Matters of Policy & Politics Podcast
1) California Update: Pippa Can’t Win . . . Gavin Can’t Lose?
The big political news in California: its state legislature is agreeing to a Nov. 4 special election to decide whether to temporarily return congressional redistricting to lawmakers.
2) All Roads Lead to . . .? Barry Strauss on Jews vs. Rome, the Fate of Empires and Republics
Three times in ancient history, the Jewish people revolted against the Roman Empire – the end result being genocide, enslavement, exile, and religious oppression.
3) Like Father, Like Son? Joseph Torigian on Chinese Governance, Xi Jinping’s Paternal Influence
Examining the origins of Xi Jinping’s thought and ruling style.
4) California Update: He Can Run (For President), But Can He Hide (From His Record)? | Gavin Newsom
Unpack Gov. Gavin Newsom’s South Carolina visit, his redistricting process to add more Democratic seats in Congress, and how California’s unresolved crises — from homelessness to high-speed rail — cou...Show More
5) Pollsters’ Perspectives: Did 2024 Realign US Politics ... Beyond the Age of Trump? | Revitalizing American Institutions | Hoover Institution
While last year’s US presidential election didn’t lack for historical quirks – an incumbent president dropping out of the race soon before his party’s convention; for only the second time, a former pr...Show More
6) Trump Tariff Outcomes: Is the “Less-Worse” Case a Best-Case Scenario?
What’s the most likely outcome for President Trump’s tariff strategy – trading partners capitulating, America’s economy and exceptionalism crumbling, or something in the middle?
7) California Update: (Misguided) Plans, Trains, and Automobiles
What do an electric-vehicle mandate, a structural budget deficit, and chronic homelessness and affordable housing woes have in common? The answer: they are policy headaches likely awaiting California’...Show More
8) California Update: The World’s 4th-Largest Economy – and the Home of “Shaq State”?
California’s new global standing, the impact of looming Trump tariffs, the reemergence of former vice president Kamala Harris as she ponders whether to run for governor in 2026, and basketball legend ...Show More
9) Tariff-ic Or Tariff-ied? What Polling Says About Trump 2.0
What do the polls indicate about President Trump’s first 100 days in office?
10) Obamacare’s 15th Anniversary, Federal Healthcare Reform, and California’s Medi-Cal Woes
How has the ACA managed to survive despite power shifts in Washington, what areas of healthcare should Congress address in 2025, and why can’t California cover the cost of its Medi-Cal program.