The Politics Guys

Mike talks with Kurt Gray, a Professor in Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he directs the Deepest Beliefs Lab and the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding. They talk about his recently released book, Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground. Topics Mike and Kurt discuss include: - what Jonathan Haidt gets wrong - myths of human nature - dehumanization and moral conflict - social media as a Godzilla movie - why people only want ‘their’ facts - the importance of perceived harm - how to connect, invite, and validate Kurt Gray on X The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Trey open the preview of this midweek supporters’ episode with a look at the many executive actions President Trump has taken on DEI-related issues. Trey points out the bad biology in the order recognizing only two sexes at conception. Mike is somewhat receptive to the idea of ending preferences based on race, gender, or ethnicity, but feels that well-implemented DEI is not just a good idea, but important to the continued functioning of a multi-ethnic, multi-racial country like the United States. Next, they turn to executive actions on energy and climate, including the withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, ‘drill baby drill’, and wind energy. They close by addressing listener questions on hostage releases and where Reagan Republicans fit in the GOP of Donald Trump. Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike talks about the Zero To Travel Podcast. Whether you are a seasoned traveler or more of the armchair variety, we hope you’ll enjoy checking out this excellent show.

Mike and Trey open with their thoughts on Donald Trump’s inauguration and inaugural address. Trey considers Trump’s rhetoric, while Mike points out the typical Trumpian exaggerations and compares the speech to Trump’s 2017 “American Carnage” address. Then they turn to pardons. Mike is sympathetic to President Biden’s use of preemptive pardons for his family and officials subject to potential political prosecution, but Trey can’t get behind them because of the bad precedent they set. They both agree that President Trump’s pardons of essentially everyone involved in the January 6th Capitol insurrection are unconscionable and that President Trump should have at least made the effort to sort out those who committed violence from non-violent offenders. They close with a look at President Trump’s many executive actions on immigration and birthright citizenship, an issue that Mike argues is clearly settled law. Trey disagrees, pointing to a number of legal scholars who argue for a different interpretation of the 14th Amendment that might potentially convince enough members of the Court to allow his order to stand. Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the preview of this midweek supporters’ episode, Justin and Jay weigh in on several big tech cases in front of the Supreme Court. First, the 9-0 ruling on the TikTok ban, and whether there will be some resolution from the Trump administration. Next, they discuss the Texas adult website age verification case that was heard this week, a conversation that covers the balance between privacy, safety, and technical capabilities, as well as their reminiscences of John Updike and 2 Live Crew (and the difference between pornography and obscenity). Finally, they take up President Biden's declaration that the ERA has been added to the constitution as the 28th amendment (to be clear, it hasn't).  Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jay and Justin open with a discussion of the political and practical challenges surrounding the LA fires, including the role of climate change, disaster preparedness, environmental regulation, and political blame games. Then they turn to Trump nominee confirmation hearings, focusing on Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, and RFK Jr.  Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike talks with Justin Talbot Zorn, who has served as Legislative Director to three Members of Congress and is a Senior Adviser to the Center for Economic and Policy Research. In his policy and communications work, Justin specializes in climate, innovation, manufacturing, and economic competitiveness. In this conversation, Mike and Justin focus on PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ and environmental policy. Topics Mike and Justin discuss include: - why the US Air Force isn’t cleaning up water it contaminated with PFAS - the military’s big PFAS problem - costs and benefits of cleaning up PFAS in the water supply - what to expect concerning PFAS regulation in the Trump administration - plausible worst and best-case scenarios for the next four years Justin’s article on Trump’s testicle shrinking deregulation. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trey and Ken continue their journey through the U.S. Constitution by examining the long-dormant history of the 15th AMendment, the history of the goals of the 15th Amendment, and the modern jurisprudence on the 15th Amendment and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X  Listener 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trey and Ken open their first episode of 2025 discussing Trump’s felony conviction. Next, they consider Trump’s comments on international foreign policy, specifically his aggressive stance on Canada, Greenland, and Panama. They finish the show by discussing special council Jack Smith’s report release and its court rulings thus far. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X  Listener 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Jay open this midweek supporters’ episode with a discussion of the potential threat posed by Chinese technology to US national security. Between issues with market-leading TP-Link routers and the TikTok ban scheduled to go into effect later this month, how worried should we be about China’s ability to use technology against us? Next, they look at a story that’s been underreported in most of the media but has significant implications for tens of millions of small businesses: the Corporate Transparency Act’s reporting requirements. Both Mike and Jay question the wisdom of the legislation, wondering if it’s overly broad, restricts free association rights, and would do anything significant to minimize money laundering and financing of terrorism. They close by responding to listener questions about Jay taking potshots at left-wing alarmists and their views on populism and a strong two-party system. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Jay open the first episode of 2025 with a discussion of the recent terror attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas, followed by a look at the upcoming vote for Speaker of the House. Next, they consider the life and legacy of President Jimmy Carter, looking at the awful situation Carter inherited from Ford, the thumping Carter took in losing to Reagan in 1980, and Carter’s long and impressive post-presidency. After that, it’s a follow-up on their healthcare discussion from late last year. Mike points out that Jay was right (and Mike was wrong) about most Americans liking their health insurance. However, Mike has some issues with the question itself and makes the case that more specific questions about people’s experiences with healthcare, especially costs, paint a far less rosy picture. They close by considering whether working for Donald Trump in his second administration is justifiable and, if so, under what conditions. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike talks with Jeremy Young, PEN America’s Freedom to Learn program director, about the recently released report, America’s Censored Classrooms, 2024. Topics Mike & Jeremy Discuss Include: - how big of a problem educational censorship is - where it’s happening - the deviousness of ‘stealth censorship’ - institutional neutrality and viewpoint diversity - how universities are responding to censorship attempts - what to expect from the incoming Trump administration PEN America on X The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jay and Justin discuss the Democratic strategy as an opposition party. Will Democrats do better to oppose everything, or to attempt bipartisanship to blunt the edges of Trump's policy? They wrap up with a discussion of the ethics and optics of Biden's proposed commutation of some (or all) federal death sentences. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X  Listener 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jay and Justin cover the freshly minted debt ceiling deal and the implications for the strategies for both parties headed into the new year. They then discuss Trump's lawsuits and threatened lawsuits against ABC, the Des Moines Register, and Lynne Cheney, and whether these are undemocratic chilling of the fourth estate or a means of holding them to some ethical standards. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X  Listener 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Jay open the preview of this midweek supporters’ episode by considering everything Donald Trump has promised to do on his first day in office. It’s a huge list, and they get into the probable, possible, and unconstitutional. Then they look back at their predictions for 2024 and make new and improved predictions for what they expect in 2025. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Jay open with a discussion of the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. While they agree that Luigi Mangione’s actions were absolutely wrong, Mike makes the case for a more nuanced understanding of both Mangione and the people in charge at health insurance companies like United Healthcare. This leads to a broader discussion of American healthcare. Mike argues that the system is fundamentally flawed, whereas Jay believes that things aren’t nearly as bad as Mike makes them out to be. Then it’s a look at one of Donald Trump’s many Day 1 promises: ending birthright citizenship. While that will be highly unlikely without a constitutional amendment, they consider what the incoming Trump administration could do to disincentivize immigrants from attempting to come to the US to give birth. Mike doesn’t even see this as a problem, but even if it is, he argues that there are far more important immigration issues to tackle. Jay makes the point that Democrats are often too focused on ‘root causes’ and that even minor disincentives to illegal immigration might be worth enacting. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trey and Ken discuss the implications of the 14th Amendment's state action doctrine. The 14th Amendment cannot be enforced against private individuals or relationships. But what happens when state action and private action intermingle? As a special, this normally supporter-exclusive show is available to everyone free of charge! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trey and Ken start with a look at the Hunter Biden pardon. Trey forcefully argues that it didn’t have to be a terrible move for President Biden. Still, because it involves lying and taking unnecessary shots at the Justice Department, it is wrong and bad for the Democratic Party. Ken argues that the pardon was not only necessary but justified. In Ken’s view, the primary problem is that the pardon did not cover enough people and, maybe due to mental decline, was not worded well.  Next is a discussion of Trump’s nominees with a special focus on Hegseth and Kennedy. They agree Hegseth is a bad nominee but have differing takes on what may happen next. Ken believes one possibility is that it is a flytrap: that is one bad nomination to take eyes off of other nominees.  They close with a look at the oral arguments for United States v. Skrmetti. Ken drills deep into the legal issues and the potential future for the case to return not under the 14th Amendment, but under a parental rights framework. Trey suggests that we live in a post-liberal world primarily concerned about good ends for people and not minimal liberal visions of justice.  The Politics Guys on Facebook | X  Listener 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This weekend's episode will be delayed due to technical issues. Trey and Ken recorded on Friday evening, and while they made it through just fine, Trey's microphone didn't. They'll be re-recording on Sunday and we'll have the weekend episode up for you by Sunday evening. Our apologies for the delay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and May open the preview of this midweek supporters’ episode with a discussion of the gender gap in American politics. Mike thinks that part of the reason for it is that Democratic candidates do a poor job of projecting strength and aren’t offering much to young males. May believes the issue is more policy than vibes, with Mike wondering if he’s overreacting to a loss for his party that can plausibly be explained by bad fundamentals. When May makes an early exit, Mike soldiers on by himself, addressing listener questions on why Biden chose Harris as his VP and if MAGA can survive Trump. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices