DIA-Today: Democracy in America Today

We begin our review of key documents of the American revolutionary era by discussing how notions of consent and lawful resistance from the Stamp Act Congress’s Declaration of Rights can inform our debate over resistance to ICE actions in Minnesota and beyond.  Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:53) - We discuss the full arrival of winter in Colorado and New Jersey.  The Declaration of Rights (2:54) - We discuss the context of the Stamp Act Congress Declaration of Rights and the core principles of consent and lawful resistance. Link: The Declaration of Rights.  No Taxation Without Representation (22:45) - We discuss how the founding era principle of “no taxation without representation” applies to present concerns about the responsiveness of government. Link: Demosclerosis by Jonathan Rauch. Rebellion and Lawful Resistance (32:17) - We consider the rights and wrongs of resistance to authority in light of the activities in Minnesota, Paul’s injunction in Romans 13, and the principles of the Declaration of Rights. Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (49:54) - We review our picks for the College Football Championship game and the Patriots’ game against the Texans and make our projections for the Super Bowl.  Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com YouTube: @DIAToday Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We discuss the recent military operation in Venezuela in light of the principles of the Monroe Doctrine and American First foreign policy, as summarized in Dr. Angelo Codevilla’s final book. Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:53) - We discuss the beginning of the semiquincentennial year of the United States and our plans for a new podcast series leading up to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.  John Quincy Adams and the Monroe Doctrine (3:25) - We review the principles of the Monroe Doctrine using Dr. Codevilla’s book, America’s Rise and Fall Among Nation: Lessons in Statecraft from John Quincy Adams. Links: Dr. Codevilla’s book; Monroe Seventh Annual Message.  The Monroe Doctrine, America First, and Venezuela (27:22) - We discuss how the principles of the Monroe Doctrine apply to President Trump’s extraction of Nicholas Maduro and his wife from Venezuela and the possible next steps for American foreign policy.  Links: The Hill on the legality of the Venezuela incursion; Reid Smith at Foreign Affairs; J. Michael Waller on the “Donroe” Doctrine. Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (50:16) - We review Dave’s extraordinary picks for the first round of the College Football Playoff and make our projections for the national championship game, the Patriots-Texans game, and the AFC and NFC champions. Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com YouTube: @DIAToday Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We continue our series on the book Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla by discussing chapter 6: “Angelo Codevilla, Common Sense, and Missile Defense” by Brian T. Kennedy.  Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:53) - We discuss Christmas plans and the upcoming retirement of our former pastor, Steve Magee.  Review: “Angelo Codevilla’s Failure, and Ours” (4:10) - We review the lessons of the fifth chapter of Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic. “Angelo Codevilla, Common Sense, and Missile Defense” (11:25) - We discuss Dr. Codevilla’s application of common sense in outlining a classic American foreign policy and the implications for conflicts from the Cold War to Ukraine and Venezuela today. Links: George Washington’s “Farewell Address”; Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books. Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (50:40) - We review our picks for the Power 4 College Football Conference Championship games, where Dave went 4-0, and make our predictions for the first round of the College Football Playoffs.  Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com YouTube: @DIAToday Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books. Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We continue our series on the book Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla by discussing chapter 5: “Angelo Codevilla’s Failure, and Ours” by David P. Goldman.  Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:53) - We discuss Dave’s Thanksgiving trip to New England and the beginning of the Christmas season. Review: “The Compleat Political Thinker” (2:43) - We review the lessons of the fourth chapter of Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic. “Angelo Codevilla’s Failure, and Ours” (5:08) - We discuss Dr. Codevilla’s decision to pursue a calling as a professor and public intellectual rather than opportunities that he had in the intelligence and scientific communities and the broader challenges of bringing about a reform of ruling class politics with a populist movement led by political outsiders.  Link: Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books.  Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (37:57) - We discuss the good football and our bad picks for the Thanksgiving NFL games and make our predictions for the Power 4 college football conference championship games with a special interest in their implications for Dave’s adopted Notre Dame Fighting Irish.   Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com YouTube: @DIAToday Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books. Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We continue our series on the book Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla by discussing chapter 4: “The Compleat Political Thinker” by Steve Heyward.  Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:53) - We celebrate reaching our 100th episode after 5 ½ years. Review: “Angelo Codevilla’s America: A Possession for All Time” (3:54) - We review the lessons of the third chapter of Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic. “The Compleat Political Thinker” (8:57) - We discuss Dr. Codevilla’s ability to comment intelligently on the full range of political topics and his gift for challenging conventional "wisdom." Link: Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books.  Gradebook (28:05) - In honor of our 100th episode, we bring back the Gradebook, responding to President Trump’s apparent wish that the new Washington Commander’s football stadium be named in his honor. Link: ESPN on naming the new stadium.  Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (33:46) - We discuss our poor election day predictions and make our picks for the four Thanksgiving holiday NFL games.  Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com YouTube: @DIAToday Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books. Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We continue our series on the book Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla by discussing chapter 3: “Angelo Codevilla’s America: A Possession for All Time” by David Corbin. Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:53) - We discuss Dave’s family’s recent trip to Mexico and the benefits of exposing kids to foreign cultures.  Review: “Angelo Codevilla, the Anti-Millenarian” (3:58) - We review the lessons of the second chapter of Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic. “Angelo Codevilla’s America: A Possession for All Time” (8:59) - We discuss Dr. Codevilla’s love for his adopted home and how his study of regimes and Machiavelli contributed to his efforts to reinvigorate American republicanism.  Link: Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books.  Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (48:32) - With election day nearly upon us, we make our predictions for the outcome of key races in New York City, New Jersey, and Virginia. Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com YouTube: @DIAToday Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books. Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We continue our series on the book Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla by discussing chapter 2: “Angelo Codevilla, The Anti-Millenarian” by Robert Reilly.  Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:53) - We discuss Patriots' recent success and trying to wait as long as possible to turn on the heat.  Review: “The Man Who Kept the CIA Up at Night” (3:04) - We review the lessons of the first chapter of Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic. Link: J. Michael Waller, “The Man Who Kept the CIA Up at Night”. “Angelo Codevilla, the Anti-Millenarian” (8:23) - We discuss Dr. Codevilla's rejection of millenarianism and the threat of the millennial impulse that runs through all of us. Link: Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books  “Millenarian Mobs” (20:20) - We discuss Dr. Codevilla’s summer 2020 article analyzing the roots of millenarianism. Link: Angelo Codevilla, “Millenarian Mobs” Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (41:05) - We review the progress of our baseball playoffs picks (Dave continues his remarkable run) and then, with the NBA season starting next week, make our preseason predictions for Eastern Conference, Western Conference, and overall NBA champion.  Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com YouTube: @DIAToday Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books. Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We begin a series on the book Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo Codevilla by discussing the opening chapter “The Man Who Kept the CIA Up at Night” by J. Michael Waller. Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:53) - We discuss the memorial service for Dave’s father-in-law and the Boston-New York wild card series.  “The Man Who Kept the CIA Up at Night” (3:46) - We discuss Dr. Codevilla’s efforts to ensure that American intelligence agencies serve the public rather than cultural fads or their own institutional good. Link: J. Michael Waller, “The Man Who Kept the CIA Up at Night”. Reorienting the American Military (19:09) - We discuss Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s recent speech to America’s military leaders, its connection to Dr. Codevilla’s efforts, and the reaction by present and former “senior military officials.” Links: Secretary Hegseth’s speech, MSN article on reaction to Hegseth’s speech, NYT reporter on reaction to Hegseth’s speech, National Review editorial on Hegseth’s speech.   Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (42:02) - We do a quick recap of our poor predictions for the Ryder Cup, congratulate Dave on predicting the exact number of regular season wins for both the Red Sox and Yankees back in March, and make our World Series predictions.  Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com YouTube: @DIAToday Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo Codevilla at Encounter Books. Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We conclude our series based on our 2010 book, Keeping Our Republic: Principles for a Political Reformation, by discussing the state of our republic in the shadow of the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:53) - We discuss the assassination of Charlie Kirk and his connections with the Tea Party and MAGA movements. The Strengths and Weaknesses of the Tea Party and MAGA movements (5:12) - We discuss the trajectory of conservatism from the Tea Party to the MAGA era.  Our Revolutionary Moment (20:03) - We discuss the depths of the present American political crisis using an essay from our late teacher Dr. Angelo Codevilla. Link: Angelo Codevilla, “Our Revolution’s Logic”. Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (41:56) - After reviewing our mediocre football picks from the last several weeks, we make our predictions for the upcoming Ryder Cup. Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com YouTube: @DIAToday Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We continue our series based on our 2010 book, Keeping Our Republic: Principles for a Political Reformation, by discussing the principle of prudence and its application to contemporary politics.  Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:52) - We discuss big news for the Corbin family and our expanded social media presence. The Fifth Principle: Prudence (3:23) - We discuss the role of prudence in statesmanship, contrasting the prudent statesman with grandstanders and conceders. Link: Louis Menand, The Metaphysical Club. Lincoln’s Prudence (17:21) - We discuss Abraham Lincoln’s “Second Inaugural Address” and his prudence in addressing the fundamental divide that led to the Civil War and his efforts to rebuild the nation after it. Link: Abraham Lincoln, “Second Inaugural Address.” Prudence in the Debate Over Citizenship (33:13): We discuss ways to make progress in our national debates concerning DEI and immigration through the lens of forming a common understanding of American citizenship. Link: James Hankins on assimilation. Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (40:11) - We predict how many games the New England Patriots will win this season and make our picks for five games from the opening week of the NFL. Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com YouTube: @DIAToday Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We continue our series based on our 2010 book, Keeping Our Republic: Principles for a Political Reformation, by discussing the principle of lawfulness and its application to contemporary politics.  Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:53) - We discuss Dave’s trip to New England and the approach of another school year. The Fifth Principle: Lawfulness (3:07) - We discuss the importance of the rule of law as well as the limits of the presumption in favor of obedience to the law. Links: Abraham Lincoln, Young Men’s Lyceum Address, Federalist 62. Lawfulness Applied (26:59) - We discuss how the principle of lawfulness has been challenged by the dueling gerrymandering threats, executive-decreed tariff policies, and the recent deal between the Trump Administration and Nvidia and AMD concern microchip exports to China. We also consider the tension between justice and lawfulness and the tension between necessity and lawfulness. Links: WSJ on Ford’s domestic manufacturing investment, CNBC on the Nvidia/AMD deal, John Puri on the Nvidia/AMD deal, John Locke, Of Prerogative. Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (49:24) - We review Dave’s success at Saratoga, the Red Sox’s deadline deals, and make our picks for five big college football season openers.  Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We continue our series based on our 2010 book, Keeping Our Republic: Principles for a Political Reformation, by discussing the principle of justice and its application to contemporary politics.  Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:52) - We discuss Dave’s upcoming trip to New England and the heat wave hitting New Jersey. The Fourth Principle: Justice (4:25) - We discuss the founders’ understanding of justice and contrast that with the factious behavior that is so common and dangerous in a republic. Link: Federalist 10. Justice Applied (30:30) - We discuss the way that faction has undermined justice in recent public policy decisions and debates. Links: the Trump-EU trade deal, Christian Schneider on the 2005 Social Security debate; AEI study on Social Security reform. Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (44:29) - We review our picks for the British Open, talk about the Red Sox new star Roman Anthony, predict the Sox’s trade deadline day action, and forecast Dave’s prospects for his weekend at Saratoga. Link: Roman Anthony stats at BaseballReference. Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We continue our series based on our 2010 book, Keeping Our Republic: Principles for a Political Reformation, by discussing the principle of honor and its application to contemporary politics.  Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:53) - We discuss our summer vacations and the Red Sox’s great run of win heading into the All-Star break.. The Third Principle: Honor (4:12) - We discuss the difference between a statesman on the one hand, and three corruptions of the political idea: the demagogue, the office-seeker, and the Caesar. Link: Cook Political Report on competitive House seats.    Restoring Honor (28:42) - We discuss the place of honor in an orderly society with help from Waller Newell’s book, The Code of Man. Links: Waller Newell, The Code of Man. Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (38:03) - We review our recent picks and make our predictions for The British Open. Links: WSJ on Tommy Fleetwood.  Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We continue our series based on our 2010 book, Keeping Our Republic: Principles for a Political Reformation, by discussing the principle of moral responsibility and its application to contemporary politics.  Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:53) - We discuss plans for the 4th of July and some very American ways to honor the country. The Second Principle: Responsibility (3:05) - We discuss what it meant for the founders and what it means for us to live under the authority of God and His law. Link: WSJ article on the proposed AI state law moratorium..    AI Unbound? (21:53) - We discuss the government’s role in enforcing moral limits on technologies like Artificial Intelligence and contemporary proposals to protect human dignity from technological advances unmoored from ethical norms. Links: Toscano and Hayden on the proposed AI regulation moratorium; A Future for the Family. Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (37:40) - We anticipate Joey Chestnut’s return to the Nathan’s 4th of July hot dog eating contest and make our picks for the men’s and women’s finalist and champions at Wimbledon. review our picks for the Kentucky Derby and predict how many hot dogs Joey Chestnut will eat on July 4. Link: Grand Slam results for Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alvaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, Emma Navarro, Elena Rybakina. Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We begin a new series based on our 2010 book, Keeping Our Republic: Principles for a Political Reformation, by reviewing the first principle discussed, equality.  Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:53) - We discuss the arrival of summer in Colorado and New Jersey. Introducing Keeping Our Republic (2:17) - We discuss the vision behind Keeping Our Republic and our plan to revisit its arguments 15 years later. Link: Charles C. W. Cooke on Normalcy.    The First Principle: Equality: (23:18) - We discuss the founders’ understanding of human equality and its application today. Link: Joseph Pieper, Abuse of Language, Abuse of Power.  Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (46:58) - We review our picks for the Kentucky Derby and predict how many hot dogs Joey Chestnut will eat on July 4. Link: Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Results. Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We review the first 100 days of President Trump’s second term and talk about the origins and trajectory of the Trump coalition.  Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:54) - We discuss Dave’s recent visit to Green Bay for the NFL draft. President Trump’s First 100 Days (2:27) - We respond to President Trump’s speech marking the end of the first 100 days of his presidency. Link: Transcript of President Trump’s speech.    President Trump’s Movement and Self-Understanding: (23:49) - We discuss Dave’s understanding of how the ascendance of what David Brooks called the “BoBos” led to the coalescing of President Trump’s coalition of Workers and Believers (WoBels). Link: David Brooks, Bobos in Paradise.  Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (53:23) - We make our picks for the upcoming Kentucky Derby. Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We discuss the case for and against President Trump’s tariffs in the broader context of American economic and moral prosperity. Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:53) - We talk about spring skiing and avoiding mishap on the slopes Tariffs in Context (2:28) - We discuss the historical and philosophical context of President Trump’s tariff with help from Alexander Hamilton’s “Report on Manufactures” and Plator’s Republic. Links: Hamilton, “Report on Manufactures”; Plato, The Republic, Book 2.    The Case For and Against President Trump’s Tariffs: (26:25) - We discuss thoughtful arguments made for and against President Trump’s tariffs. Links: Paul Mueller and the case against; Noah Rothman and degrowth; Shane Harris on elites and tariffs; Park McDougald on Tariffs and China; Julio Rivera on a blue-collar renaissance; Spencer Morrison on job growth; Angelo Codevilla’s Advice for War Presidents.  Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (42:21) - We review our poor NCAA tournament picks and project the winner of the Master’s Tournament.  Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We continue our discussion of the first 100 days of President Trump’s second administration by focusing on his plans for the Department of Education and a program for education reform. Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:54) - We discuss the arrival of March weather and March Madness. Ending the Department of Education? (2:03) - We discuss President Trump’s plans to close the Department of Education along with the current staffing and spending of the department. Links: President Trump’s pending executive order; Plans to reduce Department of Education staffing; Blue State Attorneys General lawsuit.     Education Ancient and Modern: (8:07) - We reflect on classical models of education, the significance of Christianity in refining those models, and the contemporary American focus on career preparation in education. Links: Aristotle, The Politics, book VIII; Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Book II.  Reforming Education (21:49) - We address three problems in the contemporary approach to school community and culture, correctives of each, and the prospects for operationalizing them in our day.  Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (36:01) - We make our picks for the Final Four of the NCAA tournament and the low seed that will make the deepest run.  Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of his present or former employers.

We continue our examination of the first 100 days of the second Trump Administration by discussing the constitutional and political questions around DOGE. Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:53) - We discuss what we did last week in light of Elon Musk’s email to federal employees asking them the same and the overall question of government accountability. Links: Donald Trump statement; Federal Debt. DOGE (4:28) - We discuss the constitutional objections that have been raised to DOGE, the political resistance that has arisen, and the prospects for getting control of the federal deficit and debt. Links: Alan Charles Raul on the unconstitutionality of DOGE; WSJ on DOGE; Who let the DOGE out?; Andy McCarthy on the Dellinger case; House Budget Resolution; DOGE homepage.    Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (33:19) - We make our predictions for the Red Sox and Yankees this year.  Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We begin our examination of the first 100 days of the second Trump Administration by discussing his use of executive power. Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission. Opening (0:52) - We catch up after a mid-winter break from the show. The Constitutional Executive (1:12) - We discuss the difference between a constitutional “energetic” executive and an imperial president. Links: Yuval Levin on executive power; Federalist 70; Mike Johnson on executive power.    An Energetic Executive or an Imperial President? (20:58) - We discuss key early actions of the Trump Administration and their appropriateness under our constitutional system. Links: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities on Impoundment; Title IX; US v. Wong Kim Ark (1898);  Tim Kaine and Chris Koons bill. Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (38:11) - We make our picks for Super Bowl winner and MVP.  Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.