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Politicology

Politics in America is transforming. We’re embarking on a new series to deepen our understanding of who we are, how we got here, and how we rebuild without repeating the mistakes of the past. Ron Steslow hosts academics, behavioral economists, social psychologists, politicos, philosophers, anthropologists, journalists, poets, and storytellers—and more—to discuss America’s political present and future and dive into the deeper problems we face as a nation. Email us questions or comments:

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All Episodes

70:46

TAPPED: Maduro’s Capture

Politicology ·

2026/01/07

In the first week of the new year, the U.S. launches a dramatic operation in Venezuela that ends with Nicolás Maduro (and Cilia Flores) in U.S. custody, transported to New York to face narco-terorism charges. Ron and Hagar Chemali (Fmr. spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the UN) unpack what we know about the raid, why the administration says it happened, and why the real motive may be bigger than oil or drugs. Then they turn to the hardest questions: legality in a world where "international

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40:31

ENCORE: [+] Is Thinking Becoming a Luxury Good?

Politicology ·

2026/01/03

Ron Steslow and Olivier Knox discuss whether thinking is becoming a luxury good. They explore the alarming trend of declining literacy and the implications of digital media and AI on human thought and social interaction. Later, they discuss how the shift towards a post-literate society, characterized by short-form content and algorithmic reading, threatens the foundations of democracy and critical thinking.Related Reading: NYT - Thinking Is Becoming a Luxury GoodTIME - ChatGPT's Impact On Our Brains

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33:28

ENCORE: [+] Coverage Isn’t Care

Politicology ·

2026/01/03

Ron Steslow and Lucy Caldwell talk about the current healthcare landscape and the ongoing debate about how we pay for healthcare. They critique the ACA’s effectiveness, the challenges of health insurance coverage and explore market-based solutions. They also highlight the importance of personal advocacy in navigating healthcare and the evolving discourse around health and wellness, particularly in the context of AI's role in healthcare advocacy.Related Reading: NBC News - Senate Republicans plan

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45:09

ENCORE: Testimony—Part 2

Politicology ·

2026/01/01

You can pre-order Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation now at https://www.jonwardwrites.org/Jon Ward (Journalist and author of Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation) joins Ron Steslow to discuss growing up in the Evangelical Church, “Christian Trumpism,” and his new memoir. (06:05) Why Sarah Palin resonated with so many Christians (10:36) What having difficult conversations can teach you engagement and defensiveness (20:00)

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50:49

ENCORE: Testimony—Part 1

Politicology ·

2026/01/01

You can pre-order Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation now at https://www.jonwardwrites.org/ Jon Ward (Journalist and author of Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation) joins Ron Steslow to discuss growing up in the Evangelical Church, “Christian Trumpism,” and his new memoir. (03:28) Why Jon wrote the book (08:10) Being a “border-stalker” (14:36) The Jesus Movement (21:07) Understanding the different motivations (abortion

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36:12

What Happens After The End of Majority-Minority...

Politicology ·

2025/12/26

Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus.Ron Steslow and Mike Madrid discuss the redistricting wars, the Supreme Court case that could upend a central part of the Voting Rights Act, how Latinos becoming the largest minority group will make us rethink what being a “minority” even means, and how partisanship is becoming our primary identity. Related Reading: Axios - Virginia judge lets

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38:51

Is America a Creed or a Tribe?

Politicology ·

2025/12/26

Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus. Ron Steslow and Mike Madrid unpack historian Gordon S. Wood’s recent Wall Street Journal op-ed arguing that the United States is built on shared ideas, not shared bloodlines—and what that means in an era of rising “blood and soil” nationalism and demographic change. They dig into whether the American creed still has enough power to hold a

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68:27

U.S. Security: Mixed Signals, Clear Danger—The Weekly

Politicology ·

2025/12/20

In this episode, Ron is joined by Hagar Chemali (Fmr. spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the UN) to break down the Trump administration’s 2025 National Security Strategy—and why it reads like multiple agendas stitched together.They dig into the document’s big shift toward the Western Hemisphere, what “partnership without shared values” really implies, and how the administration’s internal split—isolationists vs. internationalists—creates real risk when the U.S. can’t speak with one

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72:10

“Let Them Eat Tariffs”—The Weekly

Politicology ·

2025/12/13

In this episode, Ron is joined by Lucy Caldwell (Board Advisor to the Renew Democracy Initiative) to confront the question hanging over Democratic politics: Can the Democratic Party keep pretending we’re not in a populist era? Lucy breaks down the party’s internal struggle between centrists and insurgents—and why both sides are wildly overinterpreting recent election results. Using the Maine Senate race as a case study, they examine how primaries reward disruption and narrative power, often at the

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46:56

LIVE from Unscripted: A Politicology Gathering

Politicology ·

2025/12/11

For the ad-free version of this episode, subscribe to Politicology+ at https://politicology.com/plusLast weekend, eleven Politicology listeners from all over the country joined Ron and Mike in person for a salon style retreat called Unscripted: A Politicology Gathering. They explored big questions like “What is the point of America?” and “What does it mean to be a citizen in the digital age?” In this episode, those same listeners share what they learned and how it’s changing how they think

