Best Kevin Kosar Podcasts (2024)

1
The conservative vision of Edward C. Banfield, with Kevin Kosar 1:09:49

1h ago1:09:49

1:09:49

Edward C. Banfield (1916-99), the conservative political scientist who spent most of his career at Harvard University, was one of the most eminent and controversial scholars of the twentieth century. His best-known work, The Unheavenly City (1970), was a deeply informed but unsparing criticism of Great Society-era attempts to alleviate urban povert…

1
Special Books Edition: An Interview with Michael Johnson, Author of Fixing Congress: Restoring Power to the People 25:12

13d ago25:12

25:12

The topic of this special episode of the Understanding Congress podcast is a recent book by Michael Johnson and Jerome Climer. The book is titled, Fixing Congress: Restoring Power to the People (Morgan James Publishing, 2024). Mr. Johnson and Mr. Climer each have spent more than four decades in Washington, DC and have had stints working inside Cong…

1
The Latino century, with Mike Madrid 1:07:45

25d ago1:07:45

1:07:45

In the 1990s, Mike Madrid was a student at Georgetown University writing his senior thesis about Latino voting patterns and trying to predict how this group might change American politics in the future. The prevailing interpretation at the time was that Latinos were likely to become a permanent underclass, would almost certainly vote Democratic as …

1
America Last: Right-wing admiration for foreign autocracies, with Jacob Heilbrunn 58:32

1M ago58:32

58:32

When the Soviet Union came into being in 1917, some American left-wing intellectuals hailed the establishment of the new “workers’ paradise” as the model for the United States (and indeed the rest of the world) to follow. Some even traveled to Russia to pay homage to the communist dictatorship – as for example journalist Lincoln Steffens, who upon …

1
Does Congress Still Suffer from Demosclerosis? (with Jonathan Rauch) 30:24

2M ago30:24

30:24

The topic of this episode is, “Does Congress still suffer from Demosclerosis?" My guest is Jonathan Rauch, the author of the classic book, Demosclerosis: The Silent Killer of American Government (Times Books, 1994). Jonathan is a fellow at the Brookings Institution, and the author of numerous books, including The Constitution of Knowledge (Brooking…

1
Slouching and the posture panic, with Beth Linker 1:05:10

2M ago1:05:10

1:05:10

Probably all of us have, at one time or another in our younger years, been told to stand up straight. If you’re part of Generation X or the early Millennial cohort, you probably had to undergo an exam during middle school for scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine. If you’re a Baby Boomer, you might have had to take a posture test upon enter…

1
What Is Congress’ Role in a Contingent Presidential Election? (with John Fortier) 24:05

3M ago24:05

24:05

The topic of this episode is, "what is Congress' role in a contingent presidential election?" Two centuries ago, America had a contingent presidential election. No candidate got a majority of votes, and thus it fell to Congress to decide who got to be president. Might the United States have another contingent election? Certainly it is possible. Fou…

1
The case for incremental change, with Greg Berman and Aubrey Fox 1:04:35

3M ago1:04:35

1:04:35

If you spend enough time in Washington D.C., you come to realize that activists of left and right, for all their mutual enmities, unanimously agree on the need for radical and even destructive change. They agree that gradualism is boring, compromise is betrayal, and that the finest thing in life is, as the notable political philosopher Conan the Ba…

1
Special Books Edition: An Interview with Bradley Podliska, Author of Fire Alarm: The Investigation of the U.S. House Select Committee on Benghazi 23:32

4M ago23:32

23:32

This topic of this special episode of the Understanding Congress podcast is a recent book by a former Hill staffer. It is titled Fire Alarm: The Investigation of the U.S. House Select Committee on Benghazi (Lexington Books, 2023) The author is Bradley F. Podliska is an Assistant Professor of Military and Security Studies at the U.S. Air Force Air C…

1
Understanding inequality and rising mortality rates in America, with Angus Deaton 1:00:53

4M ago1:00:53

1:00:53

Sir Angus Deaton is a British-American economist, and one of the world’s most eminent in his profession. He was the sole recipient of the 2015 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, principally for his analysis of consumer demand, poverty, and welfare. But he is also among the world's most famous (perhaps even notorious) economists for the work…

1
Conservative voices in 1960s campus activism, with Lauren Lassabe Shepherd 56:22

5M ago56:22

56:22

In the early 1960s, colleges and universities in the United States had been politically quiescent for over a decade, following the changes and controversies that had roiled higher education in the 1930s and the post-World War II years when the G.I. Bill had paid the tuitions of large numbers of returning veterans. The demonstrations that erupted on…

1
Why Can’t Congress Budget Responsibly? (with Rep. David Schweikert) 32:50

5M ago32:50

32:50

The topic of this episode is “Why is Congress struggling to manage the nation’s finances?” My guest is Representative David Schweikert of Arizona. He was first elected to Congress in 2011. Prior to that, he was a businessman, served in Arizona’s state legislature, and as Maricopa County Treasurer. He is a Republican and holds a seat on the Ways and…

1
Illiberal vanguards in Russia and the U.S., with Alexandar Mihailovic 1:09:23

5M ago1:09:23

1:09:23

February 24 will mark the second anniversary of Russia’s brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Although Vladimir Putin’s dictatorial power made the invasion possible, it’s still unclear to many observers why the Kremlin’s leader took this fateful decision. One of the more persuasive explanations is that since Putin’s return to the presidency i…

1
What Is Legislative Effectiveness? (with Craig Volden) 24:38

6M ago24:38

24:38

The topic of this episode is, “What is legislative effectiveness?” We voters often say that we want our senators and members of Congress to do things, and preferably, the right things. We tend to dislike it when we see people on Capitol Hill who are all talk and no action. And in theory, we should vote out of office those lawmakers who are ineffect…

1
Is America's past hurting us now? Deep dive with Fergus Bordewich 1:05:40

6M ago1:05:40

1:05:40

Many Americans would agree with Henry Ford’s famous statement that “History is bunk.” Do the events of a century and a half ago really have any relevance to our daily lives in the twenty-first century? Fergus Bordewich, in his new book Klan War: Ulysses S. Grant and the Battle to Save Reconstruction, argues that America’s critical missed turning po…

1
What Is the State of the Union Address, and Why Does Congress Host It? (with Matt Glassman) 21:36

7M ago21:36

21:36

The topic of this episode is, What is the State of the Union Address, and Why Does Congress Host It? Once per year, the President of the United States comes to the U.S. Capitol to deliver a speech known as the State of the Union Address. Usually this happens in late January or early February, but it has occurred as late as March 1. Both members of …

1
Milton Freidman's unexpected legacy, with Jennifer Burns 56:58

7M ago56:58

56:58

In 1951, Milton Friedman received the John Bates Clark Medal, a highly prestigious prize given to an American economist under the age of 40 who has made a significant contribution to economic thought and knowledge. As Jennifer Burns points out in her monumental new study of Friedman — the first full-length, archivally researched biography to have b…

1
Minnesota's progressive Republican tradition, with Lori Sturdevant 1:02:06

8M ago1:02:06

1:02:06

On January 20, 1981, Minnesota Republican Senator David Durenberger sat with his colleagues outside the U.S. Capitol to watch Ronald Reagan's inauguration as America's fortieth president. Durenberger considered himself a progressive Republican, which he defined as a combination of fiscal prudence and social conscience. He was a pioneer in legislati…

1
What Is Congressional Capacity, and Why Does It Matter? (with Kevin Kosar) 19:46

8M ago19:46

19:46

The topic of this episode is, “What is congressional capacity, and why does it matter?” As regular listeners know, almost inevitably I have a guest on my show. But this episode, you get just me. The reason is simple: I have been working on congressional capacity for years, and I would like to share my thoughts and hear your feedback. Kevin Kosar: W…

1
Seth D. Kaplan on how to repair our fragile society, one neighborhood at a time 1:09:02

8M ago1:09:02

1:09:02

Seth D. Kaplan gained an international reputation early in his career as an expert in fixing fragile states — lawless places around the globe with deeply flawed political, economic, and legal structures. The United States is not a fragile state in that sense. But it is a fragile society in which too many areas (rich and poor alike) are suffering fr…

1
The decline of the American Dream, with David Leonhardt 49:23

9M ago49:23

49:23

David Leonhardt, a senior writer for the New York Times, has tracked the U.S. economy for decades. Starting in the late 2000s, he began to notice that the statistical evidence was telling him a disheartening story about the decline of the American dream. Whether it was stagnating wages for most workers, the decreasing likelihood of children born in…

1
Delegates to the House of Representatives: Who Are They and What Do They Do? (with Elliot Mamet) 21:23

9M ago21:23

21:23

The topic of this episode is, “Delegates to the House of Representatives: who are they and what do they do?” My guest is Elliot Mamet. He is a Postdoctoral Research Associate and Lecturer at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. Previously, he served as an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow. Elliot holds…

1
The political reform that might matter most, with Katherine Gehl 1:10:14

9M ago1:10:14

1:10:14

In 2013, Katherine Gehl was a young CEO when she crossed paths with Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter, who revolutionized corporate strategy with his famed “Five Forces” analysis. Through working with Porter on efforts to revive U.S. economic competitiveness, Gehl — who describes herself as “politically homeless” — realized that the …

1
The two-parent privilege, with Melissa Kearney 1:05:00

10M ago1:05:00

1:05:00

In decades past, most Americans married, and most American children were raised within two-parent families. But now marriage rates have fallen; 40% of American children are born outside of wedlock, and approximately a quarter live in single-parent homes. The United States has by far the world’s highest rate of children living in single-parent house…

1
How Is Congress Involved in Foreign Policy? (With Jordan Tama) 26:40

10M ago26:40

26:40

The topic of this episode is, “How is Congress involved in foreign policy?” My guest is Jordan Tama, a Provost Associate Professor at American University’s School of International Service. He is the author or editor of five books on foreign policy. They are: · Polarization and US Foreign Policy: When Politics Crosses the Water’s Edge, co-edited wit…

1
The contested meaning of American freedom, with Jefferson Cowie 1:04:24

10M ago1:04:24

1:04:24

What do we mean when we talk about freedom? Jefferson Cowie, a professor of history at Vanderbilt University, addressed this question in his monumental work Freedom’s Dominion: A Saga of White Resistance to Federal Power, which won this year’s Pulitzer Prize for History. The book focuses on Southern white resistance to federal authority — in the na…

1
Joe Biden as "The Last Politician," with Franklin Foer 1:00:10

11M ago1:00:10

1:00:10

Presidential aides were in a state of nervous anticipation in the weeks leading up to the publication of Franklin Foer's new book, The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden's White House and the Struggle for America's Future. The book is the first insider account of President Joe Biden's first two years in office, based on nearly 300 deep background in…

1
Can Congress Access Classified Information? (with Daniel Schuman) 28:32

11M ago28:32

28:32

The topic of this episode is, “Can Congress access classified information?” My guest is Daniel Schuman. He is the Policy Director at Demand Progress, a grassroots, nonpartisan organization that has worked to improve the legislative branch and to make government more transparent to the public. Daniel also is the editor of the First Branch Forecast, …

1
The century-long war for American conservatism, with Matthew Continetti 1:08:20

11M ago1:08:20

1:08:20

For many years, millions of Americans across the political spectrum have been asking: What is going on with the Republican Party? The answers, to the extent they can be determined, are caught up with the party's relationship with the conservative movement and developments on the broader political Right. Matthew Continetti explores these questions i…

1
What Does the U.S. Government Accountability Office Do? (with Gene Dodaro) 32:21

12M ago32:21

32:21

The topic of this episode is, “What does the U.S. Government Accountability Office do?” To answer that question we have Gene Dodaro. He is the eighth Comptroller General of the United States—that means he is the head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). He has held that position since December 2010. Prior to becoming the top dog at t…

1
Slouching towards Utopia, with Brad DeLong 1:07:09

12M ago1:07:09

1:07:09

For most of our ten thousand years on the planet, the vast majority of humanity endured lives of dire poverty and extreme material deprivation. Most people spent most of their time worrying about securing the bare minimum of food and shelter. The Industrial Revolution began to change that dynamic. Still, the British economist and philosopher John S…

1
How elites use zoning and NIMBYism to keep the working class out, with Richard Kahlenberg 1:02:07

1y ago1:02:07

1:02:07

On the penultimate day of June 2023, the Supreme Court ruled 6-2 to overturn race-based affirmative action programs in college admissions. Chief Justice John Roberts, in the opinion issued by the Court’s conservative members, declared that the racially determined admissions policies of Harvard University and the University of North Carolina violate…

1
Why Congress needs to be revitalized, with Philip Wallach 1:10:57

1y ago1:10:57

1:10:57

For decades, the public’s approval ratings for Congress have been abysmal. Even members of Congress struggle to justify and defend the value of their institution — or even seek applause by attacking and denigrating it. And yet the Framers intended the legislature to be the pillar of the American constitutional system, allocating it more power and r…

1
What Is the Congressional Research Service, and What Does It Do? (with Kevin Kosar) 24:09

1y ago24:09

24:09

The topic of this episode is, “What is the Congressional Research Service, and what does it do?” The guest of this show is me, Kevin Kosar. I spent a little over a decade at the Congressional Research Service (CRS) working as a non-partisan analyst and as an acting section research manager. Subsequent to my time at the agency, I was one of the indi…

1
How government can succeed in the digital age, with Jennifer Pahlka 1:07:35

1y ago1:07:35

1:07:35

Why does government so often fall short of its goals — or even fail catastrophically? Jennifer Pahlka, in her important new book Recoding America: Why Government Is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better, offers what is perhaps the most incisive explanation yet for government failure, particularly in the realm of technology. This is a …

1
Does the Senate Still Work? (with Marty Gold) 29:26

1y ago29:26

29:26

The topic of this episode is, “Does the Senate still work?” To answer that question, we have Martin Gold, a partner with Capital Council, LLC, a government relations firm in Washington, DC. Marty spent many years in the US Senate working for individual senators, committees, and a majority leader. He also is the author of the book, Senate Procedure …

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