Politics and Parenting Podcast

What does American Covenant and Everybody Loves Raymond have in common? Surprisingly, a lot. I wrote an article about it, and look, I recorded a pod, too! In the pod, I compare the dysfunction of Ray and Deborah’s relationship to that of the majority and minority ruling parties, Republicans and Democrats.

The article connected with this pod is the second part in a series of excerpts from American Covenant Chapter One: What is the Constitution? Levin explains the Constitution as five frameworks: Legal, Policymaking, Institutional, Political, and Unity. The second excerpt is about the policy framework.

Did you miss the first one? No worries, you can find it here. If you download the Substack app, it will read it to you, so it’s like a 2-minute podcast with some random AI guy’s voice.

Thank you for tuning in!

Peace & Love,

Jeff Mayhugh

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicsandparenting.com

Today on the show I am joined by Vance Ginn, Ph.D. A leading economist and advocate for free-market principles and fiscal conservatism. He is the former associate director for economic policy at the White House’s Office of Management and Budget and chief economist at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.   He is the founder and president of Ginn Economic Consulting and host of the Let People Prosper Show podcast, providing high-impact economic consulting that dives deep into pressing issues with top influencers. He lives in Round Rock, Texas, with his family, championing policies that promote economic freedom and prosperity.

We discuss inflation, debt, minimum wage, currency, and tariffs. This is a great episode for average citizens trying to get a handle on this complex topic. Be sure to follow Vance on X and Substack, and check out his new article out in the Freemen-News Letter.

Peace & Love,

Jeff Mayhugh

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicsandparenting.com

In this episode, I am joined by André Béliveau. He is a political and policy analyst based in Washington, D.C., with an MA in Government from Johns Hopkins and a BA in History from Marist College.

André and I dive into the dysfunction plaguing our republic. We discuss Congress and the reforms that could restore life to the decaying legislative branch. We also discuss the parties and their ability to hold themselves accountable.

If you enjoy this episode, remember to subscribe, like, and share!

Politics and Parenting is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicsandparenting.com

On the pod today I am joined by Kevin R. Kosar, Ph.D., a resident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington, DC think-tank. We discuss some of the basics of our government. Are we a Democracy or a Republic? How should the balance of power work? The bulk of our conversation centers around Congress and how to reform it. 

We are sitting in a very unique moment in American history. The division in the country is growing at an unsustainable level. Those in charge keep pointing citizens to the President as the answer, but the President is just one person with limited abilities. Those who want to fulfill the responsibilities of their citizenship should turn away from the focus on the executive branch and instead turn toward Congress. Learn about the institution and find representatives who will focus on congressional reform. 

To do that, check out Kevin’s work. He edits UnderstandingCongress.org and hosts the Understanding Congress podcast. He is the co-editor of Congress Overwhelmed: Congressional Capacity and Prospects for Reform (University of Chicago Press), co-author of Unleashing Opportunity: Policy Reforms for an Accountable Administrative State (National Affairs); and the author of  Failing Grades: The Federal Politics of Education. He also wrote the preface to Government Project (AEI Press, 2023) by Edward C. Banfield.

Politics and Parenting is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Also, please join Politics and Parenting on Facebook to keep up with local events like story time with The Very Flannel Dino and Presidential Tank Talks. The next Tank Talk will be on John Tyler, the first accidental President at Heritage Brewing, on September 30th from 7 PM to 8:30 PM. Please RSVP to ensure the venue has adequate staffing for the night. 

Peace & Love,

Jeff Mayhugh

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicsandparenting.com

Happy Fourth of July! I hope everyone is having a great day. All the talk of this great day inspired me to break out the Declaration of Independence and give it a read. After reading it, I had some thoughts I wanted to share. Enjoy!

Peace and Love,

Jeff Mayhugh

Politics and Parenting is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicsandparenting.com

On the pod today, I am joined by Scott Howard, a recent University of Flordia graduate, former National Review intern, and Freemen News-Letter submissions editor. Scott and I discussed the recent Supreme Court decision in Trump vs. the United States, the overturning of the Chevron doctrine, and the mess of a presidential debate last week.

The future may look bleak to some, but the next generation is ready and capable of leading. Our nation is focused too much on the few who understand little and seek to divide and not enough on the many who are well-informed and trying to unite.

On this Independence Day, I want to remind you that James Monroe was a teenager when he signed up to fight in the American Revolution. James Madison was only 25 as a delegate to the Virginia Convention and 29 at the Continental Congress.

So, let’s commit to turning away from divisive leaders like Rachel Maddow and Sean Hannity and focus on the next group of leaders—people like Scott. Let’s support them and create opportunities for them to be successful.

Peace and Love,

Jeff Mayhugh

Politics and Parenting is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicsandparenting.com

On this pod, I sit down with Politics and Parenting contributor Andy Tippet. Andy shares his winding story, from teaching, to working in corporate marketing, to fulfilling a passion for studying history. We discuss the heavy workload of the executive position, the gold ring during the Gilded Age, and why history is so important in politics.

Check out Andy’s very relevant article from May on Shadow President Jill Biden, which calls for Joe Biden to step aside.

Politics and Parenting is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicsandparenting.com

After the debate, it’s obvious to American citizens that Joe Biden is not capable of fulfilling the responsibilities of the most difficult job in the country. He met with his family and decided that he wasn’t going anywhere. Shadow president Jill Biden, at a Vogue photoshoot, said, “We know what’s at stake. Joe is asking the American people to come together to draw a line in the sand against all this vitriol.”

Yet, it’s Jill asking, not Joe. We aren’t fooled. It’s time to retire.

If Joe doesn’t retire, then Democrats in Congress should impeach him, removing him from the ticket and opening up the convention. In today’s pod, I discuss how impeachment is a political tool to remove an executive who violates the public trust in carrying out their duties.

Politics and Parenting is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicsandparenting.com

In this pod, I share my experience volunteering at Park Valley’s Kid’s gig, my tenth wedding anniversary, and my thoughts on the debate. It’s a longer pod, but I have tried to make it easy to navigate below.

Church Camp- 4:19

My Anniversary- 18:26

The Debate- 35:24

Matt Lewis's article about Biden Stepping down- 36:35 (article linked)

Abortion topic- 41:55

Grading the debate- 43:33

Biden on Abortion- 47:00

The Border- 51:35

Foreign Policy- 56:47

Democracy- 1:03:39

January 6th- 1:15:02

Peaceful Transfer of power- 1:17:45

Who will be Trump’s VP?- 1:20:22

Closing remarks- 1:24:37

Here’s the album artwork I put together with the pictures Vanessa and I took on our anniversary.

In the pod, I mentioned how delicious our meal at Bistro at the Porch was on our anniversary. Here is a picture of the juicy Pork Chop. If you love great food and service but haven’t checked out the Bistro yet, make sure you put it on your to-do list!

Also, if you or anyone you know is interested in building a relationship with Jesus and is looking for the first step, email me at [email protected] or visit Park Valley Church in Haymarket, Gainesville, or Warrenton.

Peace and Love,

Jeff Mayhugh

Politics and Parenting is a reader-supported publication. Want to join the family? To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicsandparenting.com

My good friend over at Written Works, Craig T. Stewart, recommended this song by Tom MacDonald called Me vs. You. Craig is a smart guy, so I followed his advice and shot a video with my thoughts on the song. In the podcast, I discuss what I think about the lyrics and how the song captures the moment of American Division.

The song identifies the source of power, the executive branch and political parties, and how they gain and maintain power by dividing citizens using emotion. I discuss how a spoiled system of politics drives the division and how citizens must understand their responsibilities and hold representatives accountable in our self-governing republic if they want freedom.

Check out my interview with Michael Wolraich for more on the spoils system. And if you are looking for a guide to fulfilling your responsibilities as a citizen in our self-governing republic, check out my Father’s Day post on The Responsibility of Fatherhood and Self Government.

Oh, and my good friend Craig has a new book out called Emergence: Fall of the West, a follow-up to Emergence. You can purchase them both on Amazon.

Peace and Love,

Jeff Mayhugh

Politics and Parenting is a reader-supported publication. Want to join the family? To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicsandparenting.com