Mike talks with Bruce Schneier, an internationally renowned security technologist, a lecturer at Harvard’s Kennedy School, and the New York Times bestselling author of 14 books. They focus on his latest book, co-authored with Nathan Sanders: Rewiring Democracy: How AI Will Transform Our Politics, Government, and Citizenship.

Topics Mike & Bruce discuss include:

Democracy as an information system and what that means for governance.

How AI differs from past technologies in shaping politics.

Government adoption of AI worldwide, from pilots to legislation drafting.

The risks of hallucinations, deepfakes, and overconfidence in AI systems.

Transparency, explainability, and legitimacy concerns around AI use.

The promise of public AI versus corporate-controlled systems.

AI’s role in legislation, lobbying, and citizen participation.

Potential for AI to make bureaucracies more efficient without replacing humans.

The dangers and opportunities of AI for authoritarian regimes.

Why regulation of human use of AI—not just AI itself—is essential.

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In this supporter show, Trey and Justin start a new topic: ideologies. The pair dive into the definition of political ideologies, historical context, and the complexities that arise from the interplay between empirical observations and abstract ideas. They discuss the significance of understanding the distinction between 'is' and 'ought' in political science, the relationship between ideologies and political parties, and the philosophical foundations that shape ideological beliefs. The conversation also touches on how different ideologies divide within themselves. Join Trey and Justin as they help listeners understand and clarify their own political beliefs and misconceptions about contemporary ideologies!

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In this episode of The Politics Guys, Trey and Justin discuss the recent indictment of James Comey by the DOJ, analyzing its unusual nature and the implications of President Trump's public statements regarding the legal proceedings. This includes questions about the motivations of the DOJ’s motives and the highly unusual nature of the indictment itself.

Next is a discussion of President Trump and RFK Jr’s press conference on Tylenol and autism. Trey outlines the most recent research on the potential connections between the two, with a focus on the nature of correlation studies, and refutes claims that Amish people do not have any rates of autism. Justin brings even more detail into the nature of double-blind studies.

Then the pair turn to Trump's UN speech. Here, Trey outlines President Trump’s bold claims about international relations, immigration, and his role as a peacemaker. The pair also discuss their agreement with Trump on the flaws of the UN and, notably, deep agreement that India and the EU supplying Russia with money via oil allows Russia to pursue its military goals.

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Mike talks with Jason Pack, host of the Disorder podcast, in this crossover episode. In addition to hosting the Disorder podcast, Jason is an Associate Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a Senior Analyst for Emerging Challenges at the NATO Defense College Foundation, and the author of Libya & the Global Enduring Disorder.

Topics Mike & Jason discuss include:

What “global enduring disorder” means.

Why Cold War unity faded.

Power: hard, soft, cultural & convening.

Neopopulism’s fake solutions.

U.S. blunders in Iraq & Afghanistan.

Why Ukraine is different.

Trump, Israel & the Middle East.

Reasons for optimism amid disorder.

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Mike and Michael open with the turmoil inside the FBI under Director Kash Patel, highlighting Patel’s public clashes with Congress, mass agent departures, and lawsuits alleging unlawful firings. Michael argues that Patel is dangerously unqualified and politicizing the Bureau, while Mike stresses the long-term damage caused by the loss of experienced agents and the trend toward authoritarian-style loyalty tests.

Next, they turn to the U.S. military’s sinking of Venezuelan boats allegedly tied to drug trafficking, which killed over a dozen people. Michael warns that the strikes are illegal, reckless, and set a chilling precedent, while Mike emphasizes the cruelty and performative toughness behind such actions, questioning what it says about America’s political culture.

After that, Mike poses a series of listener-inspired questions to Michael: he reflects on his conflicted views about capital punishment, considers possible Republican contributions like limited budget guardrails, and stresses the need for long-term thinking on issues such as immigration, climate change, and fiscal responsibility.

The guys close with listener questions on political “othering” and whether Disney boycotts will matter. Michael points to the dangers of demonizing opponents and agrees boycotts are more about personal expression than real impact, while Mike highlights the rarity of effective boycotts and the broader risks when dissent itself is cast as un-American.

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Mike is joined by a new host, political scientist Michael Levy. They open with the political and constitutional fallout from Charlie Kirk’s murder, focusing on government crackdowns on speech. Michael stresses the deeper problem of weaponizing government against dissent, while Mike argues this shows the split between Trump loyalists and constitutional conservatives like Ted Cruz.

Next, they turn to Trump’s deployment of National Guard units to cities like Memphis and proposals for tougher sentencing in D.C. Michael emphasizes that these measures are often more about optics than addressing root causes of crime, while Mike worries about performative politics without clear objectives and the loss of bipartisan reform momentum.

After that, the discussion moves to the looming government shutdown. Michael predicts a shutdown is likely, given the lack of cross-party negotiations and high stakes over ACA subsidies, while Mike highlights that majority parties almost never win shutdown battles and sees Democrats trying to leverage their strongest policy terrain—healthcare.

The guys close with reflections on polarization and leadership. Michael doubts Schumer has leverage to force concessions, while Mike stresses that Democrats cannot afford to fold on ACA subsidies despite the risks of shutdown politics.

Listen to Mike’s appearance on the What Do We Do Next? Podcast

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Mike talks with Osita Nwanevu, a contributing editor at The New Republic, columnist at The Guardian, and the Democratic Institutions fellow at the Roosevelt Institute. He’s also the author of The Right of the People: Democracy and the Case for a New American Founding, which they discuss on this episode

Topics Mike & Osita cover include:

why democracy is the best political system

the ‘folk theory’ of democracy

if Americans actually care about democracy

democracy and demagogues

grounding principles for modern democracy

the Framers’ views of democracy

reforms to make the US system more democratic

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Trey and Justin cover the recent firing of UK ambassador Peter Mandelson over his connections to Jeffrey Epstein and the implications of Trump's involvement with Epstein. Next, they reflect on the 24th anniversary of 9/11, discussing its lasting impact on American politics and society, and the evolution of political responses to terrorism. The pair also make connections to the lessons of 9/11, the Oklahoma City Bombing, and the current culture of political violence in the United States.

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Trey and Justin discuss the tragic death of political figure Charlie Kirk, exploring the implications of political violence in the United States. They analyze the rhetoric surrounding the incident, the role of social media in exacerbating tensions, and the need for empathy in political discourse. Next, the pair discuss the Supreme Court's recent rulings on immigration policy, emphasizing the importance of due process and civil liberties. The Trey and Justine finish with a call for civil dialogue and understanding in a polarized political landscape.

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Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support atpatreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

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Mike talks with David Garland, the Arthur Vanderbilt Professor of Law and Professor of Sociology at New York University. He’s the author of multiple books, including the recently released Law and Order Leviathan: America’s Extraordinary Regime of Policing and Punishment, which they discuss on this episode

Topics Mike & David cover include:

why the US justice system is so deeply punitive

how American capitalism affects our penal system

American gun culture and crime

why crim is down but incarceration is up

race, family cohesion, and the prison population

how the US differs from other rich democracies

regional incarceration differences within the US

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The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

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