The National Affairs Podcast

In principle, federal agency missions are set when agencies are created, and so remain rooted in the ambitions of the president and the Congress who decided they were necessary. But in reality, political change tends to transform agencies’ missions in both subject and scope. Understanding how this occurs can clarify the nature of presidential power and the character of constitutional evolution.Guest Tevi Troy joins us to discuss how agency missions have changed during recent presidential administrations, and how Congress can act to restore the constitutional separation of powers. Tevi Troy is a senior fellow at the Ronald Reagan Institute, a former deputy secretary of Health and Human Services, and former senior White House aide. He is the author of five books on the presidency, including The Power and the Money: The Epic Clashes between Commanders in Chief and Titans of Industry (Regnery History, 2024).This podcast discusses themes from Tevi’s essay in the Fall 2025 issue of National Affairs, “Who Gives Federal Agencies Their Purpose?”

Higher education has a civic mission. The public knows that, but faculty and administrators seem to have lost sight of it. Instead of transmitting shared civic principles, universities often frame civics through polarized partisan lenses. Restoring civic education to its unifying role would require teaching democratic practices and constitutional ideals in ways that encourage pluralism rather than entrench division.Guest Daniel DiSalvo joins us to discuss how civic education can help university students and the broader public disagree better and act together. Daniel DiSalvo is professor and associate dean of the School of Civic Life and Leadership at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. He serves on the Public Scholars Advisory Committee of the Moynihan Center and was previously professor of political science at the City College of New York-CUNY.This podcast discusses themes from an essay by DiSalvo and Carlo Invernizzi Accetti in the Fall 2025 issue of National Affairs: “Civics, Partisanship, and the Academy.”

Has artificial intelligence advanced to the point where robots possess creative abilities and impulses? If so, or if that moment comes, what could it mean for humanity, and what would it demand of us? These are questions at the cutting edge of innovation. Yet to best address them, we need to look to the deepest roots of our society’s moral wisdom.Guest Michael Rosen joins us to discuss how Jewish tradition and legend can inform our approach to technology. Michael Rosen is an attorney and writer in Israel, a non-resident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and author of Like Silicon from Clay: What Ancient Jewish Wisdom Can Teach Us about AI.This podcast discusses themes from Michael’s essay, which was adapted from his book for the Summer 2025 issue of National Affairs: “Ancient Wisdom, Modern Tools.”

As the American republic approaches the 250th anniversary of her birth, conservatives face a serious paradox: How can we ever hope to preserve a revolutionary foundation? The thought of Russell Kirk offers an especially rich source of insight regarding that peculiar paradox. Kirk saw the Revolution as compelling the founders to remember their great inheritance — just as we should today.Guest Michael Lucchese joins us to discuss the founders’ “revolution of memory” and how conservatives today might preserve it.Michael Lucchese is the founder of Pipe Creek Consulting, a communications firm based in Washington, D.C. He is also an associate editor of Law & Liberty, and a contributing editor to Providence.This podcast discusses themes from Michael’s essay in the Summer 2025 issue of National Affairs, “Russell Kirk’s Revolution of Memory.”

Whether it’s foreign-policy hawks on the right, cultural conservatives on the left, or fiscal conservatives anywhere, the reductive binary of today’s electoral options can be deeply frustrating for intraparty minority groups. Considering how various 19th-century movements combined to form the Republican Party offers some paths out of that frustration.Guest Jennifer Dresden joins us to discuss the forgotten history of fusion voting and how it might serve disaffected voters today. Jennifer Dresden is a policy strategist at Protect Democracy, a non-profit and non-partisan group dedicated to promoting “free and fair elections, the rule of law, fact-based debate, and a better democracy for future generations.” This podcast discusses themes from Jennifer’s essay in the Spring 2025 issue of National Affairs, “Strategic Fusion and the GOP.”

The left in America has long accused the right of advancing minority rule and rejecting the principles of democracy. Though there is some truth to that charge, it applies as much to the left itself as it does to the right. A closer look at housing and infrastructure regulations, public-employee unions, professional licensing, and the governance of higher education suggests that “minoritarianism” pervades our politics. Guest Steve Teles joins us to discuss the bipartisan penchant for minority rule and how lawmakers might restore a more majoritarian, democratic politics. Steve Teles is a professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University and a senior fellow at the Niskanen Center. He’s the author of several books about topics such as economic inequality, welfare, and the conservative legal movement.This podcast discusses themes from Steve’s essay in the Spring 2025 issue of National Affairs, “Minoritarianism Is Everywhere.” Books and Essays Mentioned:-Neighborhood Defenders: Participatory Politics and America’s Housing Crisis-Special Interest: Teachers Unions and America’s Public Schools-“The Strength of a Weak State: The Rights Revolution and the Rise of Human Resources Management Divisions” -“Professionalization 2.0: The Case for Plural Professionalization in Education”-“Beyond Academic Sectarianism” -In Covid’s Wake: How Our Politics Failed Us-“The Rise of the Abundance Faction” -“The Future Is Faction”

Technology is a force for change in the world, both positive and negative. Its ability to rapidly transform our way of life poses an inherent challenge to families. If conservatives wish to restore the family as the foundation of our civilizational order, they must develop a comprehensive theory of technological change. Without it, new technologies will continue to heap disaster on the American family. But if properly guided, technological innovation can help uplift the family and usher it into a new era of flourishing.Guest Jon Askonas joins us to discuss what a new conservative technology agenda might look like. Jon Askonas is assistant professor of politics at the Catholic University of America and a senior fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation.This podcast discusses themes from Jon’s essay in the Winter 2025 issue of National Affairs, “Technology for the American Family.” For more on this subject, see “A Future for the Family: A New Technology Agenda for the Right” in First Things, as well as “Stop Hacking Humans” in The New Atlantis. Additionally, AEI will host an event on Monday, February 24, 2025 at 11:10 a.m. titled “Dignity and Dynamism: The Future of Conservative Technology Policy.”

At first glance, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Russell Kirk do not have all that much in common. Yet it is striking that King and Kirk converged on certain first principles that rightfully mark King himself as part of a broader tradition of philosophical conservatism in America — one from which today’s left and right could both stand to learn.Guest John Wood, Jr., joins us to discuss how both King and Kirk’s philosophical conservatism transcended ideology.  John Wood, Jr., is national ambassador for Braver Angels, a columnist for USA Today, and a former Republican nominee for Congress.This podcast discusses themes from John’s essay in the Fall 2024 issue of National Affairs, “Martin Luther King’s Transcendent Conservatism.”

Democracy is a central feature of Democrats’ 2024 electoral campaign. The party has worked to present its proposals on that front as designed to reject Donald Trump’s authoritarian narcissism and make government more responsive and accountable. But what the Democrats have in mind when they refer to “democracy” is a lengthy manifesto designed to transform American life should they take real control of the policy process. Guest Andy Taylor joins us to discuss the history of the modern Democratic Party, and why Democrats are now blurring the line between “saving” democracy and implementing their own policy goals. Andrew J. Taylor is professor of political science at North Carolina State University.This podcast discusses themes from Andy’s essay in the Fall 2024 issue of National Affairs, “The Democrats and Democracy.”

In a disturbing development, assisted suicide and euthanasia have become more prevalent across the West in recent decades. Government and health authorities are encouraging voluntary death, even for patients who do not suffer from a terminal illness but are afflicted by disabilities, poverty, or loneliness. Guest Aaron Rothstein joins us to discuss the radical assumptions about life, death, and human nature that underlie the practice of euthanasia. He also advocates a more humane approach to helping the dying and thinking about death.Dr. Aaron Rothstein is a neurologist and a fellow in bioethics and American democracy at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. He also hosts the podcast Searching for Medicine’s Soul.This podcast discusses themes from Aaron’s essay in the Fall 2024 issue of National Affairs, “Origins of the Modern Euthanasia Movement.”

The chaos at the border in recent years has cast into stark relief one of the central issues surrounding illegal immigration: its fiscal costs. Unfortunately, most discussions on the subject tend to be filled with misconceptions, half-truths, and even outright falsehoods. The evidence indicates that illegal immigrants are almost certainly a net drain on our public fisc — but not for the reasons many activists put forth. Guest Steven Camarota joins us to discuss the current economic and fiscal realities of immigration, and how our policies might better reflect them. Steven A. Camarota is the director of research at the Center for Immigration Studies.This podcast discusses themes from Steven’s essay in the Summer 2024 issue of National Affairs, “The Cost of Illegal Immigration.”

Politics requires building coalitions in order to win elections. For those on the right, this means there is no alternative but to pursue some kind of fusionism among its competing elements. A revitalized fusionism would not look quite like the right’s prior successful coalitions, however: It would need to account for 21st-century realities, which means it will need to put family policy at the forefront of its agenda. Guest John Shelton joins us to discuss how conservatives might unite around pro-family rulemaking. John Shelton is the policy director for Advancing American Freedom, an advocacy organization founded by former vice president Mike Pence. This podcast discusses themes from John’s essay in the Summer 2024 issue of National Affairs, “A Family-focused Fusionism.”

The emergence of generative artificial intelligence in the last few years has drawn a growing chorus of advocates offering proposals for how to regulate this new technology. Many of them want to treat AI as an entirely new kind of challenge that calls for entirely new regulatory tools. But starting from scratch is unlikely to lead us to effective regulation. Instead, regulators should begin from our existing tools and take the time to see what new modes of regulation might be needed.Guest Dean Ball joins us to discuss how to strike a balance between hopeful optimism and candid recognition of the stark challenges posed by AI. Dean Ball is a research fellow at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center, where he focuses on AI. He also writes a Substack called Hyperdimensional. This podcast discusses themes from Dean’s essay in the Spring 2024 issue of National Affairs, “How to Regulate Artificial Intelligence.”

The textbooks most commonly used in high-school history classes are badly deficient. These books, which shape the rising generation’s perception of the country they are inheriting, often leave out the core ideas that defined the American founding and the nation’s ideals. To recover America’s sense of itself, it’s crucial to teach high-school students the connection between ideas and events.Guest Dan Currell joins us to discuss the erasure of the founding from high-school history and how we might restore it. Dan Currell is CEO of the Digital Commerce Alliance and a senior fellow at the National Security Institute at George Mason University’s Scalia Law School. He has served as a senior advisor at the Department of Education and as a fellow in the office of former senator Ben Sasse.This podcast discusses themes from Dan’s essay in the Winter 2024 issue of National Affairs, “The Invisible American Founding.”

Voting should be straightforward: Figure out which candidate or party best fits one’s political views or interests, and vote accordingly. But the last few elections have shown many Americans that it’s not nearly that simple. We could benefit from a new framework for thinking about voting, and not just for elections in which we find ourselves especially bewildered.Guest Bryan McGraw joins us to discuss a new philosophy of voting and how to apply it in this year’s elections.Bryan McGraw is an associate professor of politics and dean of social sciences at Wheaton College. His main areas of research are in contemporary political thought and especially how those traditions intersect with religious belief and practice.This podcast discusses themes from Bryan and Timothy Taylor’s essay in the Winter 2024 issue of National Affairs, “How to Think about Voting.”

Classical schools are distinctly American. Just as our country was founded both as a modern engineering project and as a recollection of ancient political philosophy and the traditional rights of Englishmen, the contemporary classical-education movement is an act of construction — one might say an invented tradition — seeking to revivify and participate in something that once lived, and perhaps could again.Guest Micah Meadowcroft joins us to discuss how classical schools teach to a higher goal of human excellence. Micah Meadowcroft is research director for the Center for Renewing America and a contributing editor of The American Conservative. He was a Robert Novak Journalism Fellow at the Fund for American Studies in 2021-2022. This podcast discusses themes from Micah’s essay in the Fall 2023 issue of National Affairs, “Classical Education’s Aristocracy of Anyone.”

What type of party system best suits the American regime? What can we do to cultivate such a party system? Amid the current tumult and polarization of our politics, much of it the result of the degradation of our parties, it behooves us to seek answers to these questions, and to learn from past efforts to give shape to the American party system.Guest Daniel Stid joins us to discuss reforms to the party system that could restore coalition building and union to American politics. Daniel Stid is the executive director of Lyceum Labs, a project of the Defending Democracy Together Institute that seeks to “reimagine political leadership and parties and the contributions they could make to U.S. democracy by rallying a coalition of like-minded charitable organizations dedicated to these goals.” He previously served as the founding director of the Hewlett Foundation’s U.S. Democracy Program, and he writes a blog called “The Art of Association.” This podcast discusses themes from Daniel’s essay in the Fall 2023 issue of National Affairs, “A Madisonian Party System.”

Almost nobody is taking America's drug crisis seriously. We talk about it plenty, but that talk rarely acknowledges what distinguishes today's drug epidemic from past ones: Those earlier crises inflicted many more or less equally weighty harms — to users' health, to families, to communities. In this crisis, one problem dwarfs all others: death. Drugs have changed, probably for good. They now kill their users. A haphazard public response was more tolerable when the harms of drug use were more spread out and took time to accumulate. But with tens of thousands poisoned to death every year, bolder action is required.Guest Charles Fain Lehman joins us to discuss how policymakers can help flatten the cycle of drug use and death. Charles Fain Lehman is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor of City Journal.This podcast discusses themes from Charles's essay in the Summer 2023 issue of National Affairs, "How to Think about the Drug Crisis."

As his term has progressed, President Joe Biden has acted more aggressively on student-loan forgiveness than anyone might have expected. And even now, the scope of what he proposes is not obvious to many. Little-noticed changes to income-driven repayment rules could dwarf the more familiar loan-forgiveness agenda, transforming the federal student-loan system and, over time, rendering it unsustainable.Guest Nat Malkus joins us to discuss why the Biden administration’s proposed student-loan reforms would be “disastrous,” and why Congress needs to act. Nat Malkus is a senior fellow and the deputy director of education policy at the American Enterprise Institute. He is also the host of the AEI podcast, “The Report Card with Nat Malkus,” in which he discusses the latest in education with some of the field’s most interesting researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.This podcast discusses themes from Nat’s essay in the Summer 2023 issue of National Affairs, “The Looming Student-loan Entitlement.”

Slavery’s relation to the American Constitution has always been a point of great contention. The debate has never been resolved because the reality is complex: The Constitution did lend legal support to the practice of slavery, but it did not lend the institution legitimacy. The difference has a lot to tell us about the American political tradition.Guest Michael Zuckert joins us to discuss why the Constitution was “admittedly imperfect, but not evil. Given the task of constitution-making as the founders conceived it, and given the mark that history had already made on the continent, it was what it had to be.”Michael Zuckert is professor emeritus of political science at the University of Notre Dame and clinical professor at Arizona State University. His latest book is A Nation So Conceived: Abraham Lincoln and the Paradox of Democratic Sovereignty.This podcast discusses themes from Michael’s essay in the Spring 2023 issue of National Affairs, “Slavery and the Constitution.”