
Politicology
Politics in America is transforming. We’re embarking on a new series to deepen our understanding of who we are, how we got here, and how we rebuild without repeating the mistakes of the past. Ron Steslow hosts academics, behavioral economists, social psychologists, politicos, philosophers, anthropologists, journalists, poets, and storytellers—and more—to discuss America’s political present and future and dive into the deeper problems we face as a nation. Email us questions or comments: podcast@politicology.com.
Latest episodes

Nov 3, 2024 • 33min
ENCORE: Of Boys and Men—Part 2
Richard Reeves, author of "Of Boys and Men" and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, delves into the struggles faced by modern males. He tackles the complexities of 'toxic masculinity' and its impact on dialogue, arguing that misunderstandings stifle meaningful conversations. Reeves explores the stark disparities in advocacy and funding for issues concerning boys versus those for girls. He also discusses how negative partisanship and societal narratives exacerbate the challenges men face, urging a more balanced approach to gender dynamics.

Nov 2, 2024 • 1h 20min
Battle For The Sexes—The Weekly Roundup
In this engaging discussion, Liam Donovan, a political expert and podcast host, teams up with Alex Thompson, a national correspondent for Axios, to explore the widening gender gap in politics. They analyze the contrasting political behaviors of college-educated women versus non-college-educated men and its implications for upcoming elections. The conversation shifts to the changing dynamics following President Biden's withdrawal from the race, with insights into how this affects the political landscape and crypto’s prominence in campaign discourse.

Oct 30, 2024 • 35min
ENCORE: Of Boys and Men—Part 1
Richard Reeves, author of "Of Boys and Men" and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, joins to discuss the pressing challenges boys and men face today. He dives into the gendered education gap and the impact of economic shifts on male empowerment. Reeves highlights alarming male depression rates and underreported suicide statistics, advocating for a structural, rather than individual, understanding of these issues. He calls for a balanced discourse on gender that addresses male struggles amid broader societal changes.

Oct 25, 2024 • 1h 12min
The Podcast Election—The Weekly Roundup
Zack Czajkowski is a former political director at the Lincoln Project, and James Lynch has worked with high-profile political campaigns. They discuss Donald Trump's unique photo op at McDonald's, aiming to connect with working-class voters, and how it contrasts with Kamala Harris's strategies. The conversation shifts to the new 'podcast election' phenomenon, highlighting how platforms like podcasts influence political communication and engage younger audiences, transforming how candidates shape their public image.

Oct 23, 2024 • 34min
"Everything Feels Very Topsy-Turvy" with Mike Madrid
Mike Madrid, a seasoned political strategist, sheds light on the tumultuous current political climate. He discusses warning signs for Kamala Harris in Nevada and the potential collapse of the Blue Wall. Mike highlights the critical role of Latino voters and how immigration is reshaping election dynamics. He also reflects on the global trend of anti-incumbent sentiment and critiques the disconnect between political narratives and the economic realities for working-class Americans. A fascinating look into the evolving power struggle!

Oct 19, 2024 • 30min
TAPPED: Israel’s Bin Laden
For the full and ad-free version of this episode, subscribe to Politicology+ at https://politicology.com/plusIn this conversation, Marc Polymeropoulos, a former CIA officer, discusses the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar—the mastermind of the October 7 massacre.He explains the potential shifts in Hamas’s leadership structure, future negotiations for hostages being held by the terrorist group, what it could mean for Hamas’s coordination with Hezbollah, and the broader impact on the Middle EastFollow Ron and Marc on X (formerly Twitter):https://twitter.com/RonSteslowhttps://x.com/MpolymerEmail your questions to podcast@politicology.com or leave us a voicemail at (202) 455-4558 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 19, 2024 • 1h 14min
For God and Country—The Weekly Roundup
To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plusThis week, we discuss the evangelical preacher—Lance Wallnau—who’s blending tent revivals with political mobilization to help elect Donald Trump. Then, we’ll talk about the “Uncommitted” movement in Michigan, how it could impact the race, and Jill Stein openly embracing being a spoiler for Trump.Later, we look at Vice President Harris’s push to appeal to men—especially Black men—and why Democrats should have a policy plan for men’s issues.Finally, we head to Politicology+ where we dive into the recent controversies surrounding CBS News, particularly focusing on the reprimand of morning news anchor Tony Dokoupil and the 60 Minutes edit of their interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. Joining Ron Steslow on this week’s panel: Matt Bennett (Founder & Executive Vice President for Public Affairs at Third Way)Andy Kroll (Investigative Reporter at ProPublica)Matthew Taylor (author of the new book The Violent Take it By Force: The Christian Movement That is Threatening Our Democracy)Segments this week:(04:23) Lance Wallnau(27:25) “Uncommitted” in Michigan(40:00) An Appeal to MenNot 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) 455-4558Read The Violent Take It By Force: The Christian Movement That Is Threatening Our Democracy— https://bit.ly/3YeTCIeFollow this week’s panel on X (formerly Twitter):https://twitter.com/RonSteslowhttps://x.com/ThirdWayMattBhttps://x.com/AndyKrollhttps://x.com/TaylorMatthewDRelated reading:Segment 1: WSJ - The Evangelicals Calling for ‘Spiritual Warfare’ to Elect Trump - WSJNPR - Pro-Trump Christian nationalists are on tour to recruit election workersBaptistNews - Thousands pray, worship and talk politics at ‘Million Women’ event – Baptist News GlobalSegment 2: WDET - Michigan Muslim voters say they feel misunderstood by Republicans and Democrats - WDET 101.9 FMWP - Democrats attack Green Party’s Jill Stein amid spoiler fears - The Washington PostSegment 3: NYT - As Black Voters Hesitate on Harris, Democrats Race to Win Them Over - The New York TimesAP news - Harris announces a new plan to empower Black men as she tries to energize them to vote for herNYT - Black Voters Drift From Democrats, Imperiling Harris’s Bid, Poll Shows - The New York TimesPolitico - Opinion | Democrats’ Problem With Male Voters Isn’t Complicated Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 16, 2024 • 36min
ENCORE: The Lie Detectives — Part 2
For the full and ad-free version of this episode, subscribe to Politicology+ at https://politicology.com/plusHow do you win campaigns in a world awash with lies? And why do candidates and campaigns struggle to “use their normal brains” when those lies happen to start online? In the second episode of this two-part conversation, join host Ron Steslow, Mike Madrid, and Sasha Issemberg to discuss the way Democratic political campaigns are adjusting to the challenges of the new information landscape, as Sasha’s reveals in his new book The Lie Detectives: In Search of a Playbook for Winning Elections in the Disinformation Age.In part 2:(01:53) What strategists learned about combating disinformation from foreign campaigns (06:30) How a Brazilian candidate turned a lie about him into a branding opportunity (17:50)How the Supreme Court in Brazil tried to fight disinformation (30:00) Who gets to decide what’s a lie online? (38:17) The use of AI in campaigns and disinformationRead The Lie Detectives: https://www.sashaissenberg.com/the-lie-detectivesRead The Victory Lab: https://www.sashaissenberg.com/the-victory-labFollow Ron, Sasha, and Mike on X (formerly Twitter):https://twitter.com/RonSteslowhttps://twitter.com/sissenberghttps://twitter.com/madrid_mikeEmail your questions to podcast@politicology.com or leave us a voicemail at (202) 455-4558 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 16, 2024 • 34min
ENCORE: The Lie Detectives — Part 1
For the full and ad-free version of this episode, subscribe to Politicology+ at https://politicology.com/plusHow do you win campaigns in a world awash with lies? And why do candidates and campaigns struggle to “use their normal brains” when those lies happen start online? In this two-part conversation, join host Ron Steslow, Mike Madrid, and Sasha Issemberg to discuss the way Democratic political campaigns are adjusting to the challenges of the new information landscape, as Sasha’s reveals in his new book The Lie Detectives: In Search of a Playbook for Winning Elections in the Disinformation Age.In part 1:(02:01) Why Sasha wrote The Lie Detectives(03:33) The evolution of campaign tactics in the early 2000s(04:43) The focus on “disinformation” after the 2016 election (7:10) The Trump campaign’s strategy to depress turnout in 2016, and the difference between “suppression” and “depression.”(10:36) Strategies for discouraging turnout in 2020 (14:30) How campaigns should decide what wrong information to respond to online(20:31) The generational shift in campaign decision makers(30:18) The shift to calling opponents “liars”Read The Lie Detectives: https://www.sashaissenberg.com/the-lie-detectivesRead The Victory Lab: https://www.sashaissenberg.com/the-victory-labFollow Ron, Sasha, and Mike on X (formerly Twitter):https://twitter.com/RonSteslowhttps://twitter.com/sissenberghttps://twitter.com/madrid_mikeEmail your questions to podcast@politicology.com or leave us a voicemail at (202) 455-4558 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 11, 2024 • 1h 6min
“Electoral Process Porn” —The Weekly Roundup
To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plusThis week, we discuss election integrity, how our elections are more secure than they’ve ever been, and the opportunities bad actors are going to use to cast doubt on the election.Then, we’ll discuss Vice President Harris’s “media blitz” and who she’s trying to reach.Finally, we head to Politicology+ where we talk about the U.S. government using its power to take out banks when it doesn’t like their customers—and shed some light on why crypto created the biggest Super PAC in the 2024 campaign.Joining Ron Steslow on this week’s panel: David Becker (CBS News’ election law expert; Executive Director of The Center for Election Innovation and Research)Lucy Caldwell (Board Advisor to the Renew Democracy Initiative and advisor to the Forward Party)Susan Del Percio (MSNBC political analyst and crisis communications expert) Segments this week:(03:27) Election Integrity (26:41) Harris’s media blitzNot 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/beckerdavidjhttps://x.com/lucymcaldwellhttps://x.com/DelPercioSRelated reading:Segment 1: WP - On private call, Arizona’s top Democrats debated a ‘dire’ ballot dilemma - The Washington PostNPR - Arizona's high court rules that thousands can vote a full ballot after records flawCNN - Republicans are suing more election officials over voter rolls in several battleground states | CNN PoliticsPBS - GBH’s New Special DEADLOCK Encourages Civil Discourse about Ethical DilemmasSegment 2: ABC News -In media blitz, Harris broadens reach but struggles to differentiate herself from Biden - ABC NewsWP - How Kamala Harris’s media blitz went - The Washington PostAxios - Harris: "Not a thing" she'd have done differently than BidenAxios - Behind the Curtain: America's shocking agreementNYT -Poll Finds Harris Rising as She Challenges Trump on Change - The New York Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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