The New Liberal Podcast

On both the left and the right, in politics and in other forms of public life, the American public seems to have forgotten a simple idea - it's a terrible idea to associate yourself with scumbags. In this episode, Jeremiah walks through the various scumbags polluting our politics, explains why bad people make bad allies, and discusses how we can get these scumbags out of public life altogether. Support the podcast and get involved with your local chapter by becoming a member of the Center for New Liberalism. Join at https://cnliberalism.org/become-a-member Got questions? Send us a note at [email protected]. Follow us at: https://twitter.com/CNLiberalism https://cnliberalism.org/ https://www.instagram.com/cnliberalism/

Matt Yglesias, journalist and Slow Boring writer, and Nate Silver, statistician and founder of FiveThirtyEight, join Jerusalem Demsas and Jeremiah Johnson for a lively roundtable. They debate whether the center left means moderation or liberalism, why Democrats struggle with an angry electorate, and how abundance, globalization, generational distrust, and shifting coalitions are reshaping American politics.

Why has JD Vance been on a crusade against the economics profession recently? Phil Magness joins the podcast to discuss why JD Vance thinks the concept of GDP is fake, why he's skeptical that consumers having a lot of affordable goods is a good thing, and why the right is turning to 'post-liberal' economics. Further reading: https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/hillbilly-economics Support the podcast and get involved with your local chapter by becoming a member of the Center for New Liberalism. Join at https://cnliberalism.org/become-a-member Got questions? Send us a note at [email protected]. Follow us at: https://twitter.com/CNLiberalism https://cnliberalism.org/ https://www.instagram.com/cnliberalism/

Shadi Hamid, political scientist and author who writes on U.S. foreign policy and democracy promotion. He traces his shift from campus antiwar activist to arguing for a restrained but forceful American role. Short segments examine the moral case for U.S. leadership, successes and failures of past interventions, tensions under Trump, and why Americans resist global responsibility.

Claire Ainsley, director at the Progressive Policy Institute and former policy lead for Keir Starmer, dissects what unraveled for Starmer over two turbulent years. She outlines early policy missteps, key controversies, and the wider instability of UK leadership. They also examine housing, fiscal tradeoffs, and the global pressures reshaping the centre-left.

Kelsey Piper, a staff writer at The Argument who covers education policy and the 'Mississippi Miracle'. She breaks down how certain states lifted reading and math scores. They discuss phonics, background knowledge, retention and targeted interventions. Conversation covers tracking, testing’s role in accountability, and why national politics distracts from local school reforms.

A semi-annual roundup of standout books across nonfiction and fiction. Topics include the Supreme Court and portraits of the justices, data-driven criminal justice reform, the history and human story of cancer, and Civil War memoirs. He also covers conspiracism and conspiratorial movements, influencer families and child exploitation, plus a mix of science fiction and historical horror picks.

A tour of why liberalism is losing ground on both left and right. Discussion of market norms, identity politics, and the rise of progressive organizing. Exploration of technocratic competence, political ruthlessness, and lessons from Canada’s approach. Calls for a proud liberal nationalism and better storytelling to inspire civic purpose.

This week we're bringing you another joint episode of the podcast. I appeared on the Cato Institute's podcast to discuss a question for its libertarian audience - should libertarians and abundance liberals be political allies? I argue in favor, but also discuss the tricky political realities such an alliance would need to navigate. It's an interesting conversation, so we're also bringing it to you here! Support the podcast and get involved with your local chapter by becoming a member of the Center for New Liberalism. Join at https://cnliberalism.org/become-a-member Got questions? Send us a note at [email protected]. Follow us at: https://twitter.com/CNLiberalism https://cnliberalism.org/ https://www.instagram.com/cnliberalism/

In this episode, Jeremiah joins Yascha Mounk to talk about liberal politics, organizing, and why Gen Z isn't actually doomed, even though so many on social media think they are. This episode originally aired on Yascha's podcast The Good Fight, but we're also sharing it here with you! Support the podcast and get involved with your local chapter by becoming a member of the Center for New Liberalism. Join at https://cnliberalism.org/become-a-member Got questions? Send us a note at [email protected]. Follow us at: https://twitter.com/CNLiberalism https://cnliberalism.org/ https://www.instagram.com/cnliberalism/