Politicology

Molly McKew (Lead author of GreatPower.US) joins Ron Steslow to answer a listener's question about how the current war in Ukraine differs from Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008 and the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and why support for Ukraine is greater now than it was then. (01:12) Keith’s question (09:40) Russia’s invasion of Georgia (12:00) How unprepared the U.S. was to respond (15:14) Russia’s invasion of the Crimean peninsula (37:00) Why there was so little resistance to Russia’s annexation of Crimea(43:14) How our domestic politics shaped the lackluster response to Russia’s aggression. (47:51) What makes this invasion of Ukraine different?  You should check out Great Power: https://www.greatpower.us/Follow Ron and Molly on Twitter:https://twitter.com/RonSteslowhttps://twitter.com/MollyMcKew Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Frank Sadler (Chief of Staff to Carly Fiorina), Nina Verghese (senior director and head of campaigns and advocacy at APCO Worldwide), and Scott Tranter (Investor and Advisor to Decision Desk HQ) continue their conversation with Ron Steslow about the 2024 Republican Primary and Tim Scott’s campaign announcement.Get more episodes like this by joining our Politicology+ community. Visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts.Note: due to technical issues, we were unable to remove the background noise on this week’s episode. It’s not up to our usual standards and we’re working to ensure it doesn't happen again. (00:37) Tim Scott’s campaign launch. Watch his ad: https://bit.ly/3MUU1vc(06:18) Tim Scott’s plan to appeal to evangelical voters(08:37) The significance of Tim Scott’s $22 million war chest (15:10) Kellyanne Conway advising Miami Mayor Francis Suarez as he mulls a presidential campaign (19:30) Mike Pence’ plan to return Republicans to their pre-Trump party(23:40) Is there a constituency for Asa Hutchinson and Chris Sununu Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts.Follow this week’s panel on Twitter:https://twitter.com/RonSteslowhttps://twitter.com/nverghesehttps://twitter.com/stranter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Crack the code of the 2024 Republican primary race with the intellectual firepower of four seasoned strategists with 80+ combined years working and running Republican campaigns.This week, Frank Sadler (Chief of Staff to Carly Fiorina), Nina Verghese (Senior Director and Head of Campaigns and Advocacy at APCO Worldwide), and Scott Tranter (Investor and Advisor to Decision Desk HQ) join host Ron Steslow to discuss Ron DeSantis’s campaign announcement and the rest of the 2024 Republican Primary.Note: due to technical issues, we were unable to remove the background noise on this week’s episode. It’s not up to our usual standards and we’re working to ensure it doesn't happen again. (02:40) Ron DeSantis’s campaign launch (07:20) DeSantis hitting his messaging points and leaning into his covid messaging (13:37) The significance of Elon Musk and David Sacks in the launch (18:30) The impact that DeSantis’s ground game spending could have on early primaries (31:37) Trump’s growing lead over DeSantis(35:00) Nikki Haley tries to brand DeSantis as Trump without the charmWatch her ad here: https://bit.ly/45xAnfP(38:14) Haley’s upcoming CNN town hall Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts.Follow this week’s panel on Twitter:https://twitter.com/RonSteslowhttps://twitter.com/nverghesehttps://twitter.com/stranter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TikTok's potential risk to US national security is raising tough questions about how to address the challenge—legally. With 150 million Americans' personal data possibly falling into the hands of the Chinese Communist Party and fears of election interference via a foreign-controlled algorithm, TikTok finds itself in the harsh glare of the U.S. government's scrutiny. Broad bipartisan support favors aggressive action to ban the platform, but is such action even constitutional?Join Joe Cohn, Director of Legislative and Policy at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, and Hagar Chemali, former spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the UN. Together with host Ron Steslow, they dissect the potential impact of the RESTRICT Act that could not only ban TikTok but delegate sweeping power to the executive branch to go even further.Tune in to explore the delicate balance between national security and preserving free speech rights.