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54:56

ENCORE: Your Face Belongs To Us — Part 2

Politicology ·

2025/12/05

Have you ever thought about what it means to be anonymous? Have you considered what it means that you can walk down the street or go to the grocery store or out to dinner without someone you’ve never met knowing your name, everything you’ve posted online, or your political leanings? Or when you go on a first date with someone, they’d walk in knowing your dating history, your political affiliations, your credit score or what groceries you buy? Advancements in facial recognition and a secretive

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39:16

ENCORE: Your Face Belongs To Us — Part 1

Politicology ·

2025/12/05

Have you ever thought about what it means to be anonymous? Have you considered what it means that you can walk down the street or go to the grocery store or out to dinner without someone you’ve never met knowing your name, everything you’ve posted online, or your political leanings? Or when you go on a first date with someone, they’d walk in knowing your dating history, your political affiliations, your credit score or what groceries you buy? Advancements in facial recognition and a secretive

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43:53

TAPPED: The Art of the Deal Behind the Deal

Politicology ·

2025/12/04

For the ad-free version of this episode, subscribe to Politicology+ at https://politicology.com/plusMolly McKew (writer and lecturer on Russian influence and information warfare) joins Ron to break down a whirlwind of revelations about Trumpworld’s back-channel contacts with the Kremlin—and what they mean for Ukraine’s survival. Molly explains the leaked call where envoy Steve Witkoff coached the Kremlin on how to influence Donald Trump. She details why this behavior is wildly outside diplomatic

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70:22

The Weekly: Mailbag Edition

Politicology ·

2025/11/29

In a special Thanksgiving-week episode of The Weekly, Ron Steslow and Mike Madrid sit down to answer your questions — about the deep fractures emerging inside the Republican Party, the escalating ICE raids in smaller cities, the boundary between sharp-elbowed politics and institutional destruction, the rise of AI, and the future of American civic life.In Politicology+ they unpack historian Gordon S. Wood’s recent Wall Street Journal op-ed arguing that the United States is built on shared

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67:30

A Ukraine “Peace Plan” Written in Moscow

Politicology ·

2025/11/25

For the ad-free version of this episode, subscribe to Politicology+ at https://politicology.com/plusLast week, a “peace plan” to end the war in Ukraine leaked to the press. It would force Kyiv to abandon its NATO ambitions, cap its armed forces and shower Moscow with concessions. In this episode Ron talks to Gabrielius Landsbergis (former Foreign Minister of Lithuania ) and Molly McKew (writer and lecturer on Russian influence and information warfare) about what’s in the plan, what it means for

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75:54

Epstein’s Global Web—The Weekly

Politicology ·

2025/11/22

This week, Ron Steslow and Hagar Chemali (Fmr. spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the UN) break down the newly released Epstein emails, what they show, what they don’t and why the national security implications are far bigger than the headlines.They dig into Epstein’s attempts to insert himself into global politics including offering Russia “insight” on Donald Trump and the strange connection between Larry Summers and China’s Belt and Road Initiative Then, they walk through why Congress forced

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75:08

The Seinfeld Shutdown and the Healthcare Time...

Politicology ·

2025/11/15

Washington just lived through a “Seinfeld shutdown”—a 43-day government closure over… basically nothing. Or was it nothing?This week, Ron Steslow is joined by Peter Suderman (features editor at Reason and host of the Reason Roundtable) to unpack the weirdest shutdown in modern memory and the deeply broken healthcare system underneath it. They dig into why Democrats picked this fight, why they folded even while winning the blame game, and what it says about Obamacare that it now needs emergency

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33:29

[+] Abundance vs. Socialism

Politicology ·

2025/11/15

Ron Steslow and Peter Suderman dive into the battle between the Abundance Agenda (Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson’s answer to America’s scarcity mindset) and the newly ascendant socialist wing embodied by New York City’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani. Related Reading: The Atlantic - Mamdani Has a Point About Rent Control - The Atlantic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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66:52

The Mirrorball Election—The Weekly

Politicology ·

2025/11/08

This week, Ron Steslow and Susan Del Percio (MSNBC political analyst and crisis communications expert) break down Tuesday night’s election results, Mamdani’s win in New York City, the blowout wins for moderate Democrats in New Jersey and Virginia, and how these wins highlight the identity crisis within the Democratic Party.In Politicology+ they unpack the Trump tariffs and the oral arguments in one of the most watched Supreme Court cases of the year. Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t

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28:01

ENCORE: [+] AI Giveth, AI Taketh

Politicology ·

2025/11/06

Nick Gillespie and host Ron Steslow discuss AI, what it’s doing to us, and our relationship with what it means to be human.Related media: NBC - Some of her closest relationships are with chatbots. That's more common than you think. Vox - The rise of chatbot “friends” | Vox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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