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Did Democrats Blow It on the Government Shutdown? - The Reason Roundtable

Did Democrats Blow It on the Government Shutdown? - The Reason Roundtable

Update: 2025-11-11
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This week, Reason editors Peter SudermanKatherine Mangu-Ward, and Matt Welch are joined by the editor in chief of The Argument, Jerusalem Demsas, to discuss the end of the government shutdown and what Democrats actually gained from it. They examine the renewed focus on Obamacare subsidies and how both parties are struggling to articulate a coherent health care vision that moves beyond stale talking points.


The group then turns to Zohran Mamdani's win in New York and what it reveals about the uneasy overlap between the abundance movement and the rising progressive wing of the Democratic Party. The panel digs into President Donald Trump's talk of $2,000 tariff "dividends," and whether it undermines his claim that affordability is "a con." They also examine the differences and similarities between modern-day liberals and libertarians. A listener then asks whether fixing America's broken health care system should start with reforming insurance or dramatically expanding the supply of doctors.


 


0:00 —What did Democrats gain from the government shutdown?


19:34 —Obamacare subsidies and healthcare in the spotlight


26:30 —The abundance agenda vs. socialism


41:34 —Tariff dividend checks and the affordability "con"


46:14 —Listener question on health insurance


57:07 —Difference between liberalism and libertarianism


1:13:11 —Weekly cultural recommendations


 


Mentioned in This Podcast


"Reopening?" by Liz Wolfe


"America's Longest Government Shutdown Shows Why We Must Free Air Traffic Control from Politics," by Robert Poole


"Mamdani's Win Suggests a Socialist Future for Democrats and a Rocky One for American Politics," by J.D. Tuccille


"No Excuses for Zohran Mamdani and Radical Socialism," by Robby Soave


"Mamdani Teaming Up With Lina Khan Paints a Grim Picture of What's To Come," by Elizabeth Nolan Brown


"New York Voters Say Yes to Faster Housing Approvals," by Christian Britschgi


"Mamdani Claims 'Mandate' for Bigger Government: 'There Is No Problem Too Large for Government To Solve,'" by Joe Lancaster


"6 Zohran Mamdani Campaign Promises That New York City Can't Afford," by Jack Nicastro


"The People Who Wrecked N.Y. Schools Love Zohran Mamdani," by Matt Welch


"Trump Seems Very Confused About 'Affordability,'" by Eric Boehm


"Abundance Makes the Case for 'Supply-Side Progressivism,'" by Virginia Postrel


"The Death of Contrarianism," by Matt Welch


The post Did Democrats Blow It on the Government Shutdown? appeared first on Reason.com.

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Did Democrats Blow It on the Government Shutdown? - The Reason Roundtable

Did Democrats Blow It on the Government Shutdown? - The Reason Roundtable