(03:10) The tensions between national security and the First Amendment(10:39) How Edward Snowden’s leak shows this tension (16:05) The national security risks that TikTok presents (20:52) What is the status quo for determining if national security concerns can trump free speech rights?(23:57 ) What the RESTRICT Act is and what it does (26:23) First Amendment concerns about the RESTRICT Act as it’s currently written (32:03) How this legislation relates to speech codes (43:43) Changes that legislators could make to the RESTRICT Act to better protect free speech (1:05:40) The new Montana Law banning TikTok (1:07:00) How China might respond if the RESTRICT Act passesCheck out Oh My World! with Hagar Chemali on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ohmyworldwithhagarchemaliFollow Ron, Joe, and Hagar on Twitter:https://twitter.com/RonSteslowhttps://twitter.com/JoeatFIREhttps://twitter.com/HagarChemali Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lanae Erickson (Senior Vice President for the Social Policy & Politics Program at Third Way), Al Cardenas (former advisor to Presidents Regan and George H.W. Bush), and Andy Kroll (Investigative Reporter at ProPublica) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape:(02:22) Sam Altman at the Senate hearing on Artificial Intelligence(26:00) The Durham Report on the origins of the FBI’s investigation into Donald Trump (37:37) The APA’s warning about the harms of social media use for teenagers and record high rates of depression [Politicology+ Preview] President Biden’s politically-savvy push to bridge the degree gap for non-college educated workers. Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts.Follow this week’s panel on Twitter:https://twitter.com/RonSteslowhttps://twitter.com/LanaeEricksonhttps://twitter.com/AlCardenasFL_DChttps://twitter.com/AndyKrollWhat we read: Segment 1: Senate AI hearing NYT—Sam Altman, ChatGPT Creator and OpenAI CEO, Urges Senate for AI Regulation - The New York TimesPolitico—AI hearing leaves Washington with 3 big questions - POLITICOCNBC—Here's what happened during OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's first congressional hearing on artificial intelligenceWP—​​AI chatbots won’t enjoy tech’s legal shield, Section 230 authors say - The Washington PostSegment 2: The Durham ReportPolitico—Takeaways from the Durham report on the Trump-Russia probe - POLITICOCNN—Special counsel John Durham concludes FBI never should have launched full Trump-Russia probeWP—Durham report sharply criticizes FBI's 2016 Trump campaign probeNYT—Durham Report Finds Fault With FBI Over Trump-Russia Investigation - The New York TimesSegment 3: Teens and Social MediaGallup—U.S. Depression Rates Reach New HighsNPR—Major psychologists' group warns of social media's potential harm to kids Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Claire Wardle (co-founder and co-director of the Information Futures Lab, and Professor of the Practice at the Brown School of Public Health) joins Ron Steslow to discuss the challenges( and failures) in improving our information landscape(02:12) Claire’s background and how it led to her research(05:52) Why terms like “misinformation,” “disinformation,” and “malinformation” have become less and less useful (08:45) How the real world doesn’t fit the framework of “misinformation” and “disinformation”(10:50) Why we share stories online and how that shapes the information environment(21:40) The problems that arise from research silos(25:13) How platforms can include users in content moderation decisions (37:07) What role do troll farms actually play in information pollution?(39:44) How the focus on foreign actors stops researchers, academics, and government officials from reflecting sincerely on their failures(44:00) Why we share stories online and how that shapes the information environment(50:28) Improving community-led resistance (55:53) How viewing social media users as a product shapes content moderation decisions (1:01:30) How AI could impact the information landscape…Watch Operation InfeKtion from the New York Times: https://bit.ly/3IjJUxoRead Claire’s piece “Misunderstanding Misinformation”: https://bit.ly/3IlSFa1Watch the video op-ed where the NYT turned Claire into Adele: https://bit.ly/3MzvNq5Follow Ron and Claire on Twitter:https://twitter.com/RonSteslowhttps://twitter.com/cward1e Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Madrid (Lincoln Project cofounder), Lucy Caldwell (Walsh 2020 Campaign Manager) and Romina Boccia (Director of Budget and Entitlement Policy at the Cato Institute) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape:(02:05) The negotiations for raising the debt ceiling and cutting spending (34:30) The end of Title 42 and the surge in migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border[Politicology+ Preview] The rise of white nationalist HispanicsPoliticology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts.Follow this week’s panel on Twitter:https://twitter.com/RonSteslowhttps://twitter.com/madrid_mikehttps://twitter.com/lucymcaldwellhttps://twitter.com/RominaBocciaWhat we read: Segment 1: Debt Ceiling negotiationsNYT—Biden and McCarthy Reach No Consensus on Debt Ceiling as Possible Default Looms - The New York TimesCNN—Biden to meet with congressional leadership again on Friday as threat of national debt default looms | CNN PoliticsWP—White House leaves door open to deal that resolves debt ceiling crisis - The Washington PostCNN—43 Senate Republicans vow to oppose debt ceiling increase without spending cuts | CNN PoliticsNYT—What’s in the House GOP Debt Limit Bill - The New York TimesNYT—What Would the G.O.P. Plan Actually Do to the Budget? - The New York TimesCato—The GOP’s Modest Debt Limit Proposal | Cato at Liberty BlogCato—Designing a BRAC-Like Fiscal Commission To Stabilize the Debt | Cato at Liberty BlogSegment 2: End of Title 42NBCNews—Biden admin to allow for the release of some migrants into the U.S. with no way to track themPew—Hispanics’ views on key issues facing the nation | Pew Research CenterNYT—U.S. Is Said to Consider Reinstating Detention of Migrant Families - The New York TimesReuters—US family immigration detention won't restart 'at this time,' official says | Reuters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donna Redel (former Managing Director of the World Economic Forum) joins Ron Steslow to put the biggest financial stories in the news into context(02:00) What would it mean to hit the debt limit?(03:21) What a U.S. default would mean for individuals(04:30) The role of trust in the monetary system(07:00) How does the Fed control money supply(12:50) Why the size of U.S. debt matters(14:50) How Bitcoin is different from other crypto currencies(20:17) How a new dominant currency would impact the U.S. economy(23:23) The difference between our current currency and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs)(27:00) The risks of CBDCsFollow Ron and Donna on Twitter:https://twitter.com/RonSteslowhttps://twitter.com/DonnaRedel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Madrid (Lincoln Project cofounder) and Jon Ward (Chief National Correspondent at Yahoo News) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape:(02:00) Artificial Intelligence shaking up our political landscape(34:43) J.P. Morgan’s purchase of First republic bank after it collapsed [Politicology+ Preview] President Biden’s “Freedom” messaging in his reelection campaign and his move to send troops to the border in anticipation of a major influx of migrants next weekPoliticology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts.You should read Jon’s book Testimony: https://www.jonwardwrites.org/Follow this week’s panel on Twitter:https://twitter.com/RonSteslowhttps://twitter.com/madrid_mikehttps://twitter.com/jonward11 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part 2, recorded 9 months after Part 1, Ron Steslow and Robert Chapman (Candidate for President of Zimbabwe) look at how the landscape has changed since they first talked, Robert’s goals for rebuilding the economy and infrastructure in Zimbabwe, why this is in America’s interest, the growing Chinese influence in Africa, the fight for democracy and the challenges his campaign has faced, and his plan to win.(01:40) The security challenges of Robert’s campaign (07:00) Why Robert is running for president of Zimbabwe(14:10) The challenge of economic development (22:10) The state of the campaign (24:52) Corruption and election interference in Zimbabwe (41:00)The Al Jazeera investigation into Corruption in gold mining (53:00) Building critical infrastructure over empty promises(59:39) The importance of stabilizing the currency(1:05:00) The influence of BRICS countries in Zimbabwe Learn more about Robert’s campaign: https://duz.org.zw/Follow Ron and Robert on Twitter:https://twitter.com/RonSteslowhttps://twitter.com/DrivenChapman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices