Ten Miles Square

A pending decision could gut the Voting Rights Act andencourage states to disenfranchise minority voters.

Last month, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Louisiana v. Callais—a case that could spell the end of Section2 of the Voting Rights Act, the bedrock federal law that bars racial discrimination in voting.

As voting rights expert Joshua Douglas explains, the Courtis unlikely to strike down Section 2 outright. That’s a headline this Court doesn’t want. But the Court could still gut Section 2—by allowing the disenfranchisement of minority voters as partisan gerrymandering, not racial discrimination. 

Host: Garrett Epps

Guest: Prof. Joshua A. Douglas, University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law

Photo credit: Library of Congress

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Democracy and Voting Rights

02:29 The Louisiana vs. Calais Case Explained

06:38 Understanding Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act

08:57 Opportunity Districts and Candidate Choice

11:07 Oral Arguments and Court Dynamics

14:57 Partisan Gerrymandering and Its Implications

21:23 The Interplay of Race and Partisanship

25:31 Chief Justice Roberts and the Voting Rights Act

28:15 Reflections on Progress and Future Challenges

Reckless tax and budget policies have stifled upwardmobility for young and working class Americans, says budget expert Eugene Steuerle. Bipartisan dysfunction is to blame.

The federal government spends the equivalent of about $90,000 per U.S. household per year—yet many Americans don’t see the benefits. Medicare and Medicaid, Social Security and tax subsidies (primarily for wealthy households) swallow up the lion’s share of the federal budget every year, alongwith interest on the national debt.

All of this automatic spending means no room in the federalbudget for investments in America’s future, argues budget expert Eugene Steuerle, while many Americans are losing out. In 2023, for instance, just nine percent of the federal budget went toward programs for children—while 11 percent wasspent on interest on the debt. In 2024, the federal government spent $880 billion for interest on the debt, compared to $80billion for the Department of Education.  

In his new book, Abandoned: How Republicans and Democrats Deserted the Working Class, the Young and theAmerican Dream, Steuerle blames a broken budget process that rewards short-term fixes and a Congress too polarized to tackle entitlement reform. He also argues that Republicans’ fixation on tax cuts has vastly contributed to inequality, while Democrats’ focus on consumption over investment has meant insufficient attention to helping working class Americans build wealth. The net result, Steuerle says, is a collapse in “fiscal democracy.”  Increasingly, Americans are losing their stake in the federal spending as entitlements and debt consume the entirety—and then some—of the nation’s future budget.

Host: Anne Kim

Guest: Eugene Steuerle, Richard B. Fisher chair at the Urban Institute

Chapters:

• 00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview
• 00:12 Social Security and Medicare Imbalances
• 01:08 Tax Cuts and Inequality
• 02:36 Wealth Inequality and Fiscal Democracy
• 05:04 Promoting Upward Mobility
• 07:30 Current Policies and Their Impact
• 09:11 Solutions and Fiscal Democracy
• 11:51 Breaking Through Short-term Thinking

YouTuber Natalie Wynn (aka "ContraPoints") spent a year immersing herself in the conspiracy theories wreckingour politics. Now, she’s sharing what she’s learned.

Wynn's latest video, “CONSPIRACY,” has racked up more than 4 million views with a deep dive into the history anddynamics of conspiracist thinking in America, and how conspiracism undermines democracy. The success of her approach could hold important lessons for how toloosen conspiracists’ grip on American politics.

Guest: Natalie Wynn

Hosts: Anne Kim and Gillen Martin

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to ContraPoints and Conspiracy Thinking

03:54 The Evolution of Conspiracy Theories

06:53 Understanding Conspiracist Thinking Patterns

09:40 Historical Context of Conspiracy Theories

13:33 Trump and the Rise of Conspiracism

16:24 The Role of QAnon in January 6th

19:22 Psychological Vulnerabilities to Conspiracist Thinking

22:18 Conspiracism's Threat to Democracy

Nearly 1 in 6 Americans lives in a “distressed” community. Where these Americans live and what they experience could explain alot about the rise of Trump.

As the architect of the Economic Innovation Group’s DistressedCommunities Index, Senior Fellow Kenan Fikri has spent the better part of the last decade discovering who is prospering in America—and where. The maldistribution of American opportunity, he warns, has led to stark divides, economically, socially and politically. On the other hand, he argues, understanding the geography of opportunity could help to heal these rifts.

