provide additional support. Our goal is to effectively and efficiently channel the momentum of the parent movement into positive and lasting changes for education in Minnesota.

Dec 26, 2023 • 25min
The State of Crime and Migration in Minnesota
David Zimmer and John Phelan, American Experiment's experts on public safety and the economy, discuss the flow of individual into and out of Minnesota, why people are moving, and the true state of crime in our state.

Dec 15, 2023 • 19min
Episode 17 A Deep Dive into Price Transparency and How American Experiment is Working to Make Your Healthcare Cheaper
Peter Nelson, a nationally-recognized healthcare expert and senior policy fellow at Center of the American Experiment who specializes in price transparency, leads us into a deep dive into price transparency and describes how we can make healthcare cheaper without losing quality or imposing draconian mandates.

Dec 1, 2023 • 25min
How Education is Funded in Minnesota
Have you ever wondered what "fully funding" education means? Just how exactly does the Legislature fund education? What's a WADM?In this episode, Bill Walsh sits down with Catrin Wigfall to answer these questions and more. Tune in for a comprehensive breakdown of how education is funded in Minnesota.

Nov 22, 2023 • 25min
Golden Turkey Winner and A Deeper Dive Into the DFLs State Office Building
Bill Walsh and Bill Glahn announce the winner of the 2023 Golden Turkey Award! Join them as they walk through each nominee and end with a deep dive into the DFL's new $730,000,000 State Office Building.

Nov 17, 2023 • 25min
New Report: The X Factor - Social Capital and Economic Well-Being
American Experiment Economist John Phelan sits down with John Hinderaker to discuss his upcoming report "The X-Factor? Social Capital and Economic Well-Being: A Quantitative Analysis"

Nov 13, 2023 • 26min
Veterans Day, Golden Turkey Update, and a New State Flag
In this edition of the Friday Five, we discuss the meaning of Veterans Day, some new state flag submissions, and give a Golden Turkey Award update.Minnesota’s government wastes a LOT of money on silly things. Now it’s up to you to pick the best one at GoldenTurkeyMN.com