Listen Now

What comes after Election Day in America? Legal maneuvering by the two presidential campaigns as votes/ballots are counted and ballot integrity comes under scrutiny. John Yoo, a Hoover Institution fellow, and constitutional law professor, explains what the Supreme Court might be asked to decide should a Republican challenge in Pennsylvania reach the highest court in the land. 

As the presidential election enters its last days, what do the polls suggest about the health of the two candidacies? David Brady and Douglas Rivers, Hoover senior fellows and Stanford political scientists, discuss differences in voter demographics over the past four years and likely Election Night outcomes for control of the White House and U.S. Senate.  

With the election less than a month away and polls showing Joe Biden with a healthy lead, is there room – and ample time – for a Trump rally? David Brady, a Hoover Institution senior fellow emeritus and Stanford political scientist, reviews polling data showing how the 2020 race compares, at this point, to 2016’s contest nationally and in battleground states.  

The 25th Amendment to the US Constitution clarifies presidential succession in the event of death or resignation. What’s not so clear is prolonged incapacitation. John Yoo, a Hoover Institution fellow, and constitutional law professor, explains how that amendment, written in the aftermath of the Kennedy assassination, applies to President Trump’s current health crisis. 

In a presidential election dominated by news of a pandemic, economic disruption, climate events, and now the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, what’s there to be said about the world beyond America’s shores? Hoover Institution fellow Markos Kounalakis discusses unrest in Egypt and Iran – and offers a few foreign policy questions in advance of next week’s presidential debate.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death makes an already fierce presidential election even more contentious. John Yoo, a Hoover Institution visiting fellow and UC-Berkeley law professor, reflects on the legacy of “notorious RBG” and weighs the pros and cons of waging a bitter confirmation battle before or after Election Day and January’s presidential inauguration. 

Hoover Institution research fellow Lanhee Chen explains the politics behind the social media companies, the World Health Organization, and what the future may hold for social media outlets amidst the current cancel-culture phenomenon. 

Did the parties’ virtual convention change the dynamics of the presidential race? Apparently not. David Brady and Douglas Rivers, Hoover Institution senior fellows and Stanford University political scientists, discuss the lack of a lasting “Trump bump,” and whether civil unrest is affecting Joe Biden’s lead, plus the concept of a “hidden” Trump voter that pollsters can’t ascertain.  

If you think the presidential election is contentious, there’s a chance that constitutional law might add to the public’s dyspepsia. John Yoo, a Hoover Institution fellow and UC-Berkeley law professor, details scenarios in which a Democratic-controlled House re-elects President Trump, or an indecisive Congress paves the way for President Nancy Pelosi. 

What’s the status of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un? Is his younger sister, Kim Yo-jong, the heir apparent? Michael Auslin, the Hoover Institution’s Payson J. Treat Distinguished Research Fellow in Contemporary Asia and co-host of Hoover’s Pacific Century podcast,  discusses the family dynamics at play in Pyongyang and possible changes to American diplomacy post-November election. 

For the first time in nearly two decades, California faced the prospect of rolling blackouts due to an imbalance between supply and demand for electricity. James Sweeney, a Hoover Institution senior fellow and energy-market scholar, explains the differences between crises present and past, and suggests ways California can better balance population and environmental concerns. 

California Senator Kamala Harris is Joe Biden’s running mate and, arguably, first in line to be her party’s next presidential nominee. Dan Walters, a CalMatters columnist and authority on California political issues and policy, explains where Harris fits in the Golden State’s elected mosaic – and why a Biden-Harris victory would trigger competition among California Democrats to replace her in Washington.   

With the fall election less than 90 days away, what happens to immigration reform should the White House and Congress change hands? Tim Kane, an economist and the Hoover Institution’s J.P. Conte Fellow in Immigration Studies, discusses a sensible approach to immigration policy that would balance America’s economic, security and humanitarian concerns – and why the topic isn’t the same flash point it was in the last presidential election.   

Born 108 years ago this July, Milton Friedman continues to cast a long shadow across the American landscape. Jennifer Burns, a Hoover Institution research fellow and Stanford University history professor currently working on an intellectual biography of the late Hoover senior fellow, explains what separates Friedman from other conservative economists, his quintessentially American life story, plus what the famed libertarian might make of the debate over masks, government edicts, and civil liberties.   Did you like the show? You can rate, review, subscribe, and download the podcast on the following platforms:Podbean | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Overcast |Google Play | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Joe Biden enjoys a healthy lead over President Trump after months of running a low-profile campaign. With the election a little over 100 days away, can Biden keep doing the same as Muhammed Ali – stay back on the ropes while his rival swings in vain? David Brady and Douglas Rivers, Hoover Institution senior fellows and Stanford  University political scientists, assess the health of the two presidential candidates.   Did you like the show? You can rate, review, subscribe, and download the podcast on the following platforms:Podbean | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Overcast |Google Play | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

To celebrate the 4th of July holiday, we dipped into the Area 45 vault (June 26, 2018) for this conversation with Thomas Gilligan, the Hoover Institution’s Tad and Dianne Taube Director. He discusses the individual, economic, and political freedoms that are quintessentially American – and are at the core of the Hoover Institution’s mission of “ideas defining a free society.” Did you like the show? You can rate, review, subscribe, and download the podcast on the following platforms:Podbean | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Overcast |Google Play | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Social unrest, policing reforms, coronavirus, stricken economies, homelessness, the federal-state-city balance of power, and on and on. San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer discusses these and other challenges facing both his and many of America’s great cities.     Did you like the show? You can rate, review, subscribe, and download the podcast on the following platforms:Podbean | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Overcast |Google Play | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Joe Biden has taken the lead, though polls differ on how commanding it is nationally and in “swing” states. President Trump struggles to regain his footing as the coronavirus and policing practices dominate the election-year narrative. David Brady and Douglas Rivers, Hoover Institution senior fellows and Stanford University political scientists, weigh the strengths and weaknesses of the November candidates. Did you like the show? You can rate, review, subscribe, and download the podcast on the following platforms:Podbean | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Overcast |Google Play | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

President Trump dislikes the media, but needs their cameras to earn re-election. The political press corps dislikes Trump, though he’s boosted ratings, subscriptions and Internet clicks. Tom Bevan, co-founder of Real Clear Politics and a Hoover Institution media fellow, discusses the dysfunctional Trump-media dynamic and reflects on a progressive bent in America’s newsrooms as well as Joe Biden’s media strategy moving forward.   Did you like the show? You can rate, review, subscribe, and download the podcast on the following platforms:Podbean | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Overcast |Google Play | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

The last time federal troops were dispatched to quell urban unrest was in 1992, when Army and Marines forces entered Los Angeles. Then-Gov. Pete Wilson, the man who made that request, recalls the events that led to his action. He also discusses the future of policing and, on the 16th anniversary of the passing of Ronald Reagan, reflects on their overlapping paths that spanned nearly four decades. Did you like the show? You can rate, review, subscribe, and download the podcast on the following platforms:Podbean | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Overcast |Google Play | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS