Politicology

Double Feature: Machines Without Conscience, Corruption Without Consequence—Politicology+ Preview

This week, we’re bringing you another double feature of Politicology+ special previews. First, Ron Steslow talks with Mike Madrid about Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas. Using the Pope's choice between "constructing Babel" and "rebuilding Jerusalem,” they confront what happens when we hand life-and-death decisions to machines that can't be held accountable. Then, Ron and Jennifer Schulp discuss political corruption in cryptocurrency and stock trading. They dive into the lack of political will to combat it, despite public outcry, and the challenges of enforcing ethical standards. POLITICOLOGY+ Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus. SPONSORS & PROMO CODES: https://bit.ly/44uAGZ8 Send your questions and ideas to podcast@politicology.com Ron Steslow on X: https://x.com/RonSteslow Mike Madrid on X: https://x.com/madrid_mike Jennifer Schulp on X: https://x.com/jenniferjschulp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ENCORE: The Power Code

Katty Kay (veteran reporter and four-time NYT bestselling author) joins host Ron Steslow to discuss her new book The Power Code: More Joy. Less Ego. Maximum Impact for Women (and Everyone), co-written with Claire Shipman. (02:12) Katty’s background and why she started looking at power (07:07) Women are passing men in college degrees, but not the boardroom (13:10) Why women have been more likely to avoid power (16:10) “Power over” vs “power to” (20:20) How reframing power changes how women approach power (25:57) The connection between power and status (33:04) Your brain on power (38:30) Does power corrupt? (54:30) What can you do to improve your power code? Get The Power Code: https://www.kayandshipman.com/books Follow Ron and Katty on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/KattyKay_ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Double Feature: Oxford Union, Doha's Long Game—Politicology+ Preview

This week, we’re bringing you a double feature of Politicology+ special previews. First, Ron Steslow talks with Mike Madrid about his invitation to debate at the Oxford Union, where he argued the position that Donald Trump has betrayed the conservative movement. Mike describes the pageantry and weight of history at one of the world’s most storied debating societies, the case he built around Edmund Burke, the opposing arguments he found most compelling. Then, Hagar Chemali and Jay Solomon unpack how Qatar, a tiny Gulf nation with just 350,000 citizens, has built one of the most wide-reaching influence networks in the world. They start with a scandal involving Israeli columnist Alon Pinkas, who received Qatari-linked payments while writing about Qatar, and use it to trace the larger system behind it. From there, the conversation widens to Qatar’s strategic investments and lobbying efforts across media, universities, think tanks, diplomacy, and politics. Then, they break down Qatar’s long game: using money, access, and soft power to position itself as an indispensable player in the Middle East—and reshape Western institutions in the process. POLITICOLOGY+ Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus. SPONSORS & PROMO CODES: https://bit.ly/44uAGZ8 Send your questions and ideas to podcast@politicology.com Ron Steslow on X: https://x.com/RonSteslow Mike Madrid on X: https://x.com/madrid_mike Hagar Cheali on X: https://x.com/HagarChemali Jay Solomon on X: https://x.com/FPJaySolomon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ENCORE: Foreign Agents

For the ad-free version of this episode, subscribe to Politicology+ at https://politicology.com/plus In this episode, Ron talks to Casey Michel (Director of the Combating Kleptocracy Program at the Human Rights Foundation) about his book Foreign Agents: How American Lobbyists and Lawmakers Threaten Democracy Around the World and how foreign money influences our politics. They discuss: (01:46) The shadow world of foreign lobbying (03:45) Ivy Lee and Paul Manafort (07:36) The First Amendment and foreign influence (10:23) Understanding FARA (13:28) How Paul Manafort shaped modern lobbying (15:49) Legal loopholes and foreign influence in politics (18:11) The case of Viktor Pinchuk (22:13) The Trump Administration’s impact on foreign lobbying (27:19) How Universities and Think tanks are the new frontier of influence (33:05) Colorful characters in foreign lobbying (41:39) The Biden Family and foreign influence accusations (45:27) Contrasting foreign influence on Trump and Clinton (49:00) Proposed reforms Read Foreign Agents: How American Lobbyists and Lawmakers Threaten Democracy Around the World: https://bit.ly/4giHjBK Check out the HRF’s Combatting Kleptocracy Program: https://bit.ly/4hAAQTJ Follow Ron and Casey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://x.com/cjcmichel Email your questions to podcast@politicology.com or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ENCORE: Bitcoin is Changing the Fight for Freedom

Host Ron Steslow welcomes Alex Gladstein (Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation) to discuss the significant and often misunderstood role of Bitcoin in protecting human rights and fighting against authoritarians around the world. Segments to look forward to: (02:07) Alex’s background in human rights work and why he became interested in Bitcoin (16:18) Bitcoin vs other cryptocurrencies (26:04) Financial privilege (38:35) Bitcoin in action (45:50) Bitcoin creating financial independence for women in Afghanistan (56:25)How a human rights activist uses Bitcoin to free hostages (59:10) Bitcoin as a tool against monetary colonialism in west Africa (1:00:10) The importance of peer-to-peer transactions (1:07:50) How Bitcoin mining can bring electricity to remote areas and support sustainable energy projects (1:19:40) Why Bitcoin matters for everyone Follow Ron and Alex on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/gladstein Email your questions to podcast@politicology.com or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices