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This episode marks the final interview that I will produce here at OUTSET. I begin the show by discussing our decision to shut down OUTSET at the end of July, and then talk with Jake Grant about the drug war and why it has failed. Jake Grant (@thejakegrant) is a Young Voices Advocate who wrote a great piece for Fee.org about the drug war and its negative results. In this interview, we talk about the drug war’s history, where it failed, and solutions for the future. Plus, jake answers some of my favorite questions.

Thanks to social media, we can all speak out on the issues that are important to us. But what happens when we never take our activism beyond the hashtags and status updates? On this week’s show, I talk about the importance of taking real action, using Parkland shooting survivor, Kyle Kashuv, as an example of doing just that. Further, I talk about how unfortunate it is that the majority of media outlets are failing to cover his work seemingly because he’s more conservative than his classmates. If you enjoy the content we produce, please consider supporting our efforts to build a better conservative media network on Patreon.

This has been a week of ups and downs. From the deadly shooting at a Parkland, Florida high school to Mitt Romney’s U.S. Senate campaign announcement, we have a lot to talk about on this week’s episode. Following the Parkland shooting, social media activists immediately started pushing for increased gun control measures, despite not having all the facts. Turns out, the shooter purchased his gun legally, and the fault lies with the FBI and local authorities who failed to escalate numerous tips about the shooter’s intention to cause harm. Meanwhile, Republican calls for an increased focus on mental health should be met with an increase in federal funds, not a decrease like the Trump White House has proposed. Former 2012 presidential candidates, Mitt Romney, announced his campaign for the U.S. Senate on Friday. In his campaign video, he shared a desire to bring Utah values to Washington, D.C. He also said the word “Utah” a lot… Enough times to make a drinking game out of it, which I did. Do you enjoy the content we publish here are OUTSET? Support us on Patreon so we know it’s real.

Part of me enjoys that people are finally starting to focus on the inadequacies of Generation Z, the youngin’s coming up behind Millennials. After all, Millennials have been attacked for far too long! However, I also think it’s a shame that they’ll now be the ones to endure scrutiny by older folks who, let’s be honest, just don’t get them. But does Gen Z face a valid challenge when it comes to race? My guest this week is Jerrod Laber (@JerrodALaber), a Young Voices advocate and writer who recently penned a piece for the Washington Examiner about how “White males in Generation Z aren’t that woke after all.” In it, he explains the different possible factors that are leading young white individuals – males, in particular – to believe that they are being discriminated against much like a minority would be. Also referenced in this episode: Jerrod says Hayek’s “The Constitution of Liberty,” and Adam Smith’s “Theory of Moral Sentiments” most influenced him. He would also recommend reading “The Color of Law,” a more contemporary book by Richard Rothstein. Do you enjoy the content we publish here are OUTSET? Support us on Patreon so we know it’s real.

Michael Shindler (@MichaelShindler) is a writer and Young Voices Advocate who lives in Washington, D.C.. He recently wrote a piece for the Washington Examiner about why it’s time to kill the death tax. On this week’s show, he joins me for a discussion on tax reform following the House’s passage of the Republican tax plan last week. Referenced in this episode: Trump is right: Kill the Death Tax, once and for all The Western Canon The Republic, by Plato The Magic Mountain, by Thomas Mann The Story of Civilization series, by Will Durant

Julian Adorney (@Julian_Liberty) is a Young Voices Advocate and economic historian. He recently wrote a piece in National Review about why Social Security should be phased out or reformed for the benefit of millennials and future generations. On this week’s show, we get to know more about Julian, his vision for the program, and more. Referenced in this episode: Social Security Makes Millennials Less Financially Responsible The Great Stagnation, by Tyler Cowen Love is the Killer App, by Tim Sanders

Andrew Wilford (@PolicyWilford) is a Young Voices Advocate and policy analyst for the National Taxpayers Union who spends his days thinking about how to make the American economy better. This past week, he wrote a great piece for The Federalist on how cities are resorting to corporate welfare to attract the second Amazon headquarters. On this episode, we talk about his background – specifically, how he became interested in policy research – as well as the different ways that crony capitalism and corporate welfare manifest themselves, often right in front of our eyes.

Zak Slayback (@zslayback) is an author and entrepreneur in the education and professional development industries who believes that our approach to education needs a realignment. On this week’s episode, Zak and I have a fairly comprehensive conversation about everything from innovative education pathways and reverse engineering successful people to the importance of doing harder stuff and developing self-efficacy. This is an episode you will not want to miss! Referenced in this episode: The Mission on Medium ZakSlayback.com College Debt Clock The End of School, by Zak Slayback Future Shock, by Alvin Toffler The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand Awaken the Giant Within, by Tony Robbins The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis

On this week’s episode, I reflect on the Las Vegas shooting, the divisive and negative reactions from social media and the news media, and thoughts on finding hope in the middle of national tragedies.

