Politicology

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This week, we discuss the Democratic National Convention, the effort to appeal to more moderate voters, and Kamala Harris’s masterful acceptance speech.

Next, we talk about Harris’s “price gouging” plan and economic policy proposals and the consequences of using Congress’s dysfunction as a backstop for bad policy proposals.

Finally, we head to Politicology+ where we talk about the different ways foreign countries are trying to shape public opinion and the election. We also dive into the tension between protecting free speech and preventing foreign election interference.

Joining Ron Steslow on this week’s panel: 

Zack Czajkowski (Fmr. Lincoln Project Political Director)

Craig Snyder (Fmr. Chief of Staff for Arlen Specter)

Segments this week:

(02:38) The Democratic National Convention 

(25:58) Harris’s Economic Plan

[Politicology+] The influence of foreign countries on our elections and the tension between protecting free speech and preventing election interference. 

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.

Contribute to Molly’s fundraiser: https://bit.ly/3YFktit

Send your questions and thoughts to [email protected] 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/wednesdaysnyder

Related reading:

Segment 1:

CNN - Takeaways from the third night of the Democratic National Convention | CNN Politics

ABC News - Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger set to round out slate of GOP speakers at DNC supporting Harris - ABC News

WP - Protest march on DNC draws crowds but doesn't overwhelm

Segment 2: 

Financial Times - Harris’s economic plan: grocery prices, housing credits and tax rises

WP - Opinion | Kamala Harris’s price gouging proposal is a terrible idea - The Washington Post

WP - Harris one-ups Trump on populist plays

CNBC - Biden slams corporations over high consumer costs

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Claire Wardle (co-founder and co-director of the Information Futures Lab, and Professor of the Practice at the Brown School of Public Health) joins Ron Steslow to discuss the challenges( and failures) in improving our information landscape

(02:12) Claire’s background and how it led to her research

(05:52) Why terms like “misinformation,” “disinformation,” and “malinformation” have become less and less useful 

(08:45) How the real world doesn’t fit the framework of “misinformation” and “disinformation”

(10:50) Why we share stories online and how that shapes the information environment

(21:40) The problems that arise from research silos

(25:13) How platforms can include users in content moderation decisions 

(37:07) What role do troll farms actually play in information pollution?

(39:44) How the focus on foreign actors stops researchers, academics, and government officials from reflecting sincerely on their failures

(44:00) Why we share stories online and how that shapes the information environment

(50:28) Improving community-led resistance 

(55:53) How viewing social media users as a product shapes content moderation decisions 

(1:01:30) How AI could impact the information landscape…

Watch Operation InfeKtion from the New York Times: https://bit.ly/3IjJUxo

Read Claire’s piece “Misunderstanding Misinformation”: https://bit.ly/3IlSFa1

Watch the video op-ed where the NYT turned Claire into Adele: https://bit.ly/3MzvNq5

Follow Ron and Claire on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://twitter.com/cward1e

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In this special six-part narrative series, Mike Madrid, in partnership with the UC Irvine School of Social Ecology, takes a deep dive into Orange County, California to explore the transformations that have redefined politics there, and what it means for the rest of the country.

In this episode, Mike talks to Jean Pasco who covered local politics in the ‘80s and ‘90s for the Orange County Register and the Los Angeles Times about how California’s Prop 187 originated in Orange County. 

Then he talks to L.A. Times columnist Gustavo Arellano about how the Mexican and Asian communities shaped county politics, and the change in political sorting from ethnic lines to ideological lines. 

(01:13) The Impact of Proposition 187 and the Save Our State Initiative

(05:55) Demographic Shifts and the Changing Political Landscape

(15:40) Why both parties are recruiting Asian candidates in Orange County 

(22:49) The Influence of the Vietnamese Community in Orange County

Learn more about the UC Irvine School of Social Ecology: https://socialecology.uci.edu/

Visit the Red County, Blue County, Orange County website: https://sites.uci.edu/orangecounty/

Read Mike’s book, The Latino Century: https://bit.ly/4a7ZCqg

Follow Mike and the UCI School of Social Ecology  on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/madrid_mike

https://twitter.com/Social_Ecology

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This week, we discuss Donald Trump’s interview with Elon Musk, content moderation, and broader hostility to free speech .

Next, we highlight Kamala Harris’s pivot away from some progressive policies, and how rising populism is pushing both Harris and Trump to change their positions. 

We also discuss the potential consequences of the Trump campaign hack, likely by a foreign adversary,  and how newsrooms are handling the leaked information.  

Finally, we head to Politicology+ where we talk about the impact of endorsements of former Republicans for Harris as well as the ideological shifts within the Never Trump movement.

Joining Ron Steslow on this week’s panel: 

Stef Kight (Politics Reporter at Axios) 

Matt Lewis (Author of Filthy Rich Politicians and Too Dumb to Fail) 

Segments this week:

(02:36) Donald Trump's Interview with Elon Musk and Hostility to Free Speech

(20:25) Vice President Harris’s Pivot 

(38:34) Trump Campaign hacked 

[Politicology+]  Republicans for Harris

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.

Contribute to Molly’s fundraiser: https://bit.ly/3YFktit

Check out Matt’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattlewis

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

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

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://x.com/StefWKight

https://x.com/mattklewis

Related reading:

Segment 1:

AP - Trump and Musk talk assassination attempt, deportations on X | AP News

Politico - EU takes shot at Musk over Trump interview — and misses

Reason - Free Speech Is Under Attack in the U.S., but It’s on the Ropes Elsewhere

Segment 2: 

Axios - Now atop the ticket, Harris pivots from some progressive policies

Bloomberg - Kamala Harris 4.0: Liberal, Moderate or Something Else? - Bloomberg

Axios - Harris campaign's Google ads rewrite news headlines

NYT - From Tips to TikTok, Trump Swaps Policies With Aim to Please Voters - The New York Times

Segment 3: 

AP - News outlets were leaked insider material from the Trump campaign. They chose not to print it

Politico - Trump campaign confirms it was hacked after POLITICO received internal documents from "Robert"

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Host Ron Steslow welcomes Poler Family Professor of Psychology at Amherst College Dr. Catherine Sanderson back to Politicology to talk about how to curb election anxiety. 

Then they discuss the psychological factors that contributed to January 6th, how they might impact this election cycle, the climate on college campuses, and the blacklisting of “Zionist” therapists amid a professional trend of ‘critical social justice therapy.’

Segments to look forward to:

(03:30) How higher stakes elections produce more anxiety 

(05:18) Coping Strategies 

(08:51) Making a plan for stressful moments

(10:54) The pitfalls of doom scrolling 

(17:14) Forming connections to combat anxiety 

(20:45) How getting involved in election efforts can reduce anxiety 

(31:10) Empathy in leadership 

(33:25) Concerns about the Peaceful Transfer of Power 

(35:43) The psychological factors that contributed to January 6th 

(48:27) The trend of increasing acceptance of political violence 

(51:49) The problem of blacklisting ‘Zionist’ therapists and the trend toward ‘critical social justice therapy’

(56:34) The challenges on college campuses 

Follow Ron and Catherine Sanderson on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://x.com/SandersonSpeaks

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

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In this special six-part narrative series, Mike Madrid, in partnership with the UC Irvine School of Social Ecology, takes a deep dive into Orange County, California to explore the transformations that have redefined politics there, and what it means for the rest of the country.

In this episode, Mike talks to legendary political strategist Stu Spencer about how Orange County became Reagan Country. 

Then he discusses the county’s changing political demographics with one of the best election forecasters, Dave Wasserman from the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter.

(02:19) Orange County: Reagan Country and the American Dream

(09:41) A data driven take on what’s changing the political demographics

(11:53) What Loretta Sanchez’s victory meant 

(24:38) How Asian voters are impacting county politics 

Learn more about the UC Irvine School of Social Ecology: https://socialecology.uci.edu/

Visit the Red County, Blue County, Orange County website: https://sites.uci.edu/orangecounty/

Read Mike’s book, The Latino Century: https://bit.ly/4a7ZCqg

Follow Mike and the UCI School of Social Ecology  on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/madrid_mike

https://twitter.com/Social_Ecology

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plus

This week, we discuss Kamala Harris and Tim Walz being the most progressive presidential ticket in American history. 

Next, we break down the storm of major news stories about escalating wars and conflict across the globe—in the Middle East, in Venezuela, and Ukraine, what they mean for Americans here at home. 

We also discuss the influence of the presidential election on President Biden’s foreign policy decisions and the challenges the next president will inherit.

Finally, we head to Politicology+ where we talk about new research that voters might be less racist and sexist than we think—and why journalists weren’t interested in the story.

Joining Ron Steslow on this week’s panel: 

Hagar Chemali (Fmr. spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the UN)

Molly McKew (writer and lecturer on Russian influence and information warfare)

Segments this week:

(04:11) Walz 

(28:49) Massive stories from around the globe

[Politicology+]  Negativity Bias in Journalism

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.

