The Permanent Problem

While the formal separation of church and state is a vital element of America's constitutional order, the success of our long-running experiment in self-government has always depended on a healthy interdependence between republican freedom and religious faith. So argues Jonathan Rauch in his new book Cross Purposes: Christianity's Broken Bargain with Democracy. "In American civic life, Christianity is a load-bearing wall," writes. "When it buckles, all the institutions around it come under stress, and some of them buckle, too."On this episode of The Permanent Problem podcast, Rauch joins host Brink Lindsey to discuss secularization and the rapid decline of organized Christianity in recent decades -- in Rauch's words, the combination of "thin Christianity" in the mainline denominations and increasingly "sharp Christianity" among self-described evangelicals. They examine the underlying causes of these developments, how they stoke polarization and undermine democratic values and institutions, and what a healthier "thick Christianity" might look like. 

The rightward shift in public opinion that carried Donald Trump back into the White House is being widely interpreted as a backlash against the "Great Awokening" of the past decade -- a surge in radical progressive activism around social justice issues that featured a number of extreme and unpopular positions ("defund the police," "abolish ICE," support for Hamas after the October 7 attacks, etc.). In his new book We Have Never Been Woke, Stony Brook University sociologist and Niskanen Center senior fellow Musa al-Gharbi argues that this is only the latest in a series of "awokenings" over the past century. In each case, he contends, the focus was more on competition within the growing ranks of "social capitalists" (i.e., knowledge workers) than on the plight of the poor and marginalized -- and the net impact consisted more in stoking backlash than in actually driving progress. On this episode of The Permanent Problem podcast, host Brink Lindsey sits down with al-Gharbi to discuss his new book, reviewing the rise of "symbolic capitalists" to economic and cultural dominance and analyzing the dynamics that have led to the poisonous politics of the present day.

Eli Dourado, advocate of abundance, discusses restoring abundance in technology and economy. They delve into the great stagnation, productivity growth, and the vulnerability of our modern civilization to decline. The conversation explores removing constraints on supply, the quality of government, and the importance of shared prosperity.

American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Tim Carney discusses the global birth rate decline and its impact on society, emphasizing the societal shift away from parenthood. He explores the reasons behind the low fertility rates, the cultural trends pushing people from having children, and examines communities that still value big families for insights on reversing the trend.

Gender equality advocate Richard Reeves discusses challenges in social mobility, disparities in education favoring girls, gender relations across political spectrum, and the impact of declining birth rates on society. Emphasis on embracing liberalism for growth and progress.

Author and cultural critic Virginia Postrel joins the podcast to discuss conflicting visions of the future, critiques of mid-century futurism, technological pessimism, and encouraging a culture that values scientific progress. They explore the impact of counterculture movements, urban renewal, and the intersection of technology and culture, focusing on mRNA vaccines, conspiracy theories, and societal challenges.

James Pethokoukis, expert in futuristic sci-fi worlds, discusses the 'Great Downshift', exploring the slowdown in economic growth since the 1970s. He touches on creating the sci-fi world we were promised, highlighting recent tech advancements like SpaceX and AI. Pethokoukis also delves into political perspectives shaping innovation debates.

Economist and polymath Tyler Cowen discusses the revival of capitalist dynamism, potential obstacles, and the growing gap between material prosperity and human flourishing. They explore the idea of the great stagnation and the potential for accelerated change with advancements in AI. The podcast also touches on topics such as the global fertility collapse and the importance of growth in measuring wealth plus.