Cross Tabs

Religious nationalism manifests differently across the globe, with some surprising patterns emerging from cross-national research. The concept extends beyond legal frameworks into cultural values, with the US standing out among high-income countries for believing the Bible should influence laws, even though only 6% of Americans qualify as religious nationalists. In this episode of Cross Tabs, Farrah speaks with Pew Research Center experts Jonathan Evans and Laura Silver about their groundbreaking study on religious nationalism across 36 countries. They discuss their methodological approach to studying such a complex topic across different religions and cultures, the nuances of what it means to be a "religious state" while maintaining democracy, and the stark political polarization in America compared to other nations. Want to be a part of the future of Cross Tabs Podcast? Here are a few simple ways to get involved:   - Subscribe, rate, and review Cross Tabs Podcast on your favorite podcast app   - Subscribe to Cross Tabs Podcast Substack and suggest Cross Tabs to your audience if you have your own Substack - we’re happy to do the same!   - Contact Farrah with guest or topic suggestions you’d like to hear about on the show  Resources Religious Nationalism Report  India Religious Study  Christian Nationalism in the US  Western Europe Religious Study  American Views on China  Our Guests Jonathan Evans is a Senior Researcher on the Religion team at Pew Research Center, approaching nine years with the organization. His work focuses primarily on international religious research, including leading a major project involving 30,000 interviews in India examining the intersection of religion with public life. Evans specializes in studying how religious beliefs, practices, and identities intersect with other aspects of people's lives across different cultural contexts. Laura Silver is an Associate Director on the Global Attitudes team at Pew Research Center with eight years of experience conducting cross-national surveys. She specializes in studying global phenomena in comparative contexts and has extensive expertise in American views of China. Silver oversees large cross-national surveys spanning dozens of countries, helping to provide context for how different global phenomena impact countries in varying ways. Your Host Farrah Bostic is the founder of The Difference Engine, a strategic research and innovation consultancy. Drawing on her extensive background in research and strategy, she examines how power dynamics and data patterns shape both democratic institutions and market environments, bringing a sharp analytical perspective to the intersection of politics, data, and business. Her incisive questioning style and ability to connect political movements with business implications makes Cross Tabs essential listening for political analysts, business leaders, and engaged citizens seeking to understand the forces shaping our political and economic landscapes. Learn more about Farrah’s experience helping B2B and B2C companies across various industries turn audience insights into effective strategies at thedifferenceengine.co, and be sure to connect with her on LinkedIn if you’d like to discuss how The Difference Engine can help.  Subscribe to Cross Tabs Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to Cross Tabs on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts Spotify 

The Democratic Party brand has hit historic lows despite Republican extremism, with nearly half of Democratic voters disapproving of their own party representatives in Congress. This crisis in party confidence reflects a failure in messaging strategy, with Democrats needing to centralize their communication and directly attribute economic hardship to Republican policies rather than using vague institutional language. In this episode of Cross Tabs, Farrah Bostic speaks with political strategist Rachel Bitecofer about Democratic Party messaging failures and what effective opposition looks like in 2025. Bitecofer emphasizes that Democrats must stop being selective about which battles to fight and instead mount consistent, visible resistance that frames Republicans as extremists who have harmed working Americans through decades of economic policies. Want to be a part of the future of Cross Tabs Podcast? Here are a few simple ways to get involved:  - Subscribe, rate, and review Cross Tabs Podcast on your favorite podcast app  - Subscribe to Cross Tabs Podcast Substack and suggest Cross Tabs to your audience if you have your own Substack - we’re happy to do the same!  - Contact Farrah with guest or topic suggestions you’d like to hear about on the show  Resources ‘Hit ‘em Where It Hurts’  The Cycle (Substack)‘Politics and the English Language’  ‘The American Voter’   ‘Testing to Destruction’   "What Is Power For?"   "Partisanship in the Trump Era"  Quinnipac PollOur Guest Rachel Bitecofer is an American political scientist and election forecaster turned political strategist, renowned for her accurate early prediction of the "Blue Wave" in the 2018 midterm elections. Bitecofer has served as a lecturer at Christopher Newport University and as assistant director of the Wason Center for Public Policy, where she conducted polling and election forecasting. She later became a senior fellow at the Niskanen Center, a centrist think tank in Washington, D.C. Her analyses have been featured in prominent media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and MSNBC. In 2024, she published "Hit 'Em Where It Hurts: How to Save Democracy by Beating Republicans at Their Own Game," advocating for strategic approaches to bolster democratic processes. Your Host Farrah Bostic is the founder of The Difference Engine, a strategic research and innovation consultancy. Drawing on her extensive background in research and strategy, she examines how power dynamics and data patterns shape both democratic institutions and market environments, bringing a sharp analytical perspective to the intersection of politics, data, and business. Her incisive questioning style and ability to connect political movements with business implications makes Cross Tabs essential listening for political analysts, business leaders, and engaged citizens seeking to understand the forces shaping our political and economic landscapes. Learn more about Farrah’s experience helping B2B and B2C companies across various industries turn audience insights into effective strategies at thedifferenceengine.co, and be sure to connect with her on LinkedIn if you’d like to discuss how The Difference Engine can help.  Subscribe to Cross Tabs Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to Cross Tabs on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts Spotify 

True democratic power requires collective organization, not just voting. The current political system serves the wealthy while unions remain the only reliable institution giving ordinary Americans access to collective political power — something authoritarians immediately target when taking office. In this episode of Cross Tabs, host Farrah Bostic speaks with political strategist Mike Podhorzer about what real democracy looks like beyond elections. They discuss how labor unions provide essential counterbalance to corporate power, why judicial supremacy has undermined democratic governance, and how precise language matters when describing political realities. Podhorzer explains that collective power through organizing is the only viable path to resist authoritarianism and restore responsive governance. Want to be a part of the future of Cross Tabs? Here are a few simple ways to get involved:  Subscribe, rate, and review Cross Tabs Podcast on your favorite podcast app  Subscribe to Cross Tabs Podcast Substack and suggest Cross Tabs to your audience if you have your own Substack - we’re happy to do the same!  Contact Farrah with guest or topic suggestions you’d like to hear about on the show  Resources Weekend Reading newsletter by Mike Podhorzer "The Oligarchs Understand Power, Do We?" by Mike Podhorzer, Weekend Reading "Trump Voters Splinter Over His Rapid Shake-Up of Washington" by Eliza Collins, Wall Street Journal Presidential Records Act   Our Guest Mike Podhorzer is a leading political strategist and data analyst with extensive experience in labor organizing and electoral politics. He served as the Political Director of the AFL-CIO for over a decade, where he developed innovative approaches to voter mobilization and progressive coalition-building. Podhorzer is known for his insightful analysis of political power structures and his advocacy for strengthening democratic institutions through organized labor. He now writes the ‘Weekend Reading’ newsletter, where he examines the relationships between collective power, democracy, and economic justice. His work focuses on how ordinary Americans can build meaningful political influence to counter the outsized power of wealthy interests in our political system.  Your Host Farrah Bostic is the founder of The Difference Engine, a strategic research and innovation consultancy. Drawing on her extensive background in research and strategy, she examines how power dynamics and data patterns shape both democratic institutions and market environments, bringing a sharp analytical perspective to the intersection of politics, data, and business. Her incisive questioning style and ability to connect political movements with business implications makes Cross Tabs essential listening for political analysts, business leaders, and engaged citizens seeking to understand the forces shaping our political and economic landscapes. Learn more about Farrah’s experience helping B2B and B2C companies across various industries turn audience insights into effective strategies at thedifferenceengine.co, and be sure to connect with her on LinkedIn if you’d like to discuss how The Difference Engine can help. Subscribe to Cross Tabs Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to Cross Tabs on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts Spotify 

Understanding political contradictions - from voters supporting seemingly opposing candidates to holding conflicting policy views - reveals deeper truths about American democracy and the complex systems that shape public opinion. Modern polling methods, rooted in both the study of fascism and eugenics, illuminate how we make sense of each other as voters and consumers. In this episode of Cross Tabs, host Farrah Bostic unveils five key areas the show will tackle this season: deep dives into local political transformations, the historical evolution of polling and surveys, the shift of campaign messaging from Madison Avenue to K Street, lessons from history about how other countries built democracies after surviving and overcoming authoritarianism, and a look forward into what kinds of democracies can be built when we're not steeped in Constitutional nostalgia. Drawing on her background in political science, law, and market research, Farrah aims to help listeners understand the systems that drive political change and imagine new possibilities for democracy's future. Want to be a part of the future of Cross Tabs Podcast? Here are a few simple ways to get involved: - Subscribe, rate, and review Cross Tabs Podcast on your favorite podcast app - Subscribe to Cross Tabs Podcast Substack and suggest Cross Tabs to your audience if you have your own Substack - we’re happy to do the same! - Contact Farrah with guest or topic suggestions you’d like to hear about on the show Resources ‘On Freedom’ by Timothy Snyder ‘How Rights Went Wrong’ by Jamal Greene  ‘Just Evil Enough’ by Emily Ross and Alistair Croll  Behind the Bastards podcast hosted by Robert Evans Your Host Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn.  Subscribe to Cross Tabs Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to Cross Tabs on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts Spotify 