Matthew Hurtt (@matthewhurtt) is a Grassroots Trainer and curriculum developer for the Americans for Prosperity Foundation and their Grassroots Leadership Academy.  On this week’s show, we talk about why it’s important for conservatives to organize their communities around conservative ideas, as well as Matthew’s own personal background. Referenced in this episode: The Law, by Frederic Bastiat Good Profit, by Charles Koch Thomas Sowell books Dedication And Leadership, by Douglas Hyde Rules for Radicals, by Saul Alinsky

When Benjamin Green (@BGreenAZ/@Benjenjenj) joined the OUTSET Podcasts network in 2015 with his show, Second Look, he was challenging the initial reactions and interpretations of current events. After more than a year on hiatus, he is back. This time, he’s taking a second look at himself and his own perspectives. In this episode, I talk with Benjamin Green about what led him to become interested and politics, how he began questioning his own views, and how others can take a second look at their lives. Referenced in this episode: The Bible The Little Red Book of Wisdom, by Mark DeMoss

Conservative students and organizations often have a challenging time on their college campuses. Whether it’s running into bureaucratic roadblocks when seeking approval to table or school administration shutting down conservative speakers, it’s a fight that organizations like the Young America’s Foundation are actively engaged in. On this week’s show, I am talking with YAF Spokesman Spencer Brown (@itsSpencerBrown) about how he got started in politics through local campaigns and campus activism, eventually leading to his current role. Referenced in this episode: God and Man at Yale, William F. Buckley The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam, Robert Spencer

As we begin this new fall season of the Stephen Perkins Podcast, the focus of this show continues to be interviewing emerging conservative leaders in activism, business, and media. On this week’s episode, I talk to Stephen Rowe (@Rowebotz), the Deputy Director of Digital Trainings for the Leadership Institute, an organization that trains conservatives how to win. We talked about his childhood in Montana and how he became interested in digital tools, leading him to a job at LI in Washington, D.C.

On this program, I generally speak to one person as a time. But on this week’s show, I’m chatting with two individuals who I have come to know quite well over the past two years, Jonah (@jonah_wendt) and Manfred Wendt (@wendtmanfred). These twins brothers attend Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas where they helped start the conservative movement on that campus. Despite considerable backlash from students and faculty, they have been successful in bringing powerful conservative voices to campus On this episode, we talked about their efforts on campus, the decline of intellectual conservatism, and how to break through the noise of our current political environment and guide people towards conservative ideas. Book recommendations: The Conscience of a Conservative, Goldwater An Inconvenient Book, Beck The Real America, Beck Excuse Me, Professor, FEE

When one looks around at the current political climate and culture, positivity and productivity are probably not the two words that come to mind. I believe, however, that individuals are the linchpin to instituting a new era of positive and productive politics in which people are informed, engaged, and empowered. That’s a large part of the reason we started OUTSET, and it’s the biggest belief behind a new video series that I’m co-hosting called Make Politics Positive. In this week’s episode, I talk about the common misconceptions behind the terms, along with thoughts on how we can begin to transform politics in a better direction. Referenced in this episode: Making Politics Positive: A New Video Series

Kyle Griesinger (@KyleGriesinger) is the new host of Young Guns, our panel show here at OUTSET, as well as the Regional Director for Patriot Academy. On this week’s episode, I talked with him about his childhood in Texas, his experience at Liberty University, what’s in store for the new season of Young Guns, and more. Make sure to check out the show notes below, and follow @YoungGunsUSA on Twitter. References and Links from the episode: Subscribe to Young Guns on iTunes The 5,000 Year Leap, by W. Cleon Skousen Liberty in Tyranny, by Mark Levin Amertopia, by Mark Levin Prevailing Worldviews of Western Society Since 1500, by Glenn R. Martin Confessions, by Saint Augustine Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan, by Edmund Morris James Madison and the Making of America, by Kevin Gutzman

This is the podcast where we talk to emerging conservative leaders in activism, business, and media. On this week’s episode, I take a break to step back and identify the 7 habits and characteristics that I have noticed from the people I have interviewed thus far. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Conservative Leaders: Their parents were politically engages, but not apparently partisan. They got involved at a young age and on a local level. They connected and networked with others. They started small and found their niche. They read across various genres. They get their news from a variety of sources. They embrace change. Listen to past interviews: Cade Marsh Benji Backer Blake Hudson Jake Leahy Tex Fischer Zuri Davis Amanda Owens Caleb Franz Matthew Mailloux

On this podcast, we go in-depth with up-and-coming conservative activists, entrepreneurs, content creators, and leaders. This week, I’m joined by Cade Marsh (@CadeMarshFL), a political operative who serves as the Co-Founder and Political Director of the Campus Red PAC and the outgoing Vice Chairman for the CRNC. On this week’s show, I talk to Cade about how he got started in political activism, the work his Campus Red PAC did in Florida during 2016, and the keys to empowering young activists on campuses around the country.

On this podcast, we go in-depth with up-and-coming conservative activists, entrepreneurs, content creators, and leader. This week, I talk to Benji Backer (@BenjiBacker), a seasoned conservative activist who now serves the the Founder and President of Conservatives for Environmental Reform. On this week’s show, we talk about how Benji got his start in politics, what motivated him to get involved with environmental issues, and how conservatives can lead on issues like climate change. References from this episode: How to Think Seriously About the Planet, by Roger Scruton A Series of Unfortunate Events, by Lemony Snicket

My hope is that you have been enjoying my conversations with up and coming conservative leaders just as much as I have. This week, I don’t have a new interview, but I did have a few thoughts I wanted to share. I use this week’s show as a chance to check in with you, the listeners, and offer some thoughts on how dependent we’ve become on the actions of the president and the federal government. I believe it’s time that we start focusing on the things we can control, rather than going insane over the things far out our control.