You Might Be Right

Governors Bredesen and Haslam are joined by Michael Strain, Director of Economic Policy Studies and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), and Jason Furman, a professor at Harvard and former chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, to discuss the defining issue of the 2026 midterms: the rising cost of living. Are we really in the middle of an affordability crisis? If so, what can the government do about it?

What does it mean for voters when the politicians get to choose their constituents, instead of the other way around? In this episode, Governors Haslam and Bredesen pull back the curtain on redistricting and gerrymandering, the once-obscure process now at the center of America’s fiercest political battles. The Governors speak with Jonathan Rodden, professor of political science at Stanford University, and Sam Wang, founder and director of the Princeton Gerrymandering Project and the Electoral Innovation Lab, about fair maps, how the newly drawn district lines might impact this midterm election and the implications for future elections.

In this special episode, former Tennessee Governors Phil Bredesen and Bill Haslam share personal stories about Dolly Parton and reflect on her life and legacy. Dolly had a remarkable ability to take stands, support causes, and use her influence without allowing herself to be pulled into partisan politics. What does it take to maintain the kind of universal appeal Dolly had? What can we learn from her approach?

Leading pollsters Kristen Soltis Anderson, a Republican, and Anna Greenberg, a Democrat, join Governors Bredesen and Haslam to open a new season of "You Might Be Right." In this episode, the Governors and their guests discuss the state of polling and the mood of the electorate heading into the 2026 midterm elections.

From redistricting to affordability, we’re diving into the issues defining the midterm elections in a new season of "You Might be Right." On Sept. 3, the Season 9 opens with an episode that features former governors Phil Bredesen and Bill Haslam in conversation with Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson and Democratic pollster Anna Greenberg about what voters are really thinking heading into November. Make sure you’re subscribed and follow along so you don’t miss new episodes, dropping every other week.

From the internet and GPS to vaccines and artificial intelligence, federal research funding has helped shape modern life, but should government still play such a large role in innovation? Jeffrey Miron, VP for Research at the Cato Institute and Economics Lecturer at Harvard, and Aldo Musacchio, Professor of Management and Economics at Brandeis, join Governors Haslam and Bredesen to debate whether taxpayer-funded research still makes sense in a world increasingly driven by private capital. 

AI is already reshaping everyday life, but the rules governing it are still up for debate. Kristian Stout, Director of Innovation Policy at the International Center for Law & Economics, and Bruce Schneier, security technologist and author, join Governors Haslam and Bredesen to explore whether AI regulation should come from the market, the states, or the federal government.

As billions of federal dollars flow through state budgets, who should decide how that money gets spent? Former IN Governor & OMB Director Mitch Daniels and Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center co-director Elena Patel join Governors Bredesen and Haslam to unpack the balance between federal priorities and state flexibility, and what it means for taxpayers.

Ahead of the fall midterms, Larry Lessig, a professor at Harvard Law School, and Brad Smith, former chair of the Federal Election Commission and a professor at Capital University Law School, join Governors Bredesen and Haslam to examine the campaign finance system driving election spending. Political spending enables expression and participation – but at what cost?

Has the American presidency become too powerful? In this episode, Governors Bredesen and Haslam are joined by Jack Goldsmith, a professor at Harvard Law School, and Ilya Shaprio, a senior fellow and director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Institute, to discuss the history, arguments, and constitutional stakes behind the not-so-simple question: can the President really do that?