E96: Kamala's Rise to Power, Trump v Harris Debate, Media Bias w/ Caleb Maupin

Philosophy professor and Hi-Phi Nation host Barry Lam joins Jesse to discuss his new book Fewer Rules, Better People. They dive into the rise of bureaucracy in American life, from healthcare to housing, and examine how complex rules and compliance culture are quietly reshaping society. Topics include:Legalism, both ancient and modernThe spread of bureaucratic thinking into universities, medicine, and techThe hidden power of prosecutors in the justice systemWhether AI will make bureaucracy better—or worseWhy Americans trust machines more than humans (and when they shouldn't)How to push back by restoring discretion and judgmentA provocative conversation about rules, responsibility, and what it means to be human in an increasingly automated world.📺Watch the full podcast on YouTube➡️ https://youtu.be/gXLlj1HnKsE 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

15 Mar 1h 16min

Economist Bryan Caplan joins the show to discuss his new graphic novel Build Baby Build: The Science and Ethics of Housing Regulation. We unpack how housing prices have skyrocketed due to artificial scarcity created by zoning laws, minimum lot sizes, height restrictions, parking mandates, and outdated local codes.Caplan argues that cutting these burdensome rules could massively increase supply, slash housing costs, reduce inequality, and improve economic mobility—all without sacrificing safety or quality of life. Along the way, we discuss the Empire State Building, million-dollar trailer parks, licensing bottlenecks in the trades, and why even small towns have become "Ponzi schemes of sprawl."Topics Covered:Why housing is so expensive—and who’s to blameThe 1926 Village of Euclid case and the birth of zoningHow regulation strangles supply and drives up pricesYIMBYism vs. NIMBYismTexas vs. California housing policyInfrastructure and the cost of sprawlLicensing and labor bottlenecks in constructionHow deregulation could boost GDP, mobility, and fertilityThe politics of fear and the myth of “smart growth”📺Watch full episode on YouTube➡️https://youtu.be/M-97wVYKFXo 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

8 Mar 49min

In this episode, sociologist and Venezuela expert Dr. Timothy Gill joins us to unpack the controversy surrounding USAID, the National Endowment for Democracy, and America’s post–World War II global influence strategy. We explore the historical origins of U.S. foreign aid programs, their Cold War intentions, and how they've evolved into tools of soft power, cultural diplomacy—and sometimes, regime destabilization.Topics covered include:The rise of USAID and its Cold War rootsHow aid programs can foster dependence, goodwill, or instabilityUSAID's cultural influence via DEI and LGBT programs abroadThe role of NED and comparisons to CIA Cold War activitiesEconomic hitman theories, IMF loan politics, and infrastructure debt trapsVenezuela as a case study in foreign aid and backlashThe blurred line between humanitarian aid and political interventionPublic distrust, foreign policy hypocrisy, and who really benefitsGill shares insights from his fieldwork in Venezuela, including attending a Chávez rally, and reflects on the deeper implications of U.S. foreign influence today.📚 Encountering U.S. Empire and Socialist Venezuela by Timothy M. Gill📺Watch the full episode on YouTubehttps://youtu.be/rSLXVoqbvmw 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

4 Mar 1h 22min

AEI’s Rick Hess joins Jesse for a wide-ranging conversation on the collapse of academic performance in American schools. They unpack why test scores haven’t recovered since the pandemic, the long-term impact of smartphones, and why nearly 1 in 4 students are now chronically absent. Hess also explains how schools are often structured more for the convenience of adults than the learning needs of children, and why $190 billion in federal aid has done little to reverse the decline.Topics include:The shocking truth behind the Nation’s Report CardCellphones, social media, and the student attention crisisWhy school starts at 7 a.m. (hint: it’s not for kids)How remote learning exposed classroom prioritiesThe rise of activism over academics in K–12Higher ed dysfunction: grade inflation, adjunct labor, and disappearing rigorWhat America can learn from Mississippi, Utah, and South KoreaBold reforms to redesign teaching, mentoring, and student achievement📺Watch full episode➡️https://youtu.be/efWNwt1J6Sw 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

1 Mar 46min

In this episode, Jesse is joined by Dr. Dirk Mateer, award-winning educator and professor of economics at the University of Texas at Austin. Together, they dive deep into the growing U.S. national debt, the rise of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and whether Elon Musk can really trim $2 trillion from the federal budget.Topics covered include:The real scale of government waste, fraud, and inefficiencyCreative destruction and whether government can be “run like a business”What students today think about the $36 trillion national debtWhy Social Security is a demographic time bombLessons from Japan’s debt and what a U.S. default could look likeModern Monetary Theory and why Dirk doesn’t buy itThe risk of de-dollarization and losing global reserve currency statusWhether AI could shrink the size of governmentWhy U.S. education needs to be reimagined for a post-industrial worldMateer also shares his favorite films for learning economics and gives a final message on how individuals can prepare for fiscal turbulence ahead.📚 Books: Principles of Economics by Dirk Mateer (Norton)📬 Contact: dmateer@utexas.edu | @dirkmateer on X 📺Watch the full episode on YouTube➡️https://youtu.be/OoKzo2N2pPo 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

22 Feb 1h 2min

Policy analyst Tad DeHaven (Cato Institute, former deputy budget director of Indiana) joins Jesse to break down why America’s spending problem runs much deeper than "waste, fraud, and abuse." They dig into the explosion of federal spending since 2015, why Social Security and Medicare are untouchable political landmines, and how the federal government undermines state-level accountability through backdoor funding and strings-attached grants.Topics covered:– Why Doge’s trillion-dollar fraud claims don’t hold up– The myth of fixing the deficit by cutting "waste"– Social Security’s looming insolvency– Federalism vs. centralized spending– The danger of a U.S. sovereign wealth fund– How executive overreach threatens the Constitution– What Saudi Arabia, Angola, and Malaysia teach us about corruption risk– Why inflation—not politicians—may be the only real check on debt📺Watch the full episode on YouTube➡️https://youtu.be/ZfhPrVt9BQw 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

19 Feb 1h 14min

Why do Americans ask “What do you do?” before “Who are you?” In this episode, journalist and author Adam Chandler joins Jesse to explore America’s deep-rooted obsession with work — and how it compares to the rest of the world. They discuss:Why work is so central to American identityDifferences between U.S. work culture and places like France, Korea, Costa Rica, and AustraliaThe impact of social mobility, burnout, and declining job satisfactionThe legacy of 1950s prosperity and how it distorts modern expectationsHow tech perks mask deeper issues with overworkThe gig economy, AI disruption, and the myth of “following your passion”Policy solutions: four-day work weeks, right-to-disconnect laws, and rethinking successBased on Chandler’s new book 99% Perspiration: A New Working History of the American Way of Life, this conversation blends sharp cultural insight with personal stories from around the world.📺Watch the full episode on YouTube➡️https://youtu.be/kz3vXtivll4 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

14 Feb 1h 15min

From prestige TV to background noise—what happened? In this episode, tech journalist Emily Forlini joins Jesse to break down her viral article on how Netflix is quietly telling writers to simplify scripts so distracted viewers can keep up—especially when watching on their phones. They discuss the rise of “casual viewing,” the economics behind streaming, the collapse of the Hollywood middle class, and how platforms are chasing ad dollars over artistry.Topics include:The decline of communal viewing and the rise of mobile-first contentHow DeepSeek's AI breakthrough could reshape the global tech raceApple’s stumble in innovation and the myth of “founder