 What's the optimum size of a country? As countries get bigger, does the nature of governance necessarily change?     In this episode, we explore scaling—how an increasingly large nation-state adapts, or fails, to deliver services competently. 

Why America Can’t Europe

Politics minus bile plus jokes. Comedian and avowed independent Andrew Heaton interviews authors and thought leaders about policy and big thinky stuff.

Comedy

News

Politics

Jeffrey Rosen is a legal scholar and the President of the National Constitution Center. He’s the author “the Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America.”  Book at www.mightyheaton.com/featured

Cicero and the Founding Fathers

Protests over Israel and Hamas have become so heated at Columbia that it’s canceled in-person classes the rest of the semester. Anti-Israel protests are becoming not just a flashpoint in America’s culture war, but within Blue Team itself. What’s happening? The World’s Smartest Podcast Network assembles to discuss: Andrew Heaton, Dr. Andrea Jones-Rooy, and Michael Ira Kaplan.  We’re Not Wrong Live Show: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/were-not-wrong-live-in-washington-dc-tickets-882962824577?aff=erelexpmlt  

College Campuses Are So Very Very Passionate (WSPN)

James Judkins started out as a circus worker, eating swords and fire, then working up to ringleader and manager. As a talent scout operating in other countries, he became professionally involved in sorting visas foreign countries, then eventually transitioned to a full-time visa agency. He joins the show to discuss 1) what it’s like working at the circus, and 2) how temp visas work for seasonal workers, and how they could work better. 

Understanding Immigration Through Circus Folk

There’s a pervasive idea that in the 1950s America had single-earner families who could more easily afford housing, car payments, groceries and college, so maybe we should go back to the political economy of that era? In this special, we visit Fiftiesland and see how it stacks up to modern America. Support the show! Patreon.com/andrewheaton Venmo: @andrew-heaton-1  

Was Life Easier in the Fifties?

Tom Merritt of Daily Tech News joins to discuss the underlying technology of AI and Large Language Models, and what people get wrong about both.  Pre-order Tom’s book at: www.tomsnewbook.com SUPPORT THE SHOW! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton  Heaton and Nick sketch comedy: mightyheaton.com/vagabonding Bonus Episode: How to Use AI for Work  https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-how-to-use-98003840?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm;_source=copyLink&utm;_campaign=postshare_creator&utm;_content=join_link Bonus: A.I. Wrote and Recorded An En Entire Episode  https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-i-wrote-77020469?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm;_source=copyLink&utm;_campaign=postshare_creator&utm;_content=join_link  

Why America Can’t Europe

Download our free app to listen on your phone