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We’ve got mail! In this Politicology Mailbag, Ron Steslow quickly fields a wide range of listener questions: State-run media, racial gerrymandering, anti-democracy laws, Russians, breaking the filibuster—and more.

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Politicology Mailbag — Listener Q&A with Ron

Politics in America is transforming. We’re embarking on a new series to deepen our understanding of who we are, how we got here, and how we rebuild without repeating the mistakes of the past. Ron Steslow hosts academics, behavioral economists, social psychologists, politicos, philosophers, anthropologists, journalists, poets, and storytellers—and more—to discuss America’s political present and future and dive into the deeper problems we face as a nation. Email us questions or comments: podcast@politicology.com.

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Government

Daily News

In this two part series, Journalist and author Byron Tau joins host Ron Steslow to discuss his new book Means of Control: How the Hidden Alliance Of Tech And Government Is creating a New American Surveillance State 

Part 1:

(02:36) Byron’s background and why he decided to write this book 

(05:15) The Evolution of data brokering 

(09:00) Understanding metadata and data collection and how they can identify you 

(12:12) The implications for personal privacy 

(22:15) The state of privacy rights in the United States 

(26:16) The public-private surveillance relationship 

(28:43) The shift in Government attitudes toward this type of data 

(31:20) How social media changed the data collection game

Read Means of Control: How the Hidden Alliance Of Tech And Government Is creating a New American Surveillance State — https://bit.ly/44199hw

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Email your questions to podcast@politicology.com or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬ 
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Means of Control — Part 1

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This week, we look at No Labels announcing they won’t field a ticket and the impact RFK Jr. could have, how Trump’s abortion announcement and the Arizona Supreme Court case could impact the election, and Joe Biden tries to cancel student debt…again. 

Joining Ron Steslow on this week’s panel: 

Lucy Caldwell (Board Advisor to the Renew Democracy Initiative and advisor to the Forward Party)

Liam Donovan (Principal at Bracewell LLP; host of The Lobby Pod)

Segments this week:

(02:05) No Labels and RFK Jr. 

(14:47) Abortion

(38:20) Student loan debt

[Politicology+] The new book misleading people about “white rural rage” and the scapegoating of rural Americans

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Send your questions and thoughts to podcast@politicology.com or leave a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬


Follow this week’s panel on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://twitter.com/lucymcaldwell

https://twitter.com/LPDonovan

Related reading:
Segment 1: 
Politico -No Labels packs it up, won’t put forth a presidential ticket - POLITICO
CNN - RFK Jr. campaign walks back fundraising emails that said January 6 defendants were stripped of constitutional liberties | CNN Politics
Politico - RFK Jr. ballot access consultant promotes strategy to throw the election to Trump - POLITICO
CNN  - RFK Jr. campaign official attended Jan. 6 ‘Stop the Steal’ rally and wanted ‘favorite President’ Trump to run for third term | CNN Politics

Segment 2: 
AP - Trump's abortion statement angers conservatives and gives the Biden campaign a new target | AP News
CNN  - Trump says he wouldn’t sign federal abortion ban | CNN Politics
WP - Arizona’s abortion ruling threatens to upend 2024 races - The Washington Post

Segment 3:
NYT - What to Know About Biden’s New Student Debt Relief Plan - The New York Times
CNBC - Biden administration could start forgiving student debt this year
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“Get Caught Trying” — The Weekly Roundup

Molly McKew (writer and lecturer on Russian influence and information warfare) and Chris Zappone (Digital Foreign Editor at The Age and the writer and narrator of the Dark Shining Moment podcast) join host Ron Steslow to discuss the evolution of Russian tactics since 2016 and the vulnerability of American democracy

Segments to look forward to:

(02:16) The state of the war  in Ukraine 

(10:00) The evolution of Russian influence campaigns  

(14:37) What Putin wants 

(25:14) The democratic mind and future vision
 
(29:00) America’s role in the world 

(46:00) The erosion of trust and manipulation of narratives 

(59:10) The importance of national psychological defense 

(1:10:00) The impact of social media on trust in media institutions 

(1:13:00) Balancing healthy skepticism and toxic cynicism in meaning making institutions 

(1:14:45) The challenge of finding reliable sources 

(1:18:00) Russia’s goal: America eating itself alive


Listen to Dark Shining Moment: https://apple.co/3Jhasz2

Follow Ron, Molly, and Chris on X (formerly Twitter):

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https://twitter.com/chrizap

Email your questions to podcast@politicology.com or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬ 
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How To Demoralize America

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This week, we look at one way Republicans could try to legally throw out votes to ensure Trump’s victory, the latest Wall Street Journal polling, and the backlash against DEI 

Joining Ron Steslow on this week’s panel: 

Zack Czajkowski (Fmr. Lincoln Project Political Director)

Alex Thompson (National Political Correspondent for Axios)

Segments this week:

(02:06) Starting the steal

(20:10) The WSJ Poll and who benefits from RFK Jr’s run 

(30:15) The backlash against DEI  

[Politicology+] Lab Leak, the origins of human life, and the push for ideological purity that is stifling scientific inquiry

Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss the extra episodes on our private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus.


Send your questions and thoughts to podcast@politicology.com or leave a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬


Follow this week’s panel on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://twitter.com/ZackCz

https://twitter.com/AlexThomp

Related reading:
Segment 1: 
The Bulwark - ‘Start the Steal’: Trump Once Again Planning to Overturn an Election
NYT - Here Is One Way to Steal the Presidential Election
WP - GOP scrambles to organize early and mail voting despite Trump’s attacks - The Washington Post

Segment 2: 
WSJ - Trump Leads Biden in Six of Seven Swing States, WSJ Poll Finds
WSJ - Five Takeaways From the WSJ Swing-State Poll
AP - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. picks Nicole Shanahan as his running mate for independent White House bid | AP News
CNN - RFK Jr. names Silicon Valley attorney Nicole Shanahan as running mate | CNN Politics
Axios - Conservative media sours on RFK Jr. as an independent

Segment 3:
Axios - Behind DEI’s rise and fall
NBC News - Oregon re-criminalizes small amounts of hard drugs after 2020 voter initiative is overturned
Brianna Wu criticizing progressivism 
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Democracy Doomsday Prepping —  The Weekly Roundup

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Mike Madrid (Lincoln Project cofounder) and Ron Steslow respond to your feedback and answer your questions on our latest mailbag episode. 

(01:05) The Bannon Line and how the dynamics of this cycle are different from 2020

(09:00) Why the traditional political spectrum isn’t a useful framework and the rise of populism

(17:50) The Fairness Doctrine and the impact of its Removal

(25:25) The debate over whether Biden should debate Trump 

(30:46) Trump’s takeover of the RNC 

(41:31) The Republican Party’s brand 

(46:26) Authoritarian Reactionary Christians in American Politics 

(50:02) The loss of focus on Community 

(1:03:00) The threat of Religious Nationalism


Have a question for a future Mailbag episode? Send it over to us at podcast@politicology.com!

You can also leave us a voice message at ‪(202) 455-4558‬

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Politicology Mailbag — Listener Q&A with Ron

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