Less than a month into the new administration, we have seen a flurry of headlines about datasets being purged all over the federal government — and in programs outside the federal government that receive money from federal agencies.Here are just a few recent stories:"What we all lose in Trump and Musk's attack on government data" (Axios, February 7, 2025)"Thousands of U.S. Government Web Pages Have Been Taken Down Since Friday" (NY Times, February 2, 2025)"Archivists Work to Identify and Save the Thousands of Datasets Disappearing From Data.gov" (404 Media, January 30, 2025)"CDC Data Are Disappearing" (The Atlantic, January 31, 2025)This episode is an encore presentation of a conversation I had last summer with Connie Citro, an investigator on the American Statistical Association's paper, "The Nation's Data at Risk". We discussed the need for government-collected data, the threats facing (and now in full view of) the nation's statistical agencies, and ways you can support the agencies in their work.Here are a few resources if you want to gain access to archived data, or want to support organizations that are acting to defend the agencies and preserve their — our — data.The American Statistical AssociationThe Data Rescue ProjectThe Census ProjectFriends of the Bureau of Labor StatisticsThe CDC Foundation Our Guest Connie Citro is a distinguished expert in federal statistics with over four decades of experience in the field. She served for many years as the director of the Committee on National Statistics at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, where she now continues as a senior scholar. Throughout her career, Citro has been involved in numerous studies on critical statistical issues, including decennial census methodologies, poverty measurement, and the American Community Survey. Her extensive knowledge and experience make her a leading voice in discussions about the health and future of the U.S. federal statistical system.   Your Host Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn.  Subscribe to Cross Tabs Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to Cross Tabs on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts Spotify 

Subversive marketing tactics and behavioral psychology intersect with modern political strategy, revealing how underdogs can convert attention into meaningful action by understanding human motivation and embracing calculated risk-taking to challenge established systems. Authors Alistair Croll and Emily Ross join Farrah to discuss their new book Just Evil Enough, which examines how challenger brands and political movements can effectively compete against established powers. The conversation spans practical examples from Burger King's "Whopper Detour" campaign to AOC's social media prowess, while exploring the critical difference between gaining attention and converting it into results. The discussion provides fresh insights into how Democrats might approach the election cycle by adopting more effective fighting tactics and embracing strategic norm breaking.  Resources Just Evil Enough by Alistair Croll and Emily Ross  Lean Analytics by Alistair Croll   Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinsky   Black Pill by Elle Reeve   The Unaccountability Machine by Dan Davies   Running from Office by Jennifer Lawless  'In Tense Call, Governors Push Schumer to Fight Harder Against Trump’ - New York Times  Data Void Techniques - Data & Society  Our Guests Alistair Croll is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and technology industry veteran. He co-authored the influential book Lean Analytics and has founded multiple companies in data analytics and digital governance. As a sought-after advisor and conference chair, he operates at the intersection of technology, business strategy, and behavioral science. Croll frequently speaks on innovation, digital transformation, and the societal impact of emerging technologies. His latest book, Just Evil Enough (co-authored by Emily Ross), builds on his expertise in analytics and behavioral psychology to explore how underdogs can effectively challenge established systems. Emily Ross is a brand strategist and technology marketing expert who leads brand strategy for social media platform X (formerly Twitter) in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). She founded Inkvine, a consultancy specializing in deep tech and complex technology marketing. Ross serves on the SXSW startup panel and has built her career helping organizations like UNICEF and emerging startups translate complex innovations into compelling narratives. Her expertise spans behavioral science, digital culture, and subversive marketing strategies.  Your Host Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn.  Subscribe to Cross Tabs Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to Cross Tabs on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts Spotify 

Across democracies worldwide, citizens aren't necessarily losing faith in democratic values -- they're frustrated with how democracy is actually working in their countries. New research reveals a striking pattern: from the United States to Italy to South Korea, people want better representation and more responsive leadership, not necessarily a different system of government. In this episode, Pew Research Center's Richard Wike and Patrick Moynihan share insights from their extensive global democracy study spanning 31 countries, explaining how they measure democratic satisfaction across different cultures and political systems and the fascinating regional patterns that are revealed, like the north-south divide in European attitudes and America's uniquely high levels of political polarization. They share their methodological approach to conducting cross-national surveys and touch on upcoming new research on global views about free speech and inequality. Resources Freedom House  Economist Intelligence Unit  V-Dem  International IDEA  World Values Survey  ‘Economic Inequality Seen as Major Challenge Around the World’ - Pew Research Center (Richard Wike et al)  ‘What Can Improve Democracy’ - Pew Research Center  ‘What the World Thinks in 2002’ - Pew Research Center  2022 Political Polarization Study - Pew Research Center  31-Country Democracy Study - Pew Research Center  Global Attitudes Project - Pew Research Center  ‘The Danger of Deconsolidation: The Democratic Disconnect’ - Roberto Stefan Foa, Yascha Mounk  Our Guests Patrick Moynihan is associate director of international research methods at Pew Research Center. Before joining Pew, he served as survey methodologist at the U.S. Department of State and as senior polling analyst at ABC News. He holds a doctorate in sociology from SUNY Stony Brook and has extensive experience in survey design, polling methodology, and election research. Richard Wike is director of global attitudes research at Pew Research Center, where he studies international public opinion on topics like democracy, globalization, and America's global image. His research has been featured in major publications including The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, and The Guardian. He holds a doctorate in political science from Emory University. Your Host Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn.  Subscribe to Cross Tabs Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to Cross Tabs on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts Spotify 

