America's Democrats

Sandra Hanson on the American Dream … Mike Konczal on the fallacy of voluntarism …and Bill Press with his guest, Congressman Mark Pocan.

How has the shrinking of the middle class changed the American Dream? Professor Sandra Hanson says the dream is now more spiritual than material. Economic analyst Mike Konczal points out that when conservatives say we should go back to before the New Deal when private sector charity took care of the poor … they are misinformed. It was never that way. And Bill Press talks about House Republicans and LGBT issues with Representative Mark Pocan.

Catholic University Professor Sandra Hanson has been looking into the American Dream, and as we approach the annual celebration of American independence, she says we need that dream even more when times are tough.

http://www.temple.edu/tempress/titles/2112_reg.html

When Republicans talk about the good old days when voluntary organizations, like churches and charities, took care of the poor, they are fantasizing a society that never existed. Roosevelt Institute research fellow Mike Konczal explains the fallacy of voluntarism.

http://rooseveltinstitute.org/people/fellows/mike-konczal

Bill Press and his guest, Congressman Mark Pocan discuss House Republicans and LGBT issues.

The militarization of "Officer Friendly".

Cashin on  replacing affirmative action … Hibbing on the genetic basis of politics … and Bill Press with his guest, Kentucky Congressman John Yarmuth.

A new college class has graduated, and succeeding ones may have a different racial composition. Law professor Sheryll Cashin says if affirmative action is out, then use a college applicant’s social status to determine admissions. If a conservative stopped listening to Fox News, would she change her views? No, says political scientist John Hibbing, who contends our politics are knitted into our DNA. And Bill Press talks with Congressman John Yarmuth of Kentucky.

Sheryll Cashin is an African-American law professor at Georgetown University. She makes the case in a new book that it is “place, not race” that should be used in determining college admissions.

Professor John Hibbing has studied politics and people’s brains. He says people can sometimes change their views based on evidence, but mostly we voters are responding, in part, to genetics – how we are programmed to see the world.

http://polisci.unl.edu/dr-john-hibbing

Bill Press and his guest, Kentucky Congressman John Yarmuth.  

http://yarmuth.house.gov/

The NRA ducks a shot of common sense.

Peter Galbraith on Obama’s foreign policy; Jan Leighley on why rich people vote. And Bill Press interviews Senator Bernie Sanders..

President Obama is back from Europe, and former ambassador James Galbraith says he has had a successful foreign policy. Political science professor Jan Leighly explains why the rich vote in greater numbers than the poor, and what they vote for. And Bill Press talks with Senator Bernie Sanders on his new veterans affairs legislation.

Diplomat Peter Galbraith says President Obama’s foreign policy has been successful … and that if Hillary Clinton becomes president, she will enter office with more foreign policy experience than anyone in American history.

Voting expert Jan Leighley has a warning for Democrats – it isn’t the rhetoric that will matter in defeating Republicans – it is the organizational efforts and door-to-door campaigning.

http://www.american.edu/spa/faculty/leighley.cfm

Bill Press and his guest, Senator Bernie Sanders, who has introduced legislation to reform the veterans affairs department.

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/

A bold shift in America's minimum wage debate.

Economist James K. Galbraith talks about trade policy … researcher Tom Malleson talks about the remarkable new book by Thomas Piketty … and Harvard’s Theda Skocpol warns that the Tea Party is not dead.

Progressive economist James K. Galbraith offers his thoughts on the crisis in Ukraine and on how U.S. trade policy is a concession to corporate interests. Social scientist Tom Malleson talks about the groundbreaking work of Thomas Piketty and calls for economic democracy in the United States. And despite some recent primary setbacks by Tea Party candidates, Harvard professor Theda Skocpol says they aren’t dead yet!

Economist James K. Galbraith is optimistic that there will be no great effects on the world economy from the flare-up in Ukraine, and he has some strong thoughts about U.S. trade policy.

http://utip.gov.utexas.edu/JG/

Tom Malleson is a research fellow at York University in Canada and he says the growing income inequality documented by French economist Thomas Piketty could be eased by a strong dose of economic democracy.

http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/9780199330102.do

Despite some setbacks for the Tea Party in recent Republican primaries, Harvard political scientist Theda Skocpol  warns that the extremists will remain a huge influence on the GOP, and that, she says, is bad for America.

http://www.gov.harvard.edu/people/faculty/theda-skocpol

Moral Monday on the move.

A holiday treatise on the Declaration of Independence by Princeton Professor Danielle Allen … regular commentator Fred Rotondaro’s assessment of Hillary Clinton’s prospects … and Bill Press talks with the Nation’s Zoe Carpenter.

As the nation celebrates Memorial Day, Princeton Professor Danielle Allen examines the power of words in the Declaration of Independence to bring us liberty AND equality. Hillary Clinton. Will she or won’t she? Regular commentator Fred Rotondaro says the Democratic nomination is NOT hers for the asking, but it would be a big surprise if she doesn’t get it. And Bill Press talks with the Nation’s Zoe Carpenter about immigration reform and Republican politics.

Political science professor and MacArthur genius Danielle Allen has written a book about the Declaration of Independence, and she says its powerful words about liberty AND equality are an example of how we, as individuals, can use words to achieve our political ends.

https://www.ias.edu/people/faculty-and-emeriti/allen

Fred Rotondaro of the Center for American Progress, assesses domestic politics, including Hillary Clinton’s chances of winning the Democratic presidential nomination.

http://www.americanprogress.org

Bill Press talks with the Nation’s Zoe Carpenter about immigration reform and Republican politics.

http://www.thenation.com/authors/zoe-carpenter

America's ongoing rebellion for fairness and justice

Sister Simone Campbell says GOP budget proposals fail the moral test, former Congressman Mike Barnes says Republicans would have us in a war every three weeks, and Senator Bob Casey tells how the Republicans are killing an energy bill.

