There’s a lot to complain about in the American political system: Congress lurches from deadline to deadline, presidents claim more and more power and each side of the aisle treats the other as an existential threat. So how did our political system get this way—and what would it take to make it work again? Host Megan McArdle is joined by Yuval Levin, director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute and editor-in-chief of National Affairs. They discuss why Congress no longer rewards negotiation, how primaries and a 50-50 party system fuel polarization, what Trump has changed about the presidency and the Republican Party, and the reforms that could help America move beyond gridlock. Subscribe to The Washington Post <a href="https://subscribe.washingtonpost.com/acquisition/?s_l=OFFSITE_PODCAST&p=s_v&s_dt=yearly&utm%5B%E2%80%A6%5De-podcast&utm_medium=acq-nat&utm_campaign=podcast-subs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">here</a>.

There’s a lot to complain about in the American political system: Congress lurches from deadline to deadline, presidents claim more and more power and each side of the aisle treats the other as an existential threat. So how did our political system get this way—and what would it take to make it work again? Host Megan McArdle is joined by Yuval Levin, director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute and editor-in-chief of National Affairs. They discuss why Congress no longer rewards negotiation, how primaries and a 50-50 party system fuel polarization, what Trump has changed about the presidency and the Republican Party, and the reforms that could help America move beyond gridlock. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

There’s a lot to complain about in the American political system: Congress lurches from deadline to deadline, presidents claim more and more power and each side of the aisle treats the other as an existential threat. So how did our political system get this way—and what would it take to make it work again? Host Megan McArdle is joined by Yuval Levin, director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute and editor-in-chief of National Affairs. They discuss why Congress no longer rewards negotiation, how primaries and a 50-50 party system fuel polarization, what Trump has changed about the presidency and the Republican Party, and the reforms that could help America move beyond gridlock. Subscribe to The Washington Post <a href="https://subscribe.washingtonpost.com/acquisition/?s_l=OFFSITE_PODCAST&amp;p=s_v&amp;s_dt=yearly&amp;utm%5B%E2%80%A6%5De-podcast&amp;utm_medium=acq-nat&amp;utm_campaign=podcast-subs" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.

How America can recover from Trump-era politics

A viral debate over bringing iced coffee to a job interview may seem trivial. But it points to a bigger divide over what employers are looking for when college degrees, cover letters and résumés reveal less than they used to. Host Megan McArdle explains why workplace norms still matter, why an interview can be one of the few ways applicants can stand out and what Gen Z workers miss when they begin their careers remotely. She also makes the case for giving young people a little grace. Subscribe to The Washington Post <a href="https://subscribe.washingtonpost.com/acquisition/?s_l=OFFSITE_PODCAST&p=s_v&s_dt=yearly&utm%5B%E2%80%A6%5De-podcast&utm_medium=acq-nat&utm_campaign=podcast-subs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">here</a>.

A viral debate over bringing iced coffee to a job interview may seem trivial. But it points to a bigger divide over what employers are looking for when college degrees, cover letters and résumés reveal less than they used to. Host Megan McArdle explains why workplace norms still matter, why an interview can be one of the few ways applicants can stand out and what Gen Z workers miss when they begin their careers remotely. She also makes the case for giving young people a little grace. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

A viral debate over bringing iced coffee to a job interview may seem trivial. But it points to a bigger divide over what employers are looking for when college degrees, cover letters and résumés reveal less than they used to. Host Megan McArdle explains why workplace norms still matter, why an interview can be one of the few ways applicants can stand out and what Gen Z workers miss when they begin their careers remotely. She also makes the case for giving young people a little grace. Subscribe to The Washington Post <a href="https://subscribe.washingtonpost.com/acquisition/?s_l=OFFSITE_PODCAST&amp;p=s_v&amp;s_dt=yearly&amp;utm%5B%E2%80%A6%5De-podcast&amp;utm_medium=acq-nat&amp;utm_campaign=podcast-subs" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.

The job interview advice Gen Z needs to hear

Why are Americans having fewer children, even though many say they want larger families? Host Megan McArdle talks with author Tim Carney about how professional ambition, personal autonomy and intensive parenting have made family life more daunting. They discuss why Americans are marrying later, how workplaces and communities could make raising children easier, and whether stronger family norms can be revived without bringing back the inequalities of the past. Subscribe to The Washington Post <a href="https://subscribe.washingtonpost.com/acquisition/?s_l=OFFSITE_PODCAST&p=s_v&s_dt=yearly&utm%5B%E2%80%A6%5De-podcast&utm_medium=acq-nat&utm_campaign=podcast-subs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">here</a>.

Why are Americans having fewer children, even though many say they want larger families? Host Megan McArdle talks with author Tim Carney about how professional ambition, personal autonomy and intensive parenting have made family life more daunting. They discuss why Americans are marrying later, how workplaces and communities could make raising children easier, and whether stronger family norms can be revived without bringing back the inequalities of the past. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Why are Americans having fewer children, even though many say they want larger families? Host Megan McArdle talks with author Tim Carney about how professional ambition, personal autonomy and intensive parenting have made family life more daunting. They discuss why Americans are marrying later, how workplaces and communities could make raising children easier, and whether stronger family norms can be revived without bringing back the inequalities of the past. Subscribe to The Washington Post <a href="https://subscribe.washingtonpost.com/acquisition/?s_l=OFFSITE_PODCAST&amp;p=s_v&amp;s_dt=yearly&amp;utm%5B%E2%80%A6%5De-podcast&amp;utm_medium=acq-nat&amp;utm_campaign=podcast-subs" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.

The hidden forces behind America’s baby bust

America is becoming less religious — but the story is more complicated than empty pews. Host Megan McArdle is joined by political scientist and former pastor Ryan Burge to talk about the shifts taking place in America's churches. Are congregations shrinking or growing? Why are some religious traditions holding on better than others? And what does the rise of the religiously unaffiliated mean for American life? Subscribe to The Washington Post <a href="https://subscribe.washingtonpost.com/acquisition/?s_l=OFFSITE_PODCAST&p=s_v&s_dt=yearly&utm%5B%E2%80%A6%5De-podcast&utm_medium=acq-nat&utm_campaign=podcast-subs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">here</a>.

America is becoming less religious — but the story is more complicated than empty pews. Host Megan McArdle is joined by political scientist and former pastor Ryan Burge to talk about the shifts taking place in America's churches. Are congregations shrinking or growing? Why are some religious traditions holding on better than others? And what does the rise of the religiously unaffiliated mean for American life? Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

America is becoming less religious — but the story is more complicated than empty pews. Host Megan McArdle is joined by political scientist and former pastor Ryan Burge to talk about the shifts taking place in America's churches. Are congregations shrinking or growing? Why are some religious traditions holding on better than others? And what does the rise of the religiously unaffiliated mean for American life? Subscribe to The Washington Post <a href="https://subscribe.washingtonpost.com/acquisition/?s_l=OFFSITE_PODCAST&amp;p=s_v&amp;s_dt=yearly&amp;utm%5B%E2%80%A6%5De-podcast&amp;utm_medium=acq-nat&amp;utm_campaign=podcast-subs" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.

What empty pews reveal about America

In the decades following World War II, the American right coalesced around fusionism — the idea that individual liberty and limited government could coexist with religious faith and traditional morality. Today, that coalition is divided. After a decade of Trump-era politics, can fusionism bring it back together? Host Megan McArdle is joined by Stephanie Slade, senior editor at Reason magazine and author of “Fusionism: Liberty, Virtue, and the Future of the American Right.” They explore how fusionism came to shape modern conservatism, why that consensus faded and how President Donald Trump’s rise reveals the coalition’s deepest fault lines. They also ask whether fusionism’s core values of liberty and virtue can still provide common ground in a very different political era. Subscribe to The Washington Post <a href="https://subscribe.washingtonpost.com/acquisition/?s_l=OFFSITE_PODCAST&p=s_v&s_dt=yearly&utm%5B%E2%80%A6%5De-podcast&utm_medium=acq-nat&utm_campaign=podcast-subs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">here</a>.

In the decades following World War II, the American right coalesced around fusionism — the idea that individual liberty and limited government could coexist with religious faith and traditional morality. Today, that coalition is divided. After a decade of Trump-era politics, can fusionism bring it back together? Host Megan McArdle is joined by Stephanie Slade, senior editor at Reason magazine and author of “Fusionism: Liberty, Virtue, and the Future of the American Right.” They explore how fusionism came to shape modern conservatism, why that consensus faded and how President Donald Trump’s rise reveals the coalition’s deepest fault lines. They also ask whether fusionism’s core values of liberty and virtue can still provide common ground in a very different political era. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

In the decades following World War II, the American right coalesced around fusionism — the idea that individual liberty and limited government could coexist with religious faith and traditional morality. Today, that coalition is divided. After a decade of Trump-era politics, can fusionism bring it back together? Host Megan McArdle is joined by Stephanie Slade, senior editor at Reason magazine and author of “Fusionism: Liberty, Virtue, and the Future of the American Right.” They explore how fusionism came to shape modern conservatism, why that consensus faded and how President Donald Trump’s rise reveals the coalition’s deepest fault lines. They also ask whether fusionism’s core values of liberty and virtue can still provide common ground in a very different political era. Subscribe to The Washington Post <a href="https://subscribe.washingtonpost.com/acquisition/?s_l=OFFSITE_PODCAST&amp;p=s_v&amp;s_dt=yearly&amp;utm%5B%E2%80%A6%5De-podcast&amp;utm_medium=acq-nat&amp;utm_campaign=podcast-subs" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.

How conservatism went from Reagan to Trump

Smart when you need it, fun when you want it — with hosts who feel like friends. "Impromptu" is your twice-a-week conversation with Washington Post columnists who bring fresh insight and perspective to the stories shaping the week. On Tuesdays, Dana Milbank and his colleagues dig into the political news that actually matters. Then, on Fridays, Drew Goins and Molly Roberts ease you into the weekend, breaking down the cultural moments you can’t stop thinking about.

Smart when you need it, fun when you want it — with hosts who feel like friends. "Impromptu" is your twice-a-week conversation with Washington Post columnists who bring fresh insight and perspective to the stories shaping the week. On Tuesdays, Dana Milbank and his colleagues dig into the political news that actually matters. Then, on Fridays, Drew Goins and Molly Roberts ease you into the weekend, breaking down the cultural moments you can’t stop thinking about.

A fresh new 'Impromptu'

Enough with the doom and gloom — we’re ready to talk about how America can thrive. Hosted by Washington Post Opinion columnist Megan McArdle, “Reasonably Optimistic” is your weekly conversation about how America can get unstuck and build a better future. Stop feeding your rage and start embracing our possibilities. Episodes drop Wednesdays.

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