Shows / The Political Orphanage
The Political Orphanage
Politics minus bile plus jokes. Comedian and avowed independent Andrew Heaton interviews authors and thought leaders about policy and big thinky stuff.
Episodes
The Political OrphanageIowa, Ancient Greece, and Rome
Live from Des Moines, Iowa, Heaton transforms into a 'thinky travelogue' guide, unraveling the mysteries of state-by-state primaries, and the often confusing…
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Announcement: Live Show in New Hampshire! Saturday, January 20th
Hey gang, I will be joining Jen Briney and Justin Robert Young for a live show of our podcast "We're Not Wrong" at 7:00 PM at the Share Brewing Company in…
The Political OrphanageMoon Base Economics
Zach Weinersmith is the author of "A City on Mars: Can we settle space, should we settle space, and have we really thought this through?" He joins to discuss…
The Political OrphanageThe Cancelling of the American Mind
Greg Lukianoff is the President of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, and along with Rikki Schlott, is the author of "The Cancelling of the…
The Political OrphanageDavid Brooks Wants To Know You Better
New York Times columnist David Brooks believes a basic breakdown in interpersonal skills is the origin of our current political rancor. His new book, "How to…
The Political OrphanageA Very Snuffy's Rerun
Highlights from Christmas comedy specials of years gone by. Enjoy!
The Political OrphanageA Rugged Snuffy's Christmas
It's the sixth annual comedy Christmas special! Underwritten by Snuffy's (Off Route 44). This year's Christmas special includes: Muppets, Artificial…
The Political OrphanageDead People Control Your House: Deed Restrictions
Deed restrictions allow you to make contractual obligations with other homeowners–often, dead ones. How do deed restrictions and HOA's drive up housing costs…
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Life After Home Internet
Chris Moody and his wife called their telecom provider, to ask that their Internet service be scrapped, and replaced by a landline. They do not have cell…
The Political OrphanageRevolt of the Jury: Jury Nullification
Juries have the ability to vote "not guilty" even when it's clear the accused violated established law. If a jury judges a law as unjust and refuses to…
The Political OrphanageRerun: Your Life Is Way Better Than King Louis XVI's
This Thanksgiving Brian Brushwood joins to discuss the many ways an average American's life is more comfortable, affluent, and magical than the vast majority…
The Political OrphanageHow Nuclear Deterrence Works
How many nuclear bombs do we actually need to sufficiently scare an enemy? How many is too many? If we agree to reduce our stockpiles… how can we trust that…
The Political OrphanageCenk Uygur And Polemicism
Cenk Uygur is a flame-throwing progressive pundit, host of The Young Turks, co-founder of Justice Democrats, and author of "Justice is Coming: How Progressives…
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"Trickle Down Economics"
Gene Epstein is the founder and moderator of the Soho Forum, a debate society, and is the former Economics editor at Barron's. He joins to discuss the nature…
The Political OrphanageWhen Identities Fuse in Politics
What happens when your religious, ethnic, and political identities converge into a mega identity? Dannagal Goldthwaite Young is the author of "Wrong: How…
The Political OrphanageBut If There's No Free Will…
Robert Sapolsky is a professor of biology and neurobiology at at Stanford University, and the recipient of a MacArthur Genius Grant. He is the author of…
The Political OrphanageThe Actual Deep State
Michael Glennon is the author of "National Security and Double Government." He joins to discuss the growth of America's national security apparatus, and how it…
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Your Invisible Rights: Randy Barnett
Randy Barnett is one of America's foremost jurists, and a professor at Georgetown Law. He joins to discussed unenumerated rights, in the context of the 9th and…
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Yascha Mounk on the Identity Trap
Depending on whether society treats people primarily as individuals or as identity groups has deep ramifications for worldviews, government policy, and the…
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Michael Malice Vs. the Soviet Union
Antipathy towards communism tends to come from its consequences–liberal democracy and markets have yielded greater prosperity, so we should embrace them over…
The Political OrphanageJohn Stossel Gives Me Journalism Advice
Emmy-award winning journalist John Stossel joins the Political Orphanage to talk about journalism and politics. Stossel's career spans work on ABC News, Fox…
The Political OrphanageThe Plunder of the Commons
Guy Standing stipulates that we should not think of property as either being private or state controlled, but ought to think of a third category: the commons…
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When Your Home Town Gets Invaded
What's life like for a high schooler who's home town gets invaded by a foreign army? Ali Ali was living in historic Babylon, in Iraq, during the War on Terror…
The Political OrphanageClean Energy and Yucky Energy: Michael Webber
How do energy experts approach energy? Are there good sources and bad sources? What should we try to abolish and what should we lob subsidies at? Dr. Michael…
The Political OrphanageUFO Whistleblowers and Congress
Recently former intelligence officer David Grusch appeared before Congress, and made the bold claims that the U.S. government owns multiple recovered…
The Political OrphanageNuclear Renaissance of Tomorrow
Is nuclear power cheap and safe, or dangerous and expensive? Dr. Robert Zubrin is the author of "The Case for Nukes: How We Can Beat Global Warming and Create…
The Political OrphanageUpwingers Fighting Downwingers
Dr. Steve Fuller of Warwick University says the meaningful split in society is not Leftwing vs. Rightwing, but rather Upwing vs. Downwing. Both have radically…
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Lizard People and SuperPACs
Lawrence Lessig of Harvard University is the nation's foremost thinker and advocate for campaign finance reform around SuperPAC's. He joins the show to argue…
The Political OrphanageHow to Spot Statistical Garbage
Statistics can be mangled to say whatever you'd like, and sometimes they're garbage to begin with. Aaron Brown teaches statistics at New York University and at…
The Political OrphanageGovernment Minus Geography
America is less geographically-focused than ever, but her government is still foundationally built around land areas. What would politics look like if…
The Political OrphanageThe Economics of Bad Films
Thom Taylor is Los Angeles financial advisor who spent a decade writing for movie magazines. He knows the creative and business side of Hollywood, and how the…
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Clarence Thomas Hates Affirmative Action
Last week the Supreme Court effectively banned race considerations in higher education admissions. Anastasia Boden returns to discuss the relevant…
The Political OrphanageThe Longest Happiness Study in History
The Harvard Study of Adult Development spans 83-years of health and happiness data analysis, and counting! Its director is Dr. Robert Waldinger, author of "The…
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Cancel Culture Runs Out of Steam (WSPN)
The World's Smartest Podcast Networks convenes to ask: is Cancel Culture on its way out? Comedian Hannah Gadsby's art exhibit "Pablo-Matic" draws attention to…
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Because of the Commerce Clause!
Attorney Anna Gorisch returns to explain the Commerce Clause, and how it's gone from a restraint on state-on-state protectionism to a trump card for federal…
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Big Ag's Meat Ethics
This episode we dive into animal suffering, big agriculture, and the laws Big Meat has on the books to restrict freedom of speech. As well as what basic animal…
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The Three Personalities in Politics
Bijoy Goswami is the author of "The Human Fabric: Unleashing the Power of Core Energy in Everyone." He joins the show to discuss the personalities that make…
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What Happens with the National Debt
The National Debt engorges daily--when does it collapse in on itself and crater the economy? In this special we tackle the nature of federal debt, the…
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Was Abraham Lincoln Leftwing or Rightwing?
Where would Lincoln fall on the Left-Right spectrum? Was Jefferson a radical leftist? Was Hamilton a reactionary conservative? If the whole Left-Right spectrum…
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Disneyland with The Death Penalty: Singapore
Think tanks from the right and left regularly glorify Singapore's economy as either an exemplary free market or a progressive rockstar. Meanwhile, it's…
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Confirmation Bias is Hilarious But Expensive
What do military research boondoogles on astral projection, psychic boon-bending children, and extensive bouts of policy antics all have in common?…
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Salesmen Beat Engineers at Politics
Jason Voiovich is a sales and marketing professional, and author of "Marketer in Chief." He joins the show to discuss how advertisers see politics, and what…
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The Answer is Always Status
Will Storr is the author of "The Status Game: On Human Life and How to Play It." He joins to discuss the never-ending scrum for status which defines human…
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Capitalism Remains Undefeated!
Rainer Zitelmann is the author of "In Defense of Capitalism: Debunking the Myths." He joins to make a plea for free markets and economic freedom, and counters…
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What Do Marxists Actually Think?
Freddy deBoer is an author, academic, and Marxist. He joins the show to discuss the nature and worldview of Marxism. "Laughter is Better Than Communism"…
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Sucks to Legally Immigrate
What hoops do you have to jump through to work in America or become a citizen? Is it worse under Democrat or Republican administrations? What could make it…
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Coastal Bias
Media trust is on the decline, but what's causing it? If it's bias, what accounts for the perceived increase? Steve Krakauer is a long-time journalist from…
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Would You Shut Down the Internet, If You Could?
The Internet brings astonishing knowledge, convenience, and communication to modern society. But overall does it make us more or less happy than before we…
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How to Run a Scottish City
Robert Aldridge is the 258th Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Scotland. He previously served a Councilor in Edinburgh since 1984, focusing on city enviornment…
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Design Your City's Ugly Away - Dave Amos
Dave Amos is a the producer and host of "City Beautiful" on YouTube, and Assistant Professor of City Planning at Caly Poly San Luis Obispo. He joins to discuss…
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Sim City Was Always Wrong
What should urban planners design, and what should they leave to citizens and markets? To answer that question we summon none other than Alain Bertaud, an…
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What Do Mayors Actually Do? - David Holt
David Holt is Mayor of Oklahoma City, one of the top twenty largest cities in the United States. He joins to discuss the nature of his position, and the issues…
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The Coming Suburban Apocalypse - Charles Marohn
American cities are prioritizing big box stores over small businesses, in a model predicated on permanent growth. But when growth hits a snag, will suburbs…
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Why Do We Do Tipping? (WSPN)
What are the underlying economics and origins of tipping? Is the practice expanding to new sectors, and if so, is this good or just irritating? The World's…
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National Divorce and James O'Keefe - "We're Not Wrong"
We're Not Wrong is my other political podcast, with host fellows Justin Robert Young and Jen Briney. On this episode we discuss "national divorce," the rise…
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Addicted to Dopamine
Why is addiction (booze, drugs, and more) on the rise in the United States? Dr. Anna Lembke is a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of…
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The Dictator's Handbook
Alistair Smith proposes that the only real thing governments differ on is how many selectors are needed for a leader to gain and keep power–everything is…
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Bonus: Ukraine Counterpoint with Kristaps
Kristaps Andrejsons is the host of "Eastern Borders" podcast, which formerly explored Soviet History, and is now an in-the-field news report on the conflict in…
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The Cost of Ukraine
We're almost a year into the conflict in Ukraine. What does a conclusion look like? How much is costing in terms of money and lives, and to what end? Author…
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Why America Can't Europe
What's the optimum size of a country? As countries get bigger, does the nature of governance necessarily change? In this episode, we explore scaling—how an…