Matters of Policy & Politics
News & Politics
About
Matters of Policy & Politics is a Hoover Institution podcast devoted to matters of governance and balance of power at home and abroad. It is hosted by Hoover fellow Bill Whalen.As the successor to Hoover’s Area 45 podcast, which focused on Trump-era issues and controversies, Matters of Policy & Politics will examine the direction of federal, state, and local leadership and elections, with an occasional examination of national security and geopolitical concerns, all featuring insightful analysis provided by Hoover Institution scholars and guests.Podcasts will be released weekly, with engaging topics and fellows.
Episodes
- Declining Industry and Public Trust at the Local Level: Elizabeth Elder on America’s “Company Towns”
America is a land dotted with so-called “company towns” – population centers where a single business or industry dominates not only the local economy, but government and community ethos as well. But what happens when a town and an industry…
- “Security Through Cooperation”: Rose Gottemoeller on US-Russian Diplomacy Past, Present . . . and Future?
Before invasions of Ukraine and Crimea and various “resets” of America’s diplomatic approach toward the Kremlin, there was the “Boris and Bill Show” – two chummy and newly-installed presidents meeting multiple times at the tail-end of the…
- Like Oil and Water? Free-Market Environmentalism with Terry Anderson
America, a land rich in growth and prosperity but also blessed with an abundance of natural beauty, faces a quandary: how to keep its economy flourishing while at the same time safeguarding its environment. It’s the topic of the Hoover’s I…
- California Update: (Self-Inflicted?) Pain at the Pump; Governor’s Race in Flux; A Cannabis Black Market
The war in Iran finds its way to California in the form of higher fuel prices, but how much of the Golden’s State “pain at the pump” is driven by geopolitics versus decades of arguably misguided state energy policies? Meanwhile, a gubernat…
- A Matter of Trust: Macke Raymond on “Unheard Voices” in America’s School Communities
While America’s education system doesn’t lack for shareholders (parents, educators, political and policy leaders, as well as business and community activists), there’s a question as to whether all concerns are being heard and respected. Ma…
- David Shribman on Journalism’s Struggles, Restoring Institutional Trust, and Life After Trump
With the public’s trust in the media at historic lows and the industry trying to adapt to changing information-gathering tastes, what does the future hold for a struggling “Fourth Estate” (tradition news outlets) and an incipient “Fifth Es…
- California Update: Cancelling a Debate . . . and a Labor Icon
Can California’s governor’s race get any airtime (a televised debate scratched after a controversy over four candidates who didn’t make the cut), much less any traction with a disinterested electorate? Hoover senior fellow Lee Ohanian and…
- Oil Shocks, Energy Strategies, And George Shultz’s Wisdom
A worldwide oil shock triggered by hostilities in the Middle East raises questions about the viability of America’s energy strategy and the ability of the US and other developed nations to ride out the current storm. David Fedor, the Hoove…
- All Roads Leads To . . .? Barry Strauss on Ancient Rome, Modern Warfare
We know what fate befell Julius Caesar on March 15, 44 B.C., but how does ancient Rome’s treatment of its adversaries and allies and compare to the current American “excursion” in Iran and overall US foreign policy? Barry Strauss, the Hoov…
- India: Brain Gains and Growing Pains with Šumit Ganguly
Two decades shy of its 100th anniversary of statehood, how is India progressing in its goal of becoming an innovative, prosperous, greener and developed nation? Šumit Ganguly, a Hoover Institution senior fellow and director of Hoover’s Hun…
- The State of American Citizenship
Assuming we already understand the parameters of “good citizenship” (obey the law; do no harm to others), how to decide what constitutes a “well-informed” citizen? Tom Schnaubelt, executive director of Hoover’s Revitalizing American Instit…
- The Book on (and of) Newsom; A Bedeviled City of Angels
California Governor Gavin Newsom pads his frequent-flier miles: after two trips to Europe already this year, a nationwide tour promoting his new memoir (and presidential prospects). Meanwhile, political upheaval finds its way to disaster-p…
- The Business of Love and the Cost of Parenting
Depending on one’s outlook and relationship status (and a willingness to spend lavishly on romantic gestures), Valentine's Day is an annual ritual to be loved or loathed. But is it living up to its unstated end goal – i.e., romance blossom…
- The Robots Are Taking Over?
While the concept of robots supplanting humans may seem the stuff of science fiction, it is in fact advancing rapidly in all sorts of real-world applications – healthcare, manufacturing, even warfare. Allison Okamura, a Hoover science fell…
- “Arsenal of Democracy” Redux: Rebuilding, Rearming . . . and Making Sense of the Americas and Indo-Pacific
Evidence that history is repeating itself: Franklin Roosevelt’s plea in late 1940 to reimagine his nation as an “ arsenal of democracy ” willing to defy fascism and arm the free world, compared 85 years later to the question of America det…
- Divided We Stand? David Brady on America’s “New Electoral Instability”
How did America go from relative political stability in the postwar era—one party controlling Congress for the better part of four decades leading up to 1994—to the past three decades of revolving-door majorities on Capitol Hill and increa…
- California Update: New Year, “New” Newsom . . . Same Old Problems?
California’s new year begins with a “new” version of Gov. Gavin Newsom – offering Sacramento lawmakers a detailed and in-person State of the State Address, as opposed to recent years when the governor eschewed such pageantry. Hoover senior…
- Declarations of Independence: Peter Berkowitz on America and Israel’s Origins and Evolutions
What do America and Israel share other, other than shared values and a strategic alliance against the forces of tyranny? Try: declarations of independence and a celebration of individual rights that have stood the test of time (nearly 250…
- New Year, New Beginnings: William Damon on Finding a More Purposeful Life
Before long, holiday celebrations, family gatherings, and gift-sharing will give way to a new year and the question of resolutions and crafting a better self. William (Bill) Damon, a Hoover Institution senior fellow and Stanford University…
- “A 100-Year Storm”: Ben Ginsberg on Bush v. Gore Turning 25, Restoring Confidence in U.S. Elections
Further evidence that time (and politics) flies by: it was 25 years ago this month that the U.S. Supreme Court settled the final outcome of both Florida’s presidential vote count and America’s choice for its 43rd president. Ben Ginsberg, t…
- America’s Class Struggle: Eric Hanushek on Learning Declines and Hope for Revitalizing Education
If you think America’s schools fell into decline solely as a consequence of 2020’s pandemic and a year of alternate instruction models, guess again. Eric Hanushek, the Hoover Institution’s Paul and Jean Hanna Senior Fellow and a leading sc…
- California Update: Prop 50 Legalities, L.A. Fire Confusion . . . and Bad News for Billionaires?
After a lopsided victory earlier this month, can California’s redistricting Proposition 50 survive a legal challenge? And why do last January’s devastating fires in Los Angeles continue to raise unsettling questions? Hoover senior fellow L…
- “Don’t You Dare Apologize for the Military”: Admiral James Ellis on Veterans Day, Honoring Service
If you’re confused about the differences between Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and Armed Forces Day here in America, you’re not alone. Decades of government meddling and mixed messages have blurred the lines between honoring those who once s…
- From Stalinism To Reaganism: Daniel Flynn On Frank Meyer And “Fusion” Conservatism
How does one man whose formative years are largely defined by five “s’s” – sex, satanism, suicide, secret agents, and Stalinism – somehow wind up as a defining intellectual behind the rise of America’s conservative movement? Daniel Flynn,…
- California Update: The 50-50 Proposition
As California enters the final phase leading up to its Nov. 4 special election and a vote on Proposition 50, plenty of unknowns surround the fate of the controversial ballot measure that would redraw California’s congressional districts to…
- History in the Making: Victor Davis Hanson on Strategika’s Century Mark, Examining Wars Present and Past
For the past dozen years, Hoover’s online publication Strategika has examined contemporary conflicts and national security challenges by assembling academics of varied thought to re-examine past struggles. On the occasion of its 100th issu…
- California Update: Pippa Can’t Win . . . Gavin Can’t Lose?
The big political news in California: its state legislature agreeing to a Nov. 4 special election to decide whether to temporarily return congressional redistricting to lawmakers – by doing so, California is adding more Democratic House se…
- All Roads Lead to . . .? Barry Strauss on Jews vs. Rome, the Fate of Empires and Republics
Three times in ancient history, the Jewish people revolted against the Roman Empire – the end result being genocide, enslavement, exile, and religious oppression. Barry Strauss, the Hoover Institution’s Corliss Page Dean senior fellow and…
- Like Father, Like Son? Joseph Torigian on Chinese Governance, Xi Jinping’s Paternal Influence
One way to examine the thinking and ruling style of Chinese President Xi Jinping: his father’s role in the rise and evolution of Chinese-brand communism. Hoover research fellow Joseph Torigian, author of the recently released The Party’s I…
- California Update: He Can Run (For President), But Can He Hide (From His Record)? | Gavin Newsom
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent visit to early-primary South Carolina, followed by his return home and hinting at a special election to re-politicize California’s redistricting process in order to add more Democratic seats in Congres…
- Pollsters’ Perspectives: Did 2024 Realign US Politics ... Beyond the Age of Trump? | Revitalizing American Institutions | Hoover Institution
While last year’s US presidential election didn’t lack for historical quirks – an incumbent president dropping out of the race soon before his party’s convention; for only the second time, a former president returned to office – opinions d…
- Trump Tariff Outcomes: Is the “Less-Worse” Case a Best-Case Scenario?
What’s the most likely outcome for President Trump’s tariff strategy – trading partners capitulating, America’s economy and exceptionalism crumbling, or something in the middle? Hoover fellows and economists Michael Bordo and Mickey Levy d…
- California Update: (Misguided) Plans, Trains, and Automobiles
What do an electric-vehicle mandate, a structural budget deficit, and chronic homelessness and affordable housing woes have in common? The answer: they are policy headaches likely awaiting California’s next governor. Hoover senior fellow L…
- California Update: The World’s 4th-Largest Economy – and the Home of “Shaq State”?
New data points to California as the world’s fourth-largest economy, supplanting Japan (with India likely soon surpassing the Golden State). What does that say about California as an economic powerhouse and a nation-state plagued by a dark…
- Tariff-ic Or Tariff-ied? What Polling Says About Trump 2.0
Donald Trump’s first 100 days since returning to office have been prolific – the most executive orders issued in the early days of a presidency – and seemingly in a constant state of political turbulence. What do the polls indicate about T…
- Elective Surgery: Obamacare’s 15th Anniversary, Federal Healthcare Reform, and California’s Medi-Cal Woes
Once a policy lightning rod that ended political careers, the Affordable Care Act (aka, “Obamacare”) has proven to be remarkably resilient with last month marking the 15th anniversary of its being signed into law. Lanhee Chen, the Hoover I…
- California Update: Open Season on the Governor’s Open Mic
The good news for California governor Gavin Newsom is that his new podcast has the left and the right buzzing. The bad news is that neither side likes what is covered in his podcasts, as the governor makes nice with conservative and libera…
- Michael Hartney on the Federal Role in Education, Outcomes v. Totems, and Union Clout
President Trump’s signing of an executive order calling for the downsizing of the US Department of Education (DOE) raises concerns related to the federal versus state balance in K-12 policy. Michael Hartney, the Hoover Institution’s Bruni…
- Achieving Geopolitical Objectives: Andrew Grotto on American “Economic Statecraft”
Curtailing strife and safeguarding America’s global standing requires military strength, diplomatic reach, a gravitational pull to the concepts of liberty and opportunity, and a strategy for economic growth beyond America’s shores. Andrew…
- War and Peace . . . and a Changing Europe
Ukraine’s acceptance of a 30-day ceasefire, since rejected by Russia, shows the challenge in bringing an end to Eastern Europe’s three-year war of attrition. Meanwhile, Germany’s national election delivers a new chancellor (once a coalitio…
- A “Middle School Dance” of Trust | Renewing Civics Education – Preparing for American Citizenship
In an Information Age during which decentralized news and information have contributed to a greater lack of trust in government and traditional media outlets, is it possible to restore confidence in both institutions? Nick Mastronardi, a H…
- Cooperation, Not Compromise in the Classroom | Renewing Civics Education – Preparing for American Citizenship
Does a Stanford University initiative reinstating a century-old tradition of American civics learning offer a roadmap for the future of higher education? In this installment, Josiah Ober, a Hoover Institution senior fellow and a Stanford p…
- California Update: Like a Good Neighbor . . .?
Los Angeles confronts the grim reality of a multi-year effort to clean up and rebuild after its devastating wildfires; Governor Gavin Newsom makes a big disaster-relief ask in Washington; and intrigue abounds in next year’s gubernatorial r…
- Patriotism vs. Indoctrination | Renewing Civics Education – Preparing for American Citizenship
Can colleges and secondary schools teach American civics (i.e., an examination of the republic’s good and bad experiences) without being jingoistic? Peter Berkowitz, the Hoover Institution’s Tad and Dianne Taube senior fellow and teacher o…
- California Update: A Not-So-Special Session in Sacramento And Reasons for Hope in 2025
The following episode was recorded on December 10, 2024. An adventurous year in California politics and policy ends with a special legislative session to “Trump-proof” the Golden State. Will a pair of would-be reformers – a newly elected m…
- High School Confidential (The Role of Civics in K-12 Ed) | Renewing Civics Education – Preparing for American Citizenship
Do high-school students – including those fortunate to attend America’s most prestigious universities – enter college with a solid understanding of American civics (i.e., the republic’s origin and design) or is it more a case of remedial l…
- India, Before It Was Cool
A new survey released by the Hoover Institution – part of Hoover’s Huntington Program on Strengthening US-India Relations – offers a window into a handful of challenges facing the world’s fifth-largest economy and emerging world power. Sum…
- “Don’t Know Much About” . . . America? | Renewing Civics Education – Preparing for American Citizenship
The Hoover Institution is launching a new limited podcast series featuring experts grappling with how to reinvigorate civics education across America. Renewing Civics Education: Preparing for American Citizenship is a five-part podcast ser…
- California Update: Rising from the Ashes – What’s Next for Los Angeles?
Los Angeles’s devastating wildfires have prompted a series of troubling questions, ranging from the city and county’s reported lack of preparedness and apparently outdated water infrastructure to the crisis-management skills of state and l…
- Now What Do We Do? | Saints, Sinners, & Salvageables
And so the great American election crisis that was destined to be, didn’t happen – the end-result stirring relatively little in the way of legal challenges or disruption of the constitutional process, with the public feeling better about t…