The Politics Guys

Mike talks with Blake Ashby, co-founder of the Institute for Urban Capitalism and author of Socialism and the Democratic Party: The Case for a Return to Moderated Capitalism. They discuss why younger and older Americans hear very different things when they hear “socialism,” what Marx got right about capitalism—and where socialism goes wrong—and why Ashby argues that neither laissez-faire capitalism nor state control offers a workable answer. They also examine worker cooperatives, public utilities, deregulation and inequality, the role of government in making markets possible, capital flight, taxation, and Ashby’s case for “bubble-up economics.” The conversation closes with a political question for Democrats: if many policies associated with socialism are popular, does the label matter—or should the party stop worrying about the word and focus on the substance?Blake Ashby on XThe Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Mike talks about the What Could Go Right podcast. For our listeners interested in global events, it offers a refreshing and more balanced view of what’s happening in the world. I hope that you'll enjoy it.

Mike and Michael open this midweek supporters’ episode with the Trump administration’s new Postal Service rules for mail ballots, a federal judge’s injunction blocking them, and whether the Supreme Court is likely to intervene. That leads to a broader debate over Trump’s attacks on mail voting, election distrust, MAGA’s cult-like dynamics, and whether criticism of the Supreme Court’s emergency docket is justified.Next, they examine the administration’s effort to use the federal SAVE system to verify voter citizenship, including privacy concerns, inaccurate records, and the risk of eligible citizens being removed from the rolls.Then they turn overseas to Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner’s latest Ukraine diplomacy, asking whether unconventional Trump loyalists might actually offer advantages as negotiators—and whether Vladimir Putin has any reason to compromise while Russia believes time is on its side.Finally, they look at the AfD’s major election victory in Germany, the Trump administration’s unusual support for the party, Germany’s attempts to police political extremism, and what the AfD’s rise says about voter dissatisfaction with establishment parties. The Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Mike and Michael mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11 before turning to the GOP’s first midterm convention, Trump’s effort to mobilize lower-propensity voters, John Fetterman’s unusual Republican outreach, and the battle for control of the Senate. They also discuss the New Hampshire and Rhode Island primaries and debate Missouri’s redistricting fight, including whether changing congressional maps between a primary and general election creates serious constitutional and democratic problems.The Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

On this midweek supporters-exclusive episode of The Politics Guys, Trey Orndorff (Oklahoma Christian University) is joined by Justin Holmes (University of Northern Iowa) in an extra-long preview for non-supporters. Listen to an entire segment this week as Trey and Justin break down a high-stakes constitutional dispute over interstate extradition between Minnesota and Texas. Then, join as Trey and Justin debate the ethical boundaries between research or search tools, such as Gemini Notebook, and generative engines. What sparks the debate? Stanley Druckenmiller’s acknowledgement that his commentary piece was published using AI and the Wall Street Journal’s Paul Gigot defending the piece. What are the edges of ethical AI use? The Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.