Neon Liberalism

Samantha Hancox-Li and Ben Wittes, editor in chief of Lawfare, discuss how we went from the triumph of the fall of the Berlin Wall to our current world: more war, more conflict, and no end in sight. How did structural factors combined with strategic choices lead to a world where peace has broken down and major power war has returned? Spoiler: it starts in Iraq.

Samantha Hancox-Li talks with Mike Sacks of Court Accountability about the state of the American Constitution, the role of John Roberts and the Supreme Court in putting a pleasant mask on MAGA, and how we need to think about court reform in the future.

In this episode of Neon Liberalism, Samantha Hancox-Li argues that Donald Trump's "raids" on Iran and Venezuela reflect structural factors that are driving us towards a more chaotic and lawless world in which "neither peace nor war" becomes increasingly common.

Samantha and guest Keira Havens talk Thomas Massie's recent attempt to impeach Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. They discuss the mechanics and politics of impeachment, the role of accountability, and what it means to regain a sense of ourselves as constitutional actors.

In this podcast, host Samantha Hancox-Li and guest Greg Sargent, staff writer for The New Republic and host of the Daily Blast podcast, discuss Trump's cratering poll numbers—worse than Bush's after Katrina—and what that means for the country, including how elites got hoodwinked by the vibe shift, why MAGA isn't working, and whether a major realignment is coming.

Kathryn Anne Edwards, a labor economist focused on inequality and economic security, explores what makes an economy feel secure. They discuss universal benefits, childcare, parenthood, housing costs, immigration, labor-force participation, and growth. The conversation examines how housing and wealth inequality reinforce each other, why unemployment insurance should support relocation, and how investing in children can prevent inequality before it begins.

Secretary of Defense Rock, a pseudonymous commentator on national security and special operations, joins to map Taylor Sheridan’s media influence onto real‑world policy. They discuss Sicario’s murky counterdrug logic, how operator culture leaches into politics and policing, Sheridan’s fever‑dream geopolitics, and the special‑forces industrial complex shaping covert actions.

Josh Chafetz, Georgetown law professor who studies constitutional law and executive-legislative relations. He traces how a key Supreme Court ruling hollowed congressional checks and how norms and appropriations temporarily filled the gap. He discusses why those gaps mattered under Trump, examples where checks would have changed outcomes, and ideas for strengthening congressional power.

Samantha is joined by Sonja Trauss, president and founder of YIMBY Law, to discuss the state of the housing movement. They discuss the tension between articulating a radical liberal idealism, one which embraces change and dynamism, and meeting people where they are, which so often involves compromise and kludges. The most effective YIMBY reforms, Trauss argues, still fall somewhere in the middle.

A historical look at how international competition has shaped societies from ancient mass graves to Meiji modernization. Stories range from archaeology and militarism to Cold War kitchen competitions and nuclear deterrence. The conversation argues openness, institutional adaptability, and learning from rivals are smarter long-term strategies than xenophobia.