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The Politics Guys is an independent, bipartisan, ideologically diverse American politics and policy podcast hosted by experts: political scientists, law professors, practicing attorneys, and former government officials. Our mission is to give listeners a much-needed break from conservative and liberal echo chambers through civil, rational, and evidence-based discussion of American politics and policy from multiple perspectives. In addition to our weekly news discussion, we feature regular in ...
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Mike and Justin open with a discussion of the wild pace of events since Donald Trump’s inauguration. They give Trump credit for shaking things up (for better or worse) but think that “move fast and break things” might not get even Trump supporters the results they ultimately want. Justin thinks Trump did a poor job as “national comforter” following…
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Mike talks about the Zero To Travel Podcast. Whether you are a seasoned traveler or more of the armchair variety, we hope you’ll enjoy checking out this excellent show.由The Politics Guys
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Mike and Trey open the preview of this midweek supporters’ episode with a look at the many executive actions President Trump has taken on DEI-related issues. Trey points out the bad biology in the order recognizing only two sexes at conception. Mike is somewhat receptive to the idea of ending preferences based on race, gender, or ethnicity, but fee…
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Mike talks with Kurt Gray, a Professor in Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he directs the Deepest Beliefs Lab and the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding. They talk about his recently released book, Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground. Topics…
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Mike and Trey open with their thoughts on Donald Trump’s inauguration and inaugural address. Trey considers Trump’s rhetoric, while Mike points out the typical Trumpian exaggerations and compares the speech to Trump’s 2017 “American Carnage” address. Then they turn to pardons. Mike is sympathetic to President Biden’s use of preemptive pardons for h…
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In the preview of this midweek supporters’ episode, Justin and Jay weigh in on several big tech cases in front of the Supreme Court. First, the 9-0 ruling on the TikTok ban, and whether there will be some resolution from the Trump administration. Next, they discuss the Texas adult website age verification case that was heard this week, a conversati…
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Jay and Justin open with a discussion of the political and practical challenges surrounding the LA fires, including the role of climate change, disaster preparedness, environmental regulation, and political blame games. Then they turn to Trump nominee confirmation hearings, focusing on Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, and RFK Jr. Politics Guys on Faceb…
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Mike talks with Justin Talbot Zorn, who has served as Legislative Director to three Members of Congress and is a Senior Adviser to the Center for Economic and Policy Research. In his policy and communications work, Justin specializes in climate, innovation, manufacturing, and economic competitiveness. In this conversation, Mike and Justin focus on …
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Trey and Ken continue their journey through the U.S. Constitution by examining the long-dormant history of the 15th AMendment, the history of the goals of the 15th Amendment, and the modern jurisprudence on the 15th Amendment and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible.…
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Trey and Ken open their first episode of 2025 discussing Trump’s felony conviction. Next, they consider Trump’s comments on international foreign policy, specifically his aggressive stance on Canada, Greenland, and Panama. They finish the show by discussing special council Jack Smith’s report release and its court rulings thus far. The Politics Guy…
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Mike and Jay open this midweek supporters’ episode with a discussion of the potential threat posed by Chinese technology to US national security. Between issues with market-leading TP-Link routers and the TikTok ban scheduled to go into effect later this month, how worried should we be about China’s ability to use technology against us? Next, they …
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Mike and Jay open the first episode of 2025 with a discussion of the recent terror attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas, followed by a look at the upcoming vote for Speaker of the House. Next, they consider the life and legacy of President Jimmy Carter, looking at the awful situation Carter inherited from Ford, the thumping Carter took in losing to…
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Mike talks with Jeremy Young, PEN America’s Freedom to Learn program director, about the recently released report, America’s Censored Classrooms, 2024. Topics Mike & Jeremy Discuss Include: - how big of a problem educational censorship is - where it’s happening - the deviousness of ‘stealth censorship’ - institutional neutrality and viewpoint diver…
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Jay and Justin discuss the Democratic strategy as an opposition party. Will Democrats do better to oppose everything, or to attempt bipartisanship to blunt the edges of Trump's policy? They wrap up with a discussion of the ethics and optics of Biden's proposed commutation of some (or all) federal death sentences. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X L…
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Jay and Justin cover the freshly minted debt ceiling deal and the implications for the strategies for both parties headed into the new year. They then discuss Trump's lawsuits and threatened lawsuits against ABC, the Des Moines Register, and Lynne Cheney, and whether these are undemocratic chilling of the fourth estate or a means of holding them to…
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Mike and Jay open the preview of this midweek supporters’ episode by considering everything Donald Trump has promised to do on his first day in office. It’s a huge list, and they get into the probable, possible, and unconstitutional. Then they look back at their predictions for 2024 and make new and improved predictions for what they expect in 2025…
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Mike and Jay open with a discussion of the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. While they agree that Luigi Mangione’s actions were absolutely wrong, Mike makes the case for a more nuanced understanding of both Mangione and the people in charge at health insurance companies like United Healthcare. This leads to a broader discussion of Am…
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Trey and Ken discuss the implications of the 14th Amendment's state action doctrine. The 14th Amendment cannot be enforced against private individuals or relationships. But what happens when state action and private action intermingle? As a special, this normally supporter-exclusive show is available to everyone free of charge! Learn more about you…
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Trey and Ken start with a look at the Hunter Biden pardon. Trey forcefully argues that it didn’t have to be a terrible move for President Biden. Still, because it involves lying and taking unnecessary shots at the Justice Department, it is wrong and bad for the Democratic Party. Ken argues that the pardon was not only necessary but justified. In Ke…
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This weekend's episode will be delayed due to technical issues. Trey and Ken recorded on Friday evening, and while they made it through just fine, Trey's microphone didn't. They'll be re-recording on Sunday and we'll have the weekend episode up for you by Sunday evening. Our apologies for the delay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone…
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Mike and May open the preview of this midweek supporters’ episode with a discussion of the gender gap in American politics. Mike thinks that part of the reason for it is that Democratic candidates do a poor job of projecting strength and aren’t offering much to young males. May believes the issue is more policy than vibes, with Mike wondering if he…
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Mike and May open with a look at where the many legal cases against Donald Trump stand as Inauguration Day approaches. They agree that there won’t be any further action on them until Trump is out of office again, with May believing there’s much more of a chance of future Democratic administrations reopening them than Mike does. Next is a discussion…
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Trey talks with Jim Wallis, author of the new book The False White Gospel: Rejecting Christian Nationalism, Reclaiming True Faith, and Refounding Democracy. Topics Trey and Jim discuss include: - the origins of white and black Churches - how evangelicalism has become home to white nationalism - the deeper meaning of the good samaritan - true faith …
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Mike and Jay open the preview of this midweek supporters’ episode with a discussion of transgender awareness in the wake of the recent International Transgender Day of Remembrance. They get into whether Capitol bathrooms should be open to Delaware Democratic Representative Sarah McBride – the first openly trans person to serve in Congress – as well…
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Mike and Jay open with a discussion of President-Elect Trump’s nominations to this point. Mike isn’t surprised by the picks overall, as they’re about what one would expect from Donald Trump given his belief that establishment insider picks in his first term were a major impediment to his administration. Jay believes that new AG nominee Pam Bondi wi…
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Mike welcomes back Heather Cox Richardson, a professor of history at Boston College and author of the “Letters from an American” Substack. Professor Richardson is also the author of Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America, which has recently come out in paperback. Topics Mike & Heather discuss include: - why the elections went so well fo…
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