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The Politics Guys is an independent, bipartisan, ideologically diverse American politics and policy podcast hosted by experts: political scientists, law professors, practicing attorneys, and former government officials. Our mission is to give listeners a much-needed break from conservative and liberal echo chambers through civil, rational, and evidence-based discussion of American politics and policy from multiple perspectives. In addition to our weekly news discussion, we feature regular in ...
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How The Left Lost The Working Class
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1:02:39
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1:02:39
Mike talks with Joan C. Williams, Distinguished Professor of Law and Hastings Foundation Chair (emerita) at University of California College of Law San Francisco. She’s the author of the recently released book, Outclassed: How the Left Lost the Working Class and How to Win Them Back, which they discuss in this episode. Topics Mike & Joan cover incl…
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Mike, Justin, and Joey open this midweek supporters’ episode with a discussion of the Supreme Court’s 6–3 decision upholding Tennessee’s ban on puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender teens. Joey defends the ruling as consistent with constitutional principles and the rule of law, emphasizing the importance of state authority in medical…
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This week, Mike and Justin are joined by Joey Ashbrook, a new conservative voice on The Politics Guys. They open with a discussion of the escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran. Justin argues that Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal “set the ball in motion” for today’s crisis. Joey contends that Iran’s uranium enrichment past peac…
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Trump Accounts, Musk Backs Down, College and LLMs
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18:13
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Mike, Trey, and Tim open with a look at one part of the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ that could have some bipartisan support - the plan to give every child born in the US a $1,000 investment account. From there, they turn to Elon Musk, who issued a sort of apology for some of the things he said about President Trump, as well as a lawsuit alleging Musk cond…
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LA Protests, Army Parade, No Kings, Vaccine Panel Mass Firing
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1:08:02
Mike and Trey are joined by a new co-host, Tim King, a Professor of Economics at the University of Austin. The guys start off with a discussion of the civil unrest in Los Angeles. Tim argues that Democrats are hurting themselves politically by appearing to side with violent protesters. Trey points out that the administration’s legal justification f…
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Title: Smith and Wesson, DOGE Social Security Access, Jean-Pierre’s Book
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21:06
Trey and Justin begin the show by discussing two Supreme Court cases. The first case resulted in a unanimous decision against Mexico’s lawsuit against gun manufacturers. The case sparked a discussion between the hosts about their own positions on gun rights and the merits of the case. Trey viewed it as a pointless case. Next, the hosts addressed th…
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Travel Ban 2025 Edition, Social Media Slap Fights, One Big Beautiful Bill, Ukraine’s Drone Attack
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1:02:19
Trey and Justin join forces for the first time in this week's episode! The pair begin with a discussion of Trump's new travel ban and its relationship to the attack in Boulder. Then they discuss both the social media battle between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump and whether this is the last gasp for economic conservatives in the Republican Pa…
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Mike talks with Lura Forcum, president of the Independent Center, an organization that represents people who are fed up with partisan politics and feel politically homeless. Topics Mike & Lura discuss include: how Lura went from a marketing professor to running the Independent Center true independents vs learners if there are enough independents to…
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Ukraine, Musk Exits DOGE, Trump v Big Law
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Mike, Justin, and Sam open with the Russia-Ukraine war and Trump’s shifting tone toward Putin. Sam calls Putin “crazy like a fox” and blames Biden’s weak deterrence, arguing Ukraine will ultimately have to concede territory. Mike notes that while Congress is pushing for more sanctions, “if you give Putin an inch, he’ll take three and a half miles.”…
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This week, Mike and Justin welcome conservative attorney Sam Dewey to the podcast. They start with a discussion of the big rulings this week on President Trump’s tariffs. Sam says the real issue is Congress giving too much tariff power to the president. Justin sees a troubling pattern of executive overreach. Mike highlights the irony that conservat…
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Eric Heinze on Critical Theory and the Left’s Blind Spots
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51:30
Mike talks with Eric Heinze, professor at Queen Mary University of London and author of Coming Clean: The Rise of Critical Theory and the Future of the Left. Topics Mike and Eric discuss include: why critical theory resists a single definition the Radical Critique of Western Liberal Democracythe left’s greatest legacy: redefining history as collect…
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Campus Showdowns, Trump’s Higher Ed Crusade, a South African Curveball
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19:56
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Justin and Ken kick things off by diving into the recent wave of controversy at university graduation ceremonies, focusing on student protests, administrative discipline, and the fallout from pro-Palestinian activism. Ken highlights how some universities have responded with severe penalties, while Justin points out the broader context of political …
