The Brookings Cafeteria

Brookings Institution Senior Fellows Elaine Kamarck and Camille Busette discuss the results of the 2018 midterm elections, with focus on Democratic House gains, Republican Senate gains, and whether these changes presage working with President Trump on policy matters. They also address the record number of women elected to Congress, issues of racism, voter suppression, gerrymandering, and more. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on Apple Podcasts, send feedback email to [email protected], and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Vanessa Williamson, a fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, talks about whether the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, passed by a GOP-controlled Congress and signed by President Trump in December 2017, will have any effect on voters in the 2018 midterm elections. Also, meet Ryan Hass, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow, in another edition of our Coffee Break segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on Apple Podcasts, send feedback email to [email protected], and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Randall Akee, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the Economic Studies program at Brookings, discusses new research on the relationship between household incomes and voting in the U.S. He and his co-researchers discovered that an increase in a child's family income increases the likelihood that he or she becomes an active voter as an adult. Akee also discusses the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding North Dakota's requirement that voters have a street address, which may disenfranchise thousands of Native Americans who live on reservations. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on Apple Podcasts, send feedback email to [email protected], and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Isabel Sawhill, a senior fellow in Economic Studies at Brookings, addresses the economic, cultural, and political divisions in America today, and describes what she learned by talking with Americans in three cities about what they want—and don't want—from government. These discussions are the heart of her new book, "The Forgotten Americans: An Economic Agenda for a Divided Nation," in which she lays out a new agenda that "marries" red state values about work, family, and education with blue state policies. Also in this episode, a new Metro Lens segment, featuring Metropolitan Policy Program Senior Fellow Mark Muro talking about a new factbook on the state of the American heartland. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on Apple Podcasts, send feedback email to [email protected], and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Matthew Fiedler, a fellow in the Center for Health Policy at Brookings, addresses the health policy issues on voters' minds as the 2018 midterm elections approach. He reviews the Trump administration's changes to the Affordable Care Act, why Democratic candidates are placing more emphasis on health policy in their races than are Republicans, the topic of Medicaid expansion, and what repeal of the individual mandate could mean for health care in 2019 and beyond. For more special Brookings Cafeteria episodes about the 2018 midterms, visit the BCP page. Also, more research and analysis from Brookings experts about the elections are here. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on Apple Podcasts, send feedback email to [email protected], and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Alina Polyakova, a David M. Rubenstein fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings, addresses the question of Russia's potential involvement in the 2018 midterm elections. She also describes the latest tactics in disinformation campaigns and cyber threats, and how targeted nations can respond. Also in this edition, Molly Reynolds, fellow in Governance studies, analyzes the shape of House and Senate races, and looks ahead to the post-election Congress. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on Apple Podcasts, send feedback email to [email protected], and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Amy Liu, vice president and director of the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, addresses issues in gubernatorial and local races in the 2018 midterms, including the challenges of job growth, new technologies, and state preemption of local decision-making. Liu also addresses the urban-rural divide, which she says is "primarily a political and cultural one … being fanned by President Trump and his administration." For more analysis on the 2018 midterm elections, visit www.brookings.edu/2018midterms. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on Apple Podcasts, send feedback email to [email protected], and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

In the first episode of a special series on the 2018 midterm elections, Senior Fellow John Hudak describes some of the issues shaping the upcoming midterm elections and which common narratives around the elections are not supported by data. Also in this episode, David Wessel explains the Federal Reserve's recent decision to raise interest rates and the inherent difficulties in forecasting the economy. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on Apple Podcasts, send feedback email to [email protected], and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Nicol Turner Lee, a fellow in Governance Studies and the Center for Technology Innovation, discusses America's digital divide and challenges for people with lower incomes to access high-speed broadband and data networks. Turner Lee also describes the research she is conducting for an upcoming book and a photo story she published on the digital and economic divides in Staunton, Virginia. Also in this episode, Tarun Chhabra and Thomas Wright discuss Wright's book "All Measures Short of War" and the future of conflict between competing global powers. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on Apple Podcasts, send feedback email to [email protected], and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Senior Fellows E.J. Dionne and Robert Kagan discuss America's evolving but essential role in the liberal world order, the strength of democracy around the globe, and Kagan's new book "The Jungle Grows Back." Also in this episode, Andre Perry describes some of the factors that affect black female candidates' electoral success. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on Apple Podcasts, send feedback email to [email protected], and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the Brookings Podcast Network.