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PODCAST

The Political Orphanage

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

news politics

All Episodes

51:32

How to Start Your Own Country: No Man's Land

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/10/29

Legal and geographic quirks sometimes create "Terra Nullius"—land which no sovereign nation lays claim to. Literally, No Man's Land. In this weird geographic episode, we explore: Iceland, the Oklahoma Panhandle, Kowloon Walled City, Liberland, and the Kingdom of North Sudan.

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01:20:26

America’s Two Angry Dads: Jefferson and Hamilton

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/10/23

Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton offered two contrasting visions of what America should be and how the Constitution applies to it. Jeffrey Rosen is a legal scholar and the President of the National Constitution Center. He’s the author “The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle over Power in America."

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01:07:22

The Ethics of Performing for Dictators

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/10/16

Can comedians ethically perform standup for a despotic regime without endorsing it? Recently the Riyadh Comedy Festival invited furor when some comics schlepped to Saudi Arabia to perform–at great expense–while others declined in protest of supporting human rights abuses. Turner Sparks and Michael Ira Kaplan join to discuss. Space Tractor: And Other Short Stories, by Josh Jennings

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27:23

(Sneak Peak) From Branding to the Electric Chair

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/10/10

Okay, so what constitutes "cruel and unusual"? Why was it okay to brand horse thieves in the face in old timey days, but it's barbaric now? In the final installment of this year's Judge Week, we go over the history of cruel and unusual punishments; what scared the English into outlawing it in their Bill of Rights, and how America interpreted it for the first century of the Constitution. Then, landmark decisions which have further modified, narrowed, and evolved what constitutes as "cruel" in the

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01:44:18

How Texas Blocked Pornhub

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/10/09

Pornhub ceased operating in the Lone Star State after Texas implemented an age verification law. Pornhub, and other adult websites, said the compliance was too onerous, and the potential fines too staggering. In response, the Free Speech Coalition sued Texas in court for an injunction to block the law, on the grounds that by burdening protected (if offensive) speech it violated the first amendment. Texas responded by saying that requiring age verification online is no different than asking to see ID

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51:25

The Fight Over Gay Characters in Public Schools

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/10/08

In Mahmoud v. Taylor the Supreme Court affirmed parents rights to remove their children from LGBTQ material used in public schools. The Court ruled that opt-outs preserve separation of church and state, and protect parental rights. The Dissent maintains that exposure is not the same thing as indoctrination, and opt-outs are at best going to be an administrative nightmare, at worst a religious veto on acceptable content. Anastasia Boden of PLF joins to discuss.

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01:18:52

Rogue Judges and Birthright Citizenship

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/10/06

In Trump v. Casa the Supreme Court ruled that district judges cannot issue “universal injunctions” against the federal government… Well, what the hell does that mean? The ruling comes in regard to Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship. Is the Trump administration accurately “rediscovering” the true meaning of the Constitution, or just twisting and mangling it to make sure nobody here illegally can confer citizenship on their kids? Tim Sandefur of the Goldwater Institute joins to

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01:07:26

Katie Herzog Gives Me Advice On My Drinking Problem

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/10/01

I think I probably drink too much, and I ought to curb that before I wrinkle prematurely. Fortunately, there is Katie Herzog. You may know her as the host of the Blocked & Reported podcast, but she is also the author of “Drink Yourself Sober: The Science-Based Method to Break Free from Alcohol.” LINKS: Addicted to Dopamine https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/addicted-to-dopamine/id1439837349?i=1000601229295

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01:28:50

Daryl Davis Attends Klan Rallies (Rebroadcast)

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/09/29

Daryl Davis is an African American musician responsible for de-radicalizing over 200 Klansmen and Neo-Nazis in his attempts to understand racism. He joins Heaton to talk about his experience, contact science, and the best ways to overcome bigotry. This episode has been corrected for an audio error which previously occurred. If you see two episodes in your player, go with this one! Original air date: July 8, 2020

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01:40:20

Why Europe is Poorer than America

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/09/24

Europe’s GDP and purchasing power lag behind that of the United States. Why? Sam Bowman is the Editor of Works in Progress at Stripe, and the former Executive Director of the Adam Smith Institute. He recently wrote an article for Reason Magazine entitled "The Europoors Are Choosing to Have Less Then Americans. It Doesn't Have to Be this Way." He joins to discuss if Europe is actually poorer, and why.

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01:04:02

Does Liberalism Eat Itself?

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/09/17

Liberalism was once thought to be triumphant and inevitable, but at the moment it’s losing ground across the globe. Cass Sunstein joins to discuss what liberalism is, why it’s good, and some of the in-family debates. LINK: Cass Sunstein on Smarter Regulations https://www.thepoliticalorphanage.com/p/cass-sunstein-on-smarter-regulations-85e

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39:49

Charlie Kirk and the Heinous "Other"

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/09/12

Well, how do we respond after assassinations and political tragedies? Let's talk about it. Ugh. Link: Assassins Part II: A Loser Kills Garfield https://www.patreon.com/posts/130642450

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01:28:15

What Happens When the Ayatollah Falls?

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/09/03

If Iran’s Islamic Republic collapsed—or got pushed out—who would pick up the pieces? This week we look at the recent history of Iran, and the coup perpetrated by the CIA and MI6. To understand Iran’s broader political context, and the power players poised to seize leadership. Linked Bonus Episode: McKinley Dies and the Empire is Born On Patreon:

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01:07:37

Sweden Tried Socialism So You Don’t Have To

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/08/28

Is Sweden a socialist paradise? What do they do right and what have they screwed up on? Most importantly, what can Americans steal, replicate, and improve upon? To find out, I abducted the handsome and urbane intellectual Johan Norberg. Also I visit the ABBA Museum.

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01:45:58

What the Hell Is Finland Smiling About?

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/08/20

Finland routinely winds up at the top of global happiness surveys. Why? In this episode, I flew to Helsinki to wander around and chat up locals. Trying to figure out why: Their social trust is so teeteringly high How their social safety nets work How this combines to result in their contentedness. So that we can steal all that, and replicate it. Relevant Episode: The Nordic Theory of Everything https://www.thepoliticalorphanage.com/p/the-nordic-theory-of-everything-52a?r=1moac

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01:30:54

To Make a Terrifying Spoiler Candidate

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/08/13

It turns out, young voters (under fifty) are openly hostile to political parties, and are most likely to flip from election to election. This means the game is about to change as Millennials displace Baby Boomers as the largest voting bloc. So what happens? Adam Brandon is a senior advisor at The Independent Center, and the former and final president of FreedomWorks. He joins the show to discuss how an electoral surgical strike of a few house seats could introduce seismic waves to American politics

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01:27:57

Greg Lukianoff is Worried About Free Speech

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/08/06

Greg Lukianoff is the President of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, and along with Nadine Strossen, is the author of "The War on Words: 10 Arguments Against Free Speech--And Why They Fail."

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01:12:15

But Gene Epstein Hates the Fed

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/07/31

Does the Fed achieve its own stated goals? What are underlying ethical or practical issues with it? Soho Forum founder and economist Gene Epstein joins to make the case against the Federal Reserve. The SoHo Forum: https://www.thesohoforum.org/ Uncut Gene Epstein interview on the Federal Reserve: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1h_8wTj-0VrlMWsrtI6iIsewKvjZworu_/view?usp=sharing

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01:29:27

What the Hell Does the Federal Reserve Do?

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/07/30

What is the purported aim of the Federal Reserve? Why is it independent, or shoot for 2% targeted inflation? In part one of our series on the Fed, Jeremiah Johnson of the New Liberal podcast joins to explain, discuss, and field objections.

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01:00:14

How to Become Rich Serving in Congress

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/07/23

How can an unscrupulous person get elected to high office and make a buck by abusing public trust? To look into this matter we speak with former congressman (and former lobbyist) Scott Klug.

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591 results

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