Jill Lepore is a Harvard historian, a New Yorker contributor, the author of These Truths, and one of my favorite past guests on this show. But in this episode, the tables are turned: I’m in the hot seat, and Lepore has some questions. Hard ones.
This is, easily, the toughest interview on my book so far. Lepore isn’t quibbling over my solutions or pointing out a contrary study — what she challenges are the premises, epistemology, and meta-structure that form the foundation of my book, and much of my work. Her question, in short, is: What if social science itself is too crude to be a useful way of understanding the political world?
But that’s what makes this conversation great. We discuss whether all political science research on polarization might be completely wrong, why (and whether) my book is devoid of individual or institutional “villains,” and whether I am morally obliged to delete my Twitter account, in addition to the missing party in American politics, why I mistrust historical narratives, media polarization, and much more.
This is, on one level, a conversation about Why We’re Polarized. But on a deeper level, it’s about different modes of knowledge and whether we can trust them.
New to the show? Want to listen to Ezra's favorite episodes? Check out The Ezra Klein Show beginner's guide.
My book is available at www.EzraKlein.com.
The “Why We’re Polarized” tour continues, with events in Portland, Seattle, Austin, Nashville, Chicago, and Greenville. Go to WhyWerePolarized.com for the full schedule!
Want to contact the show? Reach out at ezrakleinshow@vox.com
Credits:
Producer - Jeff Geld
Researcher - Roge Karma
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Capitol punishment
A step past impeachment
Weeds 2020: The Bernie electability debate
The impeachment trial convicted American politics
The McConnell effect
"Constitutional decay" in the US Senate
Impeachment and Iran
Impeachment in, and beyond, the Beltway
Mr. Feldman goes to Washington
How Andrew Johnson’s impeachment created the template for Trump’s
Was Rudy Giuliani always like this?
What’s wrong with the Republican Party?
With obstruction of justice for all
The biggest difference between Trump and Nixon is Fox News
A no-BS guide to how the House impeachment process really works
The Ukraine story is a Russia story
The four words that will decide impeachment
We are living through history
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