Contribute to Molly’s fundraiser: https://bit.ly/3YFktit

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

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

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://twitter.com/HagarChemali

https://twitter.com/MollyMcKew

Related reading:

Segment 1:

WSJ - ‘Top Gun Democrat’ Tim Walz Cultivated Centrist Record in Washington - WSJ

NYPost - How progressive is Tim Walz? Here's where the Minnesota governor stands on key issues

MSNBC - Kamala Harris choice of Tim Walz for VP disappoints anti-Trump Republicans

Axios - Behind the Curtain: The Harris Cabinet

Segment 2: 

NBC - Israel bracing for attack after assassinations in Beirut and Tehran

CNN - UN probe finds 9 UNRWA employees 'may have' been involved in October 7 attack

AP - A cratered field, a mangled fence. Clues emerge from strike that killed 12 children in Golan Heights

Al-Monitor - US to deploy more forces to Middle East to deter Iran - Al-Monitor

CBS News - U.S., Russia prisoner swap secures release of Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan and others - CBS News

CNN - Venezuela election: US says opposition candidate won as anti-Maduro figurehead says she’s in hiding | CNN

WP - Left and right have denounced Venezuela's Maduro. Not the authoritarians.

NYT - Ukraine Has Received F-16 Fighter Jets, Zelensky Says - The New York Times

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To unlock exclusive content, visit: https://politicology.com/plus

Michele Gelfand (Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Professor of Psychology by Courtesy at Stanford University) joins host Ron Steslow to discuss culture, social norms, and her book Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World 

(01:46) Why she decided to study culture 

(04:34) What are tight and loose cultures

(06:12) Why tight and loose cultures evolve

(10:38) The tradeoffs between tight and loose and how different cultures responded to the Covid pandemic

(16:19) Tightness-looseness and willingness to change

(19:57) Red and Blue vs Tight and Loose 

(30:36) Tightening around core values, even in loose cultures

(34:56) Real and manufactured threats 

(44:15) How we we can put this framework into action 

You should read Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: https://amzn.to/3Qy8DQc

Follow Michele  and Ron on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/MicheleJGelfand

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special six-part narrative series, Mike Madrid, in partnership with the UC Irvine School of Social Ecology, takes a deep dive into Orange County, California to explore the transformations that have redefined politics there, and what it means for the rest of the country.

In this first episode, Mike talks to Jon Gould (Dean of the UC Irvine School of Social Ecology) about their work, their Orange County poll, and how politics has changed in Orange County. 

(04:23) Orange County: A Microcosm of the Emerging American Political System

(05:47) The UC Irvine School of Social Ecology and the UCI OC Poll

(10:33) Transformations in Orange County: Redefining Politics for Every Group

(11:12) Orange County: A Purple County Where Republicans and Democrats Coexist

Learn more about the UC Irvine School of Social Ecology: https://socialecology.uci.edu/

Visit the Red County, Blue County, Orange County website: https://sites.uci.edu/orangecounty/

Read Mike’s book, The Latino Century: https://bit.ly/4a7ZCqg

Follow Mike and the UCI School of Social Ecology  on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/madrid_mike

https://twitter.com/Social_Ecology

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plus

This week, we discuss the Trump and Harris campaigns battling to define Kamala Harris for voters.

Next, we talk about the Democratic messaging shifting to focus on MAGA being “weird” and reporting that Trump is regretting choosing Vance as his running mate .

Then, we talk about Donald Trump’s appearance at the largest Bitcoin conference of the year and how crypto is an emerging issue in presidential politics. 

Finally, we head to Politicology+ where we discuss Joe Biden’s proposed reforms for the Supreme Court.

Joining Ron Steslow on this week’s panel: 

Zack Czajkowski (Fmr. Lincoln Project Political Director)

Susan Del Percio  (MSNBC political analyst and crisis communications expert) 

Segments this week:

(3:29) Defining Harris

(25:29) Dems pivot to “weird”  

(36:13) Bitcoin as a campaign issue

[Politicology+]  Joe Biden’s proposals for SCOTUS Reform 

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 [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬

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

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://x.com/DelPercioS

https://x.com/ZackCz

Related reading:

Segment 1:

WP - Trump campaign attacks Kamala Harris in a new immigration-focused ad - The Washington Post

NYT - With Dueling Ads, Harris and Trump Both Try to Define Her as a Candidate - The New York Times

Politico Playbook 7/25 – The race to define Harris

Kyle Becker Tweet 

NYT - Why the Kamala Harris of Four Years Ago Could Haunt Her in 2024

Segment 2: 

NBC - The inside story of how Trump chose JD Vance as his running mate

CNN - It’s not just ‘cat ladies’: JD Vance has a history of disparaging people without kids | CNN Politics

The Hill - Some House Republicans slam Vance as Trump's VP pick: 'The worst choice'

Tim Alberta Tweet about Trump Second guessing pick

Segment 3: 

NBC - Trump hails crypto at largest bitcoin conference

CNBC - Trump stops short of establishing a bitcoin strategic reserve

Yahoo! Finance - Senator Cynthia Lummis Proposes Bill for U.S. To Buy 5% of Bitcoin’s Supply

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