This is an interview from last year for another show I do called In The Demo. I talked to The Ringer's Rob Harvilla, host of 60 Song That Explain the 90s, about the role of nostalgia and generational identity in the way we experience music. It's a fun conversation, and I hope a bit of a break from the heaviness of the conversation with Grafton Tanner about the politics of nostalgia.

Nostalgia has transformed from a medical condition in the 1600s into a powerful force wielded by politicians and corporations today, shaping everything from entertainment reboots to presidential campaigns. The tension between preserving the past and embracing change reveals deeper questions about how we process loss, grief, and our relationship with time in an era of relentless information overload. Author and theorist Grafton Tanner draws surprising connections between streaming algorithms, dead malls, and political messaging to explain how nostalgia is strategically deployed to influence behavior. Through analysis of cultural touchstones like Forrest Gump and Mad Men, he examines why some forms of nostalgia successfully drive engagement while others fall flat, and questions whether our current obsession with the past threatens our ability to imagine new futures.  Resources ‘The Hours Have Lost Their Clock’ by Grafton Tanner  ‘Foreverism’ by Grafton Tanner  ‘Millennials Rising’ by Neil Howe and William Strauss   Our Guest Grafton Tanner is the author of Foreverism, The Hours Have Lost Their Clock: The Politics of Nostalgia, The Circle of the Snake: Nostalgia and Utopia in the Age of Big Tech, and Babbling Corpse: Vaporwave and the Commodification of Ghosts). His work focuses on nostalgia, technology, and the rhetoric of neoliberalism, and his writing has appeared in such venues as NPR, The Nation, the Los Angeles Review of Books, Jacobin, and Real Life. He is the host of Delusioneering, a three-episode audio series about the myths of capitalism. Currently he is writing a book on the re-emergence of exorcism in the late twentieth century.  Your Host Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn.  Subscribe to Cross Tabs Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to Cross Tabs on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts Spotify 

The 2024 presidential election revealed deep fractures in American democracy, from the failure of economic messaging to connect with voters to the growing disconnect between Democratic Party leadership and their base constituencies. Through candid analysis of polling data, campaign strategies, and voter psychology, this discussion illuminates why traditional political playbooks are becoming increasingly ineffective in an era of widespread voter disillusionment. In this thoughtful conversation, political strategists Natalie Lupiani and Shannon join host Farrah Bostic to dissect what went wrong in the Democratic campaign and what it means for the future of American politics. They examine how the Democrats' reliance on outdated campaign tactics, failure to engage meaningfully with communities between election cycles, and misreading of voter priorities contributed to their loss. The discussion offers particularly valuable insights into the party's struggles with economic messaging, identity politics, and the challenge of connecting with voters who feel increasingly disconnected from traditional political institutions.  Resources 'Kamala Harris Crushed Donald Trump...and Voters Noticed’ episode of The Bulwark’s Focus Group Podcast  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEpOQw35Vaw ‘Democrats Have a Better Option Than Biden’ NYT article by Ezra Klein https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/16/opinion/ezra-klein-biden-audio-essay.html  'Gen Z’s Vision of Success? Nearly $600,000 a Year’ Yahoo! Finance article by Cara Michelle Smith  https://finance.yahoo.com/news/gen-z-vision-success-nearly-103005295.html  Our Guests Shannon-Janean Currie is a Vice President of Benenson Strategy Group, with over a decade of experience in research and messaging, specializing in minority audiences and disenfranchised communities. Her work combines quantitative and qualitative methods to help organizations like the ACLU, Fwd.us, and The National Urban League connect with and uplift communities. Known for her groundbreaking studies on Black America and criminal justice reform, Shannon is deeply committed to advocacy, mentorship, and counter-polarization efforts. Natalie Lupiani, is an opinion researcher and strategic consultant with over a decade of experience crafting data-driven strategies for campaigns, branding, corporate culture, and communications. She has partnered with Fortune 500 companies like Pfizer, Toyota, and AT&T, as well as nonprofits and advocacy groups, leveraging insights from domestic and international research to drive impactful decisions. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Natalie is passionate about supporting service members through her professional work and volunteer efforts with organizations like TAPS. Your Host Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn.  Subscribe to Cross Tabs Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to Cross Tabs on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts Spotify