A harsh critic of Republican budget-cutting, Sister Simone Campbell says the GOP spending proposals “fail the moral test.” Foreign policy scholar and former congressman Mike Barnes says if McCain had been elected president, “we’d be in a new war every three weeks.” And Bill Press interviews Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania about energy, the economy and politics.

Sister Simone Campbell made a national splash a couple of years ago with her “nuns on the bus” campaign against Paul Ryan’s budget proposals. Today, the Republican proposals are even worse, she says, because “we are not taking care of the people Jesus cares about.”

http://www.amazon.com/Nun-Bus-Create-Change-Community/dp/006227354X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399053054&sr=8-1&keywords=a+nun+on+the+bus

Former Congressman Mike Barnes, a foreign policy expert, says it is less important how the United States or China reacts to Russia’s aggression than how Europe reacts.

http://www.ciponline.org/about-us/experts-staff/michael_barnes

Bill Press and his guest, Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania.

In Oklahoma, "conservative" means serving corporate power.

College admissions should about place, not race, says professor Sheryll Cashin. Government must work with business to create innovative ways of delivering services, says technology expert Aneesh Chopra. And Bill Press interviews an innocent man who was on death row.

In light of the recent Supreme Court decision, a perhaps surprising take on affirmative action from Georgetown law professor Sheryll Cashin. With the V.A. under attack by Republicans, the government’s first chief technology officer tells how the administration actually cleared up a backlog of claims and used information technologoy to empower veterans. And Bill Press interviews one-time death row inmate Kirk Bloodsworth

It’s 50 years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 60 years after Brown v. Board of Education, and Georgetown Law professor Sheryll Cashin says it’s time to substitute the students’ place in society and not their race in college admissions

http://www.law.georgetown.edu/faculty/cashin-sheryll-d.cfm

Innovator Aneesh Chopra, the government’s first chief technology officer, talks about how innovation can better deliver services to the public, and uses the V.A. as an example of how to do it.

http://www.innovativestate.com/

Bill Press and his guest, Kirk Bloodsworth, the first death row inmate exonerated by DNA.

The GOP's minimum wage nuttiness.

Privacy expert Peter Singer on Internet security, Democratic strategist Ed Kilgore on progressive values messaging, and Bill Press interviews Congresswoman Gwen Moore.

Internet Explorer and AOL are the latest institutions hacked by computer villains. Privacy expert Peter Singer tells us how to protect ourselves. Democratic strategist Ed Kilgore advises progressives to talk less about programs and more about values. And Bill Press interviews Wisconsin Congresswoman Gwen Moore.

With Internet Explorer and AOL the latest victims of hacking, privacy expert Peter Singer reveals the biggest threat – our own ignorance.

http://www.cybersecuritybook.com/

Ed Kilgore is a Democratic strategist whose message is fairly straightforward: Talk less about government programs and more about values.

http://www.thedemocraticstrategist.org

Bill Press and his guests, Congresswoman Gwen Moore and the National Journal’s Matt Vasilagambros.

http://gwenmoore.house.gov/

Some Congress critters deserve a permanent vacation.

Peter Galbraith speculates on Putin’s role on the world stage. Professor Sandra Hanson re-examines the American Dream. And Bill Press interviews Politico’s Manu Raju.

Former ambassador Peter Galbraith says Vladimir Putin wants to be player on the world stage? Will it be as a good guy or a bad guy? Professor Sandra Hanson suggests the American Dream may be changing – toward values rather than wealth. And Bill Press interviews Politico’s Manu Raju about Lindsey Graham’s resurgence.

Foreign policy expert Peter Galbraith says Vladimir Putin might be more cooperative if he wants to be a player in world affairs. He also says President Obama’s response to the Russians is sophisticated and nuanced.

http://armscontrolcenter.org/about/staff/pgalbraith/

The American Dream is not the same for all Americans, and Professor Sandra Hanson says it may be changing from one of “rags to riches” into one in which values are more important than achieving great wealth.

http://www.temple.edu/tempress/titles/2112_reg.html

Bill Press and his guest, Politico’s Manu Raju.

http://www.politico.com/reporters/ManuRaju.html

Rick Perry's magic glasses.

Political scientist John Hibbing says political beliefs are part of our DNA from an evolutionary point of view. Professor Edward Caudill says a large portion of the American public doesn’t even believe in evolution. And Bill Press interviews Katie McGinty.

How important is our DNA in determining our politics? A lot, says professor John Hibbing. It even determines who we marry. Political scientist Edward Caudill notes the hypocrisy of American lawmakers who decry the country’s relatively low standing in science education but who pass laws requiring the teaching of evolution. And Bill Press interviews Katie McGinty.

Can conservatives moderate their views if only they had more correct information? Nope, says professor John Hibbing, who explains that our political opinions are largely a result of our DNA.

http://polisci.unl.edu/dr-john-hibbing

If we are ever going to make headway against the belief in creationism, progressives are going to have to engage the public in serious science education, says professor Edward Caudill.

http://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/catalog/53emm4mg9780252038013.html

Bill Press and his guest Katie McGinty discuss her run for Governor of Pennsylvania.

http://www.katiemcginty.com/

Spy agents turned into peeping Toms