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In this two-part episode, Ron talks to Rebecca Roiphe (Joseph Solomon Distinguished Professor of Law at New York Law School) about critical legal studies, the attacks on our understanding of what the law is and how it should function from across the political spectrum. 

They discuss:

(04:57) The challenges the rule of law is facing

(07:31) Understanding Critical Legal Studies

(10:16) Intersectionality and Its Impact

(12:00) Power Dynamics in Critical Legal Studies 

(20:54) The Adversarial System and Its Importance

(27:05) The Evolution of Critical Legal Thought

(32:45) The Role of Law in Democracy

Follow Ron and Rebecca on Twitter:

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Americans largely agree on two immigration goals: securing the border and deporting people here illegally who have committed violent crimes. 

But inside the United States, enforcement has become a political flashpoint.

Guest Host Susan Del Percio is joined by Jeh Johnson (Former Secretary of Homeland Security) to discuss why border crossings can fall quickly based on deterrence and perception and why interior enforcement works very differently. 

Then, they break down how quota-driven, “numbers-first” tactics incentivize sloppy operations and high-profile street encounters that alienate local governments, undermine cooperation with law enforcement, and ultimately make it harder to remove the “worst of the worst,” eroding public trust and public safety in the process.

Then, in Politicology+ they dig into why the Trump Administration wants states’ unredacted voter rolls.

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Related Reading: 

Axios - Trump's mass deportations are in big trouble

NYT - ICE Expands Power of Agents to Arrest People Without Warrants - The New York Times

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Are there tendencies within Christian tradition that put some versions of the faith in tension with core principles of democracy?

What is “Authoritarian Reactionary Christianity?”

How can a pluralistic society guard against the rise of political figures—including Donald Trump—aiming to weaponize this phenomenon?

In this two-part conversation, we dive into these provocative questions with the Rev. Prof. David Gushee (Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University) and discuss his book Defending Democracy From Its Christian Enemies.

Segments to look forward to in part 2:

(02:12) Christianity in the reactionary politics of France and Germany in the 20th century  

(07:54) The allure of authoritarian leaders who promise to fix cultural issues 

(13:06) The idealization of a past Christian nation and the ubiquitous use of anti-LGBT rhetoric in policial mobilization

(18:20) The difficulty of appealing to authoritarian-leaning Christians and the influence of leaders in those communities

(32:30 ) “Covenantal democracy” rooted in the Baptist tradition

(35:18) The importance of civic literacy and political ethics education among Christians to inoculate against authoritarian tendencies

(40:00) The importance of long-term cultural and interpersonal work to build stronger democratic norms.

For more of David’s work visit his website: https://www.davidpgushee.com/

Follow Ron  on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬.

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Guest Host Lucy Caldwell and Dmitri Mehlhorn (Founder, The Atoll Society) have a conversation about political risk, institutional blind spots, and what scenario-based thinking reveals that conventional analysis often misses.

They discuss the Atoll Society’s simulation salons, which use scenario-based exercises to test assumptions about power, institutions, and the rule of law. Rather than predict outcomes, the goal is to surface blind spots: where existing frameworks for understanding democracy, law, and political behavior may no longer fully apply.

The conversation turns to the violence in Minnesota, the uneven application of state power, and the idea that political systems often change less through dramatic breaks than through accumulation—small decisions that reshape incentives and expectations over time. 

They examine why political leaders and institutions tend to emphasize reassurance, even in periods of uncertainty, and how that instinct can limit honest discussions about risk. Along the way, they consider how history, founding-era debates, and comparative examples can help anchor difficult conversations without resorting to speculation.

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Are there tendencies within Christian tradition that put some versions of the faith in tension with core principles of democracy?

What is “Authoritarian Reactionary Christianity?”

How can a pluralistic society guard against the rise of political figures—including Donald Trump—aiming to weaponize this phenomenon?

In this two-part conversation, Ron Steslow and Rev. Prof. David Gushee (Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University) discuss these provocative questions and more as they dive into David’s book, Defending Democracy From Its Christian Enemies.

In part 1:

(04:40) Ron shares a personal note with David about the impact he’s had on Ron’s journey  

(07:24) David discussed a few of the transformative moments in his career 

(13:08) The historical and current challenges Christianity poses to democratic values 

(16:30) Why some Christians are skeptical of democracy and the nuanced reasons behind it

(22:02 ) Authoritarian Reactionary Christianity and why it’s a better term for what we’re seeing  than Christian Nationalism 

(28:38) How certain Christian groups prioritize their beliefs over democratic norms and values 

(34:02) The cycle of secular revolutions followed by religious counter-revolutions 

For more of David’s work visit his website: https://www.davidpgushee.com/

Follow Ron  on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬.

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As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, Guest Host Mike Madrid and Susan Del Percio (MS NOW political analyst and crisis communications expert) grapple with a central question: when Americans say “this isn’t who we are,” are we describing an aspiration—or denying a reality?

They confront the collision between ideals and reality, examining government overreach, due process, and what it means when executive power stretches beyond long-standing constitutional limits.

The conversation moves through voter exhaustion, institutional breakdown, and why secrecy inside government is often the clearest warning sign that something has gone wrong.

They look deeper than just the crisis of “democracy” in the abstract, and discuss how Americans are losing freedom itself, the right to privacy, bodily autonomy, and protection from arbitrary state power.

The episode ends with an unsettling possibility: if the American experiment depends on restraint and shared belief, what happens when those beliefs fracture—and no institution is strong enough to hold the line?

Then, in Politicology+ they dig into why housing affordability has become the central economic and political problem heading into the midterms.

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Send your questions and ideas to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(703) 239-3068‬

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https://x.com/DelPercioS

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Iran is erupting in protests—and the regime is cracking down with extraordinary violence. 

Guest Host Hagar Chemali sits down with Jay Solomon (investigative reporter at The Free Press) to unpack why protests are surging nationwide, what the regime’s economic rot reveals about its fragility, and what (if anything) the U.S. and Israel might do next.

They dig into a bank-collapse story that helped ignite the unrest, the regime’s deteriorating proxy network after October 7, and the strategic debate inside Washington over strikes, cyber operations, and financial pressure. Then they turn to the American political fringes—left and right—and why some activists echo Islamic Republic propaganda about the protests being “astroturfed.”

Finally, in Politicology+, they unpack how Qatar, a tiny Gulf nation with just 350,000 citizens, has built one of the most wide-reaching influence networks in the world.

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For most Americans, losing access to a bank account sounds like a customer-service hassle—not a political problem. But what if your ability to get paid, pay bills, run a business, donate to a cause, or even shop online or just withdraw cash at an ATM can be shut off quietly, without a trial, without an explanation, and without a meaningful way to appeal?

In this two-part episode, Ron Steslow is joined by economist Jorge Jraissati, President of the Economic Inclusion Group, to unpack the growing reality of debanking and the compliance machinery behind it.

In this second episode, they go upstream: who writes the rules—and how do they spread? Ron and Jorge focus on FATF (the Financial Action Task Force), a powerful global standard-setter for AML/CFT that most people have never heard of, despite how much it shapes modern banking. Jorge explains FATF’s enormous “soft power,” how gray/black lists raise the cost of cross-border finance, and why its opacity makes democratic accountability nearly impossible.

They also dig deeper into “de-risking”, the lack of public data, and how AML/CFT allegations can escalate into asset freezes. Finally, they confront the “escape hatch” many people are turning to: permissionless money. Jorge argues Bitcoin has become a lifeline for the unbanked and debanked—while warning that technology can’t substitute for defending due process and reforming the underlying system.

Learn more about the Economic Inclusion Group: https://econinclusion.com/

Get in touch with Jorge: [email protected]

Find our sponsor links and promo codes here: https://bit.ly/44uAGZ8

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code RON at  https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod

Send your questions and ideas to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(703) 239-3068‬

Follow Ron and Jorge on X (formerly Twitter):

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https://x.com/JraissatiJorge

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For most Americans, losing access to a bank account sounds like a customer-service hassle—not a political problem. But what if your ability to get paid, pay bills, run a business, donate to a cause, or even shop online or withdraw cash at an ATM can be shut off quietly, without a trial, without an explanation, and without a meaningful way to appeal?

In this two-part episode, Ron Steslow is joined by economist Jorge Jraissati, President of the Economic Inclusion Group, to unpack the growing reality of debanking and the compliance machinery behind it.

In this first episode, they trace how post-9/11 AML/CFT and KYC regimes turned banks into de facto enforcement arms of the state—creating mass reporting, privacy erosion, and incentives to cut off customers based on “risk,” stigma, or perception rather than proven wrongdoing.

They also explore how this system becomes ripe for weaponization—by authoritarian regimes, domestic actors, or simply the structure of the rules—especially when finance becomes transnational, opaque, and increasingly disconnected from due process.

Learn more about the Economic Inclusion Group: https://econinclusion.com/

Get in touch with Jorge: [email protected]

Find our sponsor links and promo codes here: https://bit.ly/44uAGZ8

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code RON at  https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod

Send your questions and ideas to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(703) 239-3068‬

Follow Ron and Jorge on X (formerly Twitter):

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https://x.com/JraissatiJorge

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Ron Steslow kicks off 2026 with a “Smash Brothers” weekly featuring Lucy Caldwell, Hagar Chemali, Susan Del Percio, and Mike Madrid to look at the forces they think will define the year ahead—geopolitical disruption, institutional failure, civil dysfunction—and the transformational period we’re living through.

Then they share some exciting news about The Weekly in 2026.

Finally, in Politicology+, they dive into the values that will matter the most as we head into 2026.

POLITICOLOGY+

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CONTRIBUTE TO POLITICOLOGY

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Send your questions and ideas to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(703) 239-3068‬

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