Best Matt Grossmann Podcasts (2025)

1
Protests, Political Violence and Its Alternatives with Erica Chenoweth 57:59

22h ago57:59

57:59

We are resharing this episode, which originally published on May 6th, 2025. You’ve probably seen footage or photos of people protesting the Trump regime. Some data suggests that the volume of protestors is higher than in Trump’s first term. But at the same time, you might be wondering if we’re seeing enough civil resistance to preserve American dem…

1
'Here Comes The Sun' with Bill McKibben 54:17

8d ago54:17

54:17

Amid all of the political turmoil and global crises, one source of hope stands out: our ability to power modern life with zero emissions. Scientists warn that to limit global warming, emissions need to be cut significantly in the coming years to reach net-zero by mid-century. Bill McKibben, founder of climate justice organization 350.org and Third …

1
Making AI policy: Are we falling behind or rushing in? 58:31

13d ago58:31

58:31

As the next AI cycle begins, state and national governments are trying to keep up. And AI policy now matters for energy, health, education, foreign, and economic development policy as well. What can we learn from the early AI legislation? Chinnu Parinandi finds that partisan alignments and institutional capacity shape where and how consumer protect…

1
Unpacking the US-China Trade War with Bill Bishop 57:29

15d ago57:29

57:29

When President Trump announced sweeping tariffs on all Chinese imports, China retaliated back with tariffs of its own. Since February 2025, the US and China have engaged in a renewed trade war – and to this day, no agreement is in sight. Bill Bishop, a China expert and former media executive with more than a decade experience living and working in …

1
Baltimore's Violent Crime Perception vs. Reality with Mayor Scott 51:10

22d ago51:10

51:10

This week, President Trump called Baltimore “so far gone” amid the deployment of the National Guard in DC. In reality, Baltimore has seen record low rates of violent crime the past few years. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott joins WITHpod to talk about the perception versus reality for crime stats in in Baltimore, the city’s Comprehensive Violence Pre…

1
The politics of abundance, with Misha Chellam 1:06:05

27d ago1:06:05

1:06:05

Misha Chellam, a leader in the Abundance movement and co-founder of the Abundance Network, joins The Vital Center to discuss how YIMBYism, state capacity, and Progress Studies relate to abundance. Chellam analyzes the successful alliances of growth-focused Abundants and good-government moderates in San Francisco. He also envisions future Abundance …

1
Is democracy failing education? 57:46

28d ago57:46

57:46

American students are falling behind while local school boards are preoccupied with culture war controversies. Is local democratic control of schools a detriment to improving student outcomes? Vlad Kogan finds that school boards regularly prioritize the needs of teachers and administrators over students. Elections are unrepresentative and sometimes…

1
'Not My Type' with E. Jean Carroll 50:51

29d ago50:51

50:51

Author and journalist E. Jean Carroll successfully sued Donald Trump in two civil suits, one for sexual abuse and another for defamation. The two suits resulted in a total of $88.3 million in damages awarded to Carroll, both of which are under appeal. She has written five books including her latest, “Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President." She joi…

1
The United States' Standing in the Global Economy with Aya Ibrahim 56:07

1M ago56:07

56:07

The state of the U.S. economy will come into full view this week as a wave of crucial economic data is set for release, including the jobs report, inflation, consumer confidence and corporate earnings. Where is the U.S. in terms of the global economic order? And how did we get to this point? Aya Ibrahim served as senior advisor on the Secretary of …

1
Reconciliation and rescission 54:54

1M ago54:54

54:54

The Republican Congress has quickly remade fiscal policy, with substantially more success than in Trump’s first term. How did they achieve so much more without compromise? How much will their routes around the filibuster matter for the decline of congressional appropriations? And are we setting up for a huge new step in presidential spending power:…

1
The Resistance vs. Trump 2.0 with Omar Wasow 52:57

1M ago52:57

52:57

We’ve seen a good number of protests during Trump 2.0. What role does our ability to organize and protest play in this moment as we see the erosion of democracy right in front of us? Omar Wasow, associate professor of political science at UC Berkley, joins to discuss how he’s making sense of American politics at this moment, protests in this era an…

1
How William Buckley shaped the American right, with Sam Tanenhaus 2:06:24

2M ago2:06:24

2:06:24

Sam Tanenhaus, an esteemed journalist and biographer, joins The Vital Center to discuss his biography of William F. Buckley Jr. Buckley, a towering figure in American conservatism, helped to pave the way for the political realignment that Ronald Reagan accomplished. Tanenhaus exposes Buckley’s darker origins, including his support for racial segreg…

1
The Supreme Court’s Power Grab Under Trump 59:35

2M ago59:35

59:35

Well, it was another consequential Supreme Court term. So, we had to have Chris's wife Kate Shaw, along with the other co-hosts of the Strict Scrutiny podcast, Melissa Murray and Leah Litman back to break down some of the biggest SCOTUS decisions including Medina v. Planned Parenthood, U.S. v. Skrmetti, and Trump v. CASA. There's a lot to discuss a…

1
How the president gained war powers 49:53

2M ago49:53

49:53

After President Trump bombed Iran, Democrats in Congress declared the action illegal. But it follows a long history of increased presidential control of military operations along with congressional deference and abrogation of war powers. How did we get here? Casey Dominguez finds that although the founders bestowed war powers with Congress, by the …

1
Crypto in Trump 2.0 with Zeke Faux 49:15

2M ago49:15

49:15

Note: this episode originally published on 02/11/25. A lot of things are changing. And there’s a lot of things that the new White House administration wants to do differently. One of the areas where we’ve seen a lot of attention is cryptocurrency. Some of the latest developments are pretty confounding, to say the least. Lucky for us, our guest this…

1
The libertarian prophet of the abundance movement, with Virginia Postrel 1:05:29

2M ago1:05:29

1:05:29

The intellectual-political discussion of the so-called abundance movement typically is described as a debate taking place almost entirely on the left. But in fact many of its major themes were being discussed in right-leaning circles decades ago. Virginia Postrel, a libertarian thinker and journalist who was the former editor-in-chief of Reason mag…

1
Discussing the Context of the US Bombing Iran with Robert Malley 53:00

2M ago53:00

53:00

When news alerts went out that the US sent missiles to bomb Iranian nuclear sites, debates began about how deeply the US would continue to wade into the conflict between Israel and Iran. After days of panic, President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between the two countries. But it was Trump himself who, in his first term, stopped US efforts to…

1
If we don’t like polarizing politicians, why do we get them? 1:01:42

2M ago1:01:42

1:01:42

Politicians are launching outlandish negative attacks and Americans have developed more negative views of the other party. But how connected are polarizing politicians and a polarized electorate? Mia Costa finds that political elites have more polarized views of the other side than the public but they still benefit electorally and legislatively fro…

1
“My Brain Finally Broke” with Jia Tolentino 57:00

2M ago57:00

57:00

You’ve probably come across content online that seems real but is actually fake. And that experience is becoming more common with the proliferation of AI generated content. Our guest this week points out that the mental gymnastics of this starts to take a toll. Jia Tolentino, a staff writer at The New Yorker, wrote a piece all about this aptly titl…

1
Strategies for the Resistance 2.0 with Leah Greenberg 52:34

3M ago52:34

52:34

Note: this episode originally published on 01/07/25. Our guest this week co-founded one of the biggest groups that initially came about in response to Trump 1.0. Leah Greenberg is co-founder and co-executive director of Indivisible, an organization with a mission to organize thousands of local groups to resist the GOPs agenda, elect local champions…

1
Populism and working-class nostalgia for the 1950s, with Alan Ehrenhalt 53:32

3M ago53:32

53:32

Donald Trump’s most resonant political slogan has always been the one he borrowed from Ronald Reagan: “Make America Great Again.” Trump rarely has been pushed to define when exactly he believes America experienced the greatness he promises to recapture. But many of his followers believe that America’s golden age — particularly for its working class…

1
Building a science of political progress 55:48

3M ago55:48

55:48

Politics seems to be holding us back in a world of technological and social progress. Research has found health cures, invented magic new tools, and connected us all, often with public policy assistance. Yet, the American political system remains deeply divided and dysfunctional, with the relationship between science and government at a low point. …

1
The Narrative vs. Real Effects of This Economy with Joe Weisenthal 56:17

3M ago56:17

56:17

It can be hard to follow and make sense of all of the volatility we’ve been seeing in the markets and economy recently. Lucky for us, Joe Weisenthal, co-host of Bloomberg’s “Odd Lots” podcast is joining this week to help break down what’s been going on. He joins WITHpod to discuss recent economic volatility and what it means for financial markets v…

1
“Empire of AI” with Karen Hao 50:27

3M ago50:27

50:27

There’s a good chance that before November of 2022, you hadn’t heard of tech nonprofit OpenAI or cofounder Sam Altman. But over the last few years, they’ve become household names with the explosive growth of the generative AI tool called ChatGPT. What’s been going on behind the scenes at one of the most influential companies in history and what eff…

1
Exploring the Secrets of Political Charisma, with Molly Worthen 1:07:24

3M ago1:07:24

1:07:24

We all have an opinion about charismatic leaders — but do we really know what “charisma” means? Molly Worthen, in her new book Spellbound: How Charisma Shaped American History from the Puritans to Donald Trump, points out that charismatic leaders historically haven’t always been distinguished for their charm or compelling oratory. Rather, charismat…

1
The backstory for presidential power grabs 59:16

3M ago59:16

59:16

President Trump is claiming power over independent agencies and trying to redirect the administrative state, saying he is its unitary executive. But this is not the first time presidents have invoked broad authority. John Dearborn finds that President Reagan sought to gain power over civil rights agencies, saying they had gone too far in promoting …

1
Where Do We Go From Here? with Anna Galland (2024) 59:14

3M ago59:14

59:14

Note: this episode originally published on 11/12/24. From original description: Whew, the past few days have been a lot. Like you probably, Chris hasn’t slept much this past week. There’s a lot to process given that Donald Trump is now president-elect… again. Our guest this week, who has worked as an organizer throughout numerous political ups and …

1
What’s Behind the Tax Revolt? with Arjun Singh 57:27

4M ago57:27

57:27

Tax policy has been a core part of the Republican party. A central feature within the GOP, particularly since Reagan, has been cutting taxes for corporations and some of the wealthiest Americans. President Trump, breaking away from traditional party orthodoxy, recently raised the idea of increasing taxes on some of the country’s richest. Our guest …

1
Can liberals stop Trump in the courts? 56:55

4M ago56:55

56:55

Donald Trump’s expansive executive action has been met with a flurry of court action, as Democratic officials and liberal interest groups challenge each action—with a lot of early success. Can liberals succeed in limiting Trump through the courts or are American courts an inevitably conservative institution? Paul Nolette finds that Democratic Attor…

1
How Project 2025 is Reshaping America with David Graham 53:55

4M ago53:55

53:55

We got a pretty clear heads up about what Trump 2.0 could portend for so many facets of American life. The Mandate for Leadership, also known as Project 2025, is perhaps the clearest compilation of goals for Trump’s second term. Now that 100 days have passed of the second Trump administration, we thought it would be a good time to see where things …

1
How the 1st term trade war hurt Trump 59:49

4M ago59:49

59:49

Donald Trump has now unilaterally imposed huge global tariffs, upending the world economy. But we did get a preview of Trump’s trade approach in his first term, allowing researchers to analyze the political consequences. Thiemo Fetzer finds that China, the EU, Canada, and Mexico reacted to the first term tariffs strategically, trying to hurt Trump’…

1
msu-today-with-russ-white__msu-ippsr-state-of-the-st (1) 32:37

4M ago32:37

32:37

msu-today-with-russ-white__msu-ippsr-state-of-the-st (1) by Matt Grossmann and Charles BallardBy Matt Grossmann and Charles Ballard

1
“Trump Is Not a King” with NY Attorney General Letitia James 54:39

4M ago54:39

54:39

A good amount of institutions have capitulated and complied in recent months with many of the Trump administration’s actions that far overstep executive authority. At the same time, we’ve seen a few places where there has been opposition and resistance to tactics employed by the Trump 2.0 regime. Some of the most pushback has come from democratical…

1
‘America, América' with Greg Grandin 57:57

4M ago57:57

57:57

The United States is pretty intertwined with Latin America. So why has it historically been seen as more of a European outpost as opposed to a nation in the Western hemisphere that is part of the broader Americas? Our guest this week points out that there are other ways to understand the history and identity of the U.S., aside from the narrative th…

1
The old, weird history of libertarianism, with Matt Zwolinski 1:05:49

5M ago1:05:49

1:05:49

When U.S. President Donald Trump announced the imposition of his “Liberation Day” tariffs against most of America’s global trading partners in April 2025, he seemed to harken back to a centuries-old form of economic nationalism known as mercantilism, which sought prosperity through restrictive trade practices. Opponents of mercantilism from the eig…

1
Is Trump redirecting or deconstructing the administrative state? 49:51

5M ago49:51

49:51

The 2nd Trump administration has begun tearing down the administrative state, firing thousands, cancelling contracts, and shuttering agencies. But they have also used the power of the state to ramp up summary deportations, crack down on universities, and threaten prosecutions of their political opponents. So is this the culmination of Republican ef…

1
‘Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza’ with Peter Beinart 55:05

5M ago55:05

55:05

We’re now a year and a half into the war in Gaza. Our guest this week has spent a lot of time thinking and writing about all that has unfolded. Peter Beinart is the author of numerous books including his latest, “Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning” and writes “The Beinart Notebook” on Substack. He’s also an MSNBC analyst and th…

1
How Process is Killing Progress with Ezra Klein 1:11:08

5M ago1:11:08

1:11:08

Why has America's 20th century vision of innovation and opportunity transformed into a stagnant and stunted dystopian reality? Our guest this week claims that “the crisis that’s clicking into focus now has been building for decades” and it’s all because we haven’t been following building enough. Ezra Klein is host of The Ezra Klein Show podcast, a …

1
Understanding the diploma divide, with Matt Grossmann and Dave Hopkins 1:08:17

5M ago1:08:17

1:08:17

The most important U.S. political trend of the 21st century, according to most observers, is the increasing tendency of college-educated voters to support the Democratic Party and for non-college-educated voters to support the Republican Party. In many ways, the two parties have swapped their historic bases. When John F. Kennedy won the presidency …

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