The Dynamist

Election Forecasting w/Derek Robertson


Listen Later

When voters head to the polls next week, tech policy won't be top of mind—polling shows immigration, the economy, abortion, and democracy are the primary concerns. Yet Silicon Valley's billionaire class is playing an outsized role in this election, throwing millions at candidates and super PACs while offering competing visions for America's technological future.

The tech industry is in a much different place in 2024 than in past elections. Big Tech firms, who once enjoyed minimal government oversight, now face a gauntlet of regulatory challenges—from data privacy laws to antitrust lawsuits. While some tech leaders are hedging their bets between candidates, others are going all in for Harris or Trump—candidates who offer different, if not fully developed, approaches to regulation and innovation.

Trump's vision emphasizes a return to American technological greatness with minimal government interference, attracting support from figures like Elon Musk and Marc Andreessen despite Silicon Valley's traditionally Democratic lean. Harris presents a more managed approach, a generally pro-innovation stance tempered by a desire for government to help shape AI and other tech outcomes. Democratic donors like Mark Cuban and Reid Hoffman are backing Harris while hoping she'll soften Biden's tough antitrust stance. Meanwhile, crypto billionaires are flexing their political muscle, working to unseat skeptics in Congress after years of scrutiny under Biden's financial regulators.

What are these competing visions for technology, and how would each candidate approach tech policy if elected? Will 2024 reshape the relationship between Silicon Valley and Washington? Evan is joined by Derek Robertson, a veteran tech policy writer who authors the Digital Future Daily newsletter for Politico.

*Correction: The audio clip of Trump was incorrectly attributed to his appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience. The audio is from Trump’s appearance on the Hugh Hewitt Show

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The DynamistBy Foundation for American Innovation

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

11 ratings


More shows like The Dynamist

View all
Decoder with Nilay Patel by The Verge

Decoder with Nilay Patel

3,149 Listeners

Up First from NPR by NPR

Up First from NPR

56,809 Listeners

ChinaTalk by Jordan Schneider

ChinaTalk

295 Listeners

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat by New York Times Opinion

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

7,291 Listeners

Strict Scrutiny by Strict Scrutiny

Strict Scrutiny

5,865 Listeners

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg by All-In Podcast, LLC

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg

10,222 Listeners

Hard Fork by The New York Times

Hard Fork

5,553 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

16,447 Listeners

School of War by Nebulous Media

School of War

484 Listeners

Plain English with Derek Thompson by The Ringer

Plain English with Derek Thompson

2,238 Listeners

The AI Policy Podcast by Center for Strategic and International Studies

The AI Policy Podcast

47 Listeners

Statecraft by Santi Ruiz

Statecraft

36 Listeners