Politicology

Contribute to Politicology at politicology.com/donateTo unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plusIn this week’s wide-ranging Roundup, Ron Steslow and Nick Gillespie (Editor at Large at Reason) discuss why it’s essential to engage with libertarian values—especially in this moment.They talk about the current assault on due process and how immigration is central to what America is and what it means.They discuss the FTC lawsuit against Facebook, the collision between The Trump Administration and “New Right” ideas about economics.Then, they look at rising economic resentment and consider how well free-market capitalism is working right now.Finally, in Politicology+ they discuss AI, what it’s doing both for us and to us, and our relationship with what it means to be human.Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus.Send your questions and ideas to podcast@politicology.com or leave a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬Follow this week’s panel on X (formerly Twitter):https://twitter.com/RonSteslowhttps://x.com/nickgillespieRelated media:Reason: Homegrowns Are NextWSJ - Inside Mark Zuckerberg’s Failed Negotiations With the FTC to End Meta’s Antitrust Case - WSJFP - Fight Club: Execute Luigi Mangione? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Contribute to Politicology at politicology.com/donateTo unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plusThis week, Ron Steslow and Liam Donovan (Principal at Bracewell LLP) discuss the tariff rollercoaster, the “new right” economic theory driving them, and why the Trump administration cares a lot less about the stock market than in his first term.Then, we discuss why we’re engaged in full-throttle economic warfare with China.Finally, we head to Politicology+ where we discuss how the uncertainty around tariffs is impacting business and how tariffs breed cronyism. Segments this week:(07:44) The “new right”(37:42) Economic warfareNot yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus.Send your questions and thoughts to podcast@politicology.com or leave a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬Follow this week’s panel on X (formerly Twitter):https://twitter.com/RonSteslowhttps://x.com/LPDonovanRelated media:The Daily Show – Oren Cass on Trump Tariffs and “The New Conservatives” Izabella Kaminska —Making a moral case for Tariffs Hudson Institute — Stephen Miran on the Trump Admins economic agenda  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To unlock exclusive content, visit: https://politicology.com/plusSome of the most vexing political controversies, policy questions, and cultural crises of our current moment trace their orbit around the singular legal and cultural gravity of our 1st Amendment—and the radical, enlightenment wisdom enshrined in it.What has really been going across college campuses—and what’s at stake for wider society outside the confines of higher education?Is the colloquial public square, practically speaking, now privately held by a handful of tech titans?How has the idea of “free speech” become so shockingly misunderstood that one of our major political parties can persuade a large swath of the country that a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol is “legitimate political discourse?”Greg Lukianoff (President and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE)) joins host Ron Steslow to discuss FIRE’s fight to protect free speech on—and, now, off—campus.(02:15) Greg’s background and FIRE’s role in protecting the First Amendment (5:15) The Coddling of the American Mind (10:30) The state of free speech on college campuses (30:20) What’s driving the complaints on college campuses (39:55) FIRE moving off campus to create a culture of free speech (41:05) Why they decided to take on off campus speech issues(50:31) Limits to protected speech(59:10) Free speech and Big Tech(1:04:25) Creating a culture of free speechVisit FIRE’s Website: thefire.orgFollow Greg  and Ron on Twitter:https://twitter.com/glukianoffhttps://twitter.com/RonSteslow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carly Fiorina, former presidential candidate and CEO of HP, delves into the pitfalls of prioritizing short-term gains over long-term planning. She discusses the importance of shifting corporate responsibilities from just rewarding shareholders to focusing on stakeholders. The conversation highlights the cultural implications of immediate rewards and how they affect decision-making in politics and business. Fiorina urges listeners to embrace delayed gratification and advocates for responsible governance that values sustainable progress over quick fixes.

Hagar Chemali, a former spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the UN and an adjunct professor, joins the conversation to dissect recent security breaches involving sensitive military plans shared via Signal. The discussion examines how perceptions of Trump may paradoxically stabilize global affairs and explores the pervasive threat of misinformation to financial systems. They also tackle the urgent stakes of the AI race and international relations, underscoring complexities in global governance and transnational repression.

In the second part of this two-episode conversation, Stanford Professors Mehran Sahami and Jeremy Weinstein join Ron Steslow to discuss their book System Error: Where Big Tech Went Wrong and How We Can Reboot. (07:11) The modern day trolley problem(16:54) Reorienting invention toward problem solving(23:16) The other skills tech companies need(28:53) The problem of the inventor/CEO(39:57) What companies and governments can do to reshape how big tech operatesPurchase System Error: https://systemerrorbook.com/ Politicology is supported by listeners like you. Can you pitch in right now at https://politicology.com/donate?Follow Mehran and Ron on Twitter:https://twitter.com/mehran_sahamihttps://twitter.com/RonSteslow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this two-episode conversation, Stanford Professors Mehran Sahami and Jeremy Weinstein join Ron Steslow to discuss their book System Error: Where Big Tech Went Wrong and How We Can Reboot. (05:42) Why they decided to write their book(10:56) How venture capital has shaped Silicon Valley(19:04) Optimization mindset meets Democracy(37:36) Our privacy boundaries when it comes to government and private companiesPurchase System Error: https://systemerrorbook.com/ Politicology is supported by listeners like you. Can you pitch in right now at https://politicology.com/donate?Follow Mehran and Ron on Twitter:https://twitter.com/mehran_sahamihttps://twitter.com/RonSteslow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Madrid, a senior advisor at the California Latino Economic Institute and author of "The Latino Century," joins the discussion on progressive economics. He dissects the concept of 'supply-side progressivism' inspired by Ezra Klein's book, emphasizing its implications for future governance. Madrid also analyzes the Trump administration's 'detox' approach to the economy and its chaotic implications. The conversation includes urgent topics like housing affordability, bridging political gaps for marginalized communities, and the complexities of the current economic landscape.

Pat Condo (Founder and CEO of Seekr Technologies)  joins Ron Steslow to discuss the media landscape, their search tool that uses Artificial Intelligence to index websites and news stories to rate the content so readers can make better informed choices about what they read. (02:26) From navigation technology to search technology(05:46) Why he decided to create Seekr(37:50) What makes Seekr different from other search engines(44:22) The incentive structure for news organizations (51:20) How Seekr measures political lean in articles(55:20) How AI generated news stories can change the media landscape (1:02:06) Pat’s end goal in creating Seekr You should check out Seekr: https://news.seekr.com/Follow Ron on Twitter:https://twitter.com/RonSteslow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plusThis week, we’ll talk about turbulence in the stock market and the fight over the Continuing Resolution to avert a shutdownThen, we talk about a new Facebook whistleblower who detailed the lengths Meta was willing to go to to operate in China. Finally, we head to Politicology+,where we’ll preview Alex Isenstadt’s new book Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump’s Return to PowerJoining Ron Steslow on this week’s panel: Alex Isenstadt (Senior Political Reporter at Axios and Author of Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump’s Return to Power)Matt Lewis (Author of Filthy Rich Politicians and Too Dumb to Fail) Segments this week:(03:06) Market Turbulence and Continuing Resolution(25:19) Facebook Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus.Read Alex’ book Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump’s Return to Power— https://bit.ly/4kvx94gSend your questions and thoughts to podcast@politicology.com or leave a voicemail at ‪(703) 239-3068‬Follow this week’s panel on X (formerly Twitter):https://twitter.com/RonSteslowhttps://x.com/axiosalexhttps://x.com/mattklewisRelated reading:Segment 1: CNN - Stocks close out volatile day as investors say market is ‘sick and tired’ of Trump’s tariff chaos | CNN BusinessThe Hill - Treasury secretary forecasts ‘detox period’ for US economyWSJ - GOP Holdout Thomas Massie Repels Attacks From Trump—Again - WSJAxios - Trump's secret power protection plan: A $500 million war chestPolitico - EPA's Zeldin terminates $20B in Biden climate grants - POLITICOSegment 2: WP - Meta, Mark Zuckerberg considered censorship for China, whistleblower says - The Washington Post Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices