The Battle Over Civil Society
An interview with Dylan J. Riley on Trump and the state of American democracy.
Fall 2025
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How Democracies Fall Apart
An interview with Adam Przeworski.
To Outlive Tyranny
Flesh and blood alone cannot halt the advance of iron and steel. To stop the tanks, we need people to place blocks on the road and throw sand into the gears.
Ecology in an Era of Fragmentation 
As a species, we produce gardeners, devoted caretakers, and also arsonists.
¿Por Qué MAGA?
Progressives will only make lasting progress with Latino voters if they examine not just why Trump was appealing, but also why the left was not.
The Case for a Third Reconstruction
The scale and depth of the attack on our institutions means that there is no simple way for a pro-democracy coalition to flip the lights back on after Trump. We need transformative thinking.
Lula’s Unfinished Democracy
The Brazilian president once argued that democracy will founder where inequality reigns. Today, he sees fighting inequality as democracy’s animating mission.
Public Debilitation
Rebuilding government decision-making power requires not just removing veto points, but also addressing the outsized corporate power that gives the wealthy the best access to policymakers.
Damage Control in the Roberts Era
Progressive activists face an increasingly hostile legal environment. What strategies can they pursue?
Know Your Enemy: The Minority Voters Moving Right
Matt and Sam talk with Daniel Martinez HoSang about the gains the GOP and Trump are making with racial minorities.
Is America a Democracy?
An interview with Osita Nwanevu, author of The Right of the People: Democracy and the Case for a New American Founding.
Know Your Enemy: Has Trump 2.0 Been a Success So Far?
Matt and Sam answer listener questions about Trump, Judaism and Catholicism, bourbon, literature, and more.
The Painter of the Right
Thomas Kinkade’s paintings show conservatives a world they have already won.
Know Your Enemy: Did Podcasters Make Trump President?
Matt and Sam talk to Andrew Marantz about “bro” podcasts and their role in Trump’s election victory.
The Deportation Machine
An interview with Dara Lind and Omar Jadwat on immigration policy in the second Trump administration.