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Budget Battles, Agency Overhaul, and the Limits of Dissent
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1:04:32
Justin and Ken start by digging into the passage of the so-called “big, beautiful budget bill”—a sweeping House measure with far-reaching fiscal and policy implications. Justin highlights the political maneuvering and procedural oddities that defined the bill’s passage, while Ken offers a critical breakdown of its contents, deficit impact, and the …
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Why You Have To Be Weird to Run for Office
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58:30
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58:30
Mike talks with Eva Posner, founder and CEO of Evinco Strategies, a political consulting firm specializing in first-time candidates from diverse backgrounds who face barriers in traditional campaigns. Topics Mike & Eva discuss include: why you have to be weird to run for office the importance of ‘Rolodexing’ the power of relatability the value of ‘…
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Birthright Citizenship, Drug Prices, Sports Betting
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Mike and Justin open this midweek supporters’ episode with a discussion of oral arguments at the Supreme Court in the birthright citizenship case. The Court is considering not the merits of the President’s order putting constraints on birthright citizenship, but rather if district court judges have exceeded their authority by issuing universal inju…
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Tariff Pause, Middle East Trip, Crypto Corruption
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Mike and Justin open with a discussion of the 90-day pause in the tariff war between the United States and China. Markets loved the move, and Mike makes the case that this may have been the Trump plan all along, and that at this point, he seems to be getting significant concessions. However, Americans have yet to feel the impact of the tariffs — so…
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Mike talks with David Graham, a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of The Project: How Project 2025 is Reshaping America. Topics Mike and David discuss include: - what makes Project 2025 different from previous policy blueprints - how closely connected President Trump is to Project 2025 - personnel policies in Project 2025 - Project 2025 a…
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Justice Souter, Transgender Military Ban, Trump vs Public Broadcasting
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Mike and Ken open with a look back at the legacy of former Supreme Court Justice David Souter, who died on May 8. Souter, who was named to the Court by Republican President George H.W. Bush, was a big disappointment to many on the right, which Ken argues was in part by design, due to the complications of abortion politics in the post-Roe, pre-Dobbs…
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An American Pope, Tariffs, Self-Deportation, HHS Lawsuit
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Mike and Ken open with a discussion of something lapsed-Catholic Mike thought he’d never see - an American Pope. While Pope Leo is unlikely to be as progressive as his predecessor, he’s no ultra-conservative who has said some critical things about Vice President Vance in the past. Then they turn to tariffs: the just-announced agreement between the …
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MI Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on Purposeful Warriors
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Mike talks with attorney, former law school dean, and current Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. In 2022, Secretary Benson was recognized for her refusal to back down in the face of threats and harassment in the wake of the 2020 presidential election with the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. She’s running for governor of Michigan …
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In this Constitution show Trey and Ken tackle two amendments: the 20th and the 22nd. The 20th changes when and how Congress and the President take office. The 22nd formalizes the precedent of President Washington’s two term limit. The pair delve into the history, ratification, and implementation of the 20th and 22nd amendment! The Politics Guys on …
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Trump’s First 100 Days, Ukraine Resources Deal, Mike Waltz Out, AEA Ruling, Trump’s Budget
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Trey and Ken open with a detailed look into Trump’s first 100 days in office. This includes a conversation as to why we rate presidents’ first 100 days along with detailed discussions of Trump’s handling of both economic policy and foreign policy. Imbedded in this conversation is a look at the U.S. / Ukrainian resources deal and what that means for…
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Authenticity, AI, and Political Marketing
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Mike talks with Mike Nellis, former Senior Advisor to Kamala Harris and Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Authentic, a digital marketing agency that’s raised over a billion dollars for campaigns and had a 77% client win rate in 2024. Topics Mike & Mike discuss include: - the evolution of political fundraising - how AI is being used in political…
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Trump Education Actions, Opting Out of LGBTQ+ Stories
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19:39
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Mike and Justin open with a look at President Trump’s executive orders concerning higher education: one on accreditation, another on reporting foreign funding, and a third concerning historically Black colleges and universities. Following that they turn to Trump’s actions on K-12 education, one focusing on artificial intelligence and the other on d…
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Trump v China, Musk and DOGE, Ukraine Peace Deal
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1:09:04
Mike and Justin open with a discussion of yet another wild week for the world economy, largely due to instability caused by President Trump’s changing positions on trade and the economy. He hates the Fed Chair he appointed but won’t fire him (even though he claims he can), says the US is talking with China, which China denies, and is now dealing wi…
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