Host: Anne Kim

Guest: Kenan Fikri, Senior Fellow, Economic Innovation Group

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Distressed Communities Index

01:48 Understanding Economic Distress

04:10 Geographic Distribution of Distress

05:58 Demographics of Distressed Communities

09:33 Gender Disparities in Economic Opportunity

09:51 Impact of Education on Community Well-Being

14:25 Health Outcomes in Distressed Communities

16:58 Political Polarization and Economic Distress

20:58 Solutions for Regional Inequality

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ian Johnson discusses thelife of Liu Xiaobo, China’s sole laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize. Though Liu is hardly a household name in America, he is a pivotal figure for understanding modern China, Johnson argues. Johnson's recent ⁠review⁠ of I Have No Enemies, by Perry Link and Wu Dazhi (Columbia University Press), won the Washington Monthly’s ⁠2025 Kukula Award for Excellencein Nonfiction Book Reviewing⁠ for large publications.Host: Anne KimGuest: Journalist Ian JohnsonChapters:00:00 Introduction to Liu Xiaobo and His Significance03:47 The Life and Legacy of Liu Xiaobo06:44 Understanding Chinese History Through Liu Xiaobo09:42 Grassroots Activism and the Role of the Internet12:55 The Decline of Civil Society in China15:21 Future of Chinese Dissidents and Liu Xiaobo's Impact18:28 Engagement vs. Containment: American Perspectives on China21:20 China's Approach to Global Challenges and Future TechnologiesSubscribe to the Washington Monthly's podcast:https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLonp7h9esu5hYFpElBTi8uC8HT5bSqpFQ&si=VMM10M3WJpqDN3RqRead the Washington Monthly:www.washingtonmonthly.comSubscribe to the Washington Monthly's PolicyFix playlist:https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLonp7h9esu5j_rTTHx-0Vv_T_AyQqoRaO&si=AANgMFJ6G2_cOUM4Subscribe to the Washington Monthly's Democracy 101 playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLonp7h9esu5hW58ZQq-q8JVvn5eHWL5PL

The pending sale of an historic federal building by Trump could mean the wrecking ball for the “Sistine Chapel of New Deal Art.”  

Journalist Timothy Noah discusses the masterpieces of New Deal Art housed at the Wilbur Cohen Building in Washington, D.C. that Americans should fight to save.

Hosts: Anne Kim and Garrett Epps

Guest: Timothy Noah

Chapters

00:00 The Hidden Treasures of American Art

03:48 The Legacy of Public Art Programs

06:10 The Life and Work of Ben Shahn

11:50 The Significance of the Cohen Building's Murals

16:27 The Threat to Cultural Heritage

21:59 The Call to Action for Preservation

2025 Kukula Award winner Christoph Irmscher discusses hisreview of Arlie Russell Hochschild’s book, Stolen Pride: Loss, Shame, and the Rise of the Right, and the vital role of criticism in civil society.

Host: Anne Kim

Guest: Christoph Irmscher, Distinguished Professor of English, Indiana University

Chapters

04:56 Insights from 'Stolen Pride' and Empathy Bridge

09:43 The Concept of Stolen Pride and Polarization

14:51 The Role of Book Reviews in Today's Society

18:46 The Art of Book Reviewing

23:39 The Importance of Professional Critics

Virginia’s upcoming gubernatorial election will be a trialrun for next year’s midterms and an early referendum on Trump. Pollster Pete Brodnitz, founder of Expeditioin Strategies, critiques the strategies emerging from these campaigns.

Host: Anne Kim

Guest: Pete Brodnitz, Founder, Expedition Strategies

Chapters:

00:00 Virginia's Upcoming Elections: A Bellwether for the Nation?

06:08 Candidate Profiles: A New Era in Virginia Politics

11:26 Campaign Strategies: Culture Wars vs. Kitchen Table Issues

16:39 Turnout Dynamics: Northern Virginia's Influence

22:29 Down-Ballot Races: The GOP's Split Ticket Strategy

In what’s become increasingly common practice in recentmonths, the Supreme Court recently used its “emergency docket” to lift a lower court injunction barring the use of racial profiling by federal immigration officials. The Court’s order allows ICE officers in Los Angeles to continue aggressive “roving patrols” and detention practices based on a person’sappearance.

While the Court’s order was unsigned, it was accompanied by a rare concurring opinion by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who argued on both procedural and substantive grounds that the raids are legal.

In this episode, Washington Monthly Legal Affairs Editor Garrett Epps speaks with contributing writer Peter Shane about theflaws in Kavanaugh’s reasoning. Chapters

00:00 Supreme Court's Decision on Racial Profiling

06:55 Justice Kavanaugh's Opinion and Its Implications

14:02 The Concept of Standing in Legal Cases

20:18 The Broader Impact of ICE's Targeting Practices

24:52 Concluding Thoughts on Civil Liberties and the Court's Role

In comparison to its glitzy neighbor in Princeton, NewJersey’s Montclair State University cuts a relatively low profile. But its impact on the region is just as profound.Montclair is New Jersey’s second largest public university, with 21,000 students – the majority of whom are racial minorities and half of whom are the first in their families to go to college.

Montclair is also among the top-ranked colleges inWashington Monthly’s 2025 College Guide and Rankings as a “Best Bang for the Buck” institution in the Northeast. In this sponsored episode, Montclair’s president, Jonathan Koppell, describes his institution as both public and public serving.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Montclair State University

03:23 Affordability and Financial Aid Programs

06:13 Work-Based Learning Experiences

09:28 Student Success and Retention Programs

12:04 Community Engagement and Public Service

15:29 Advice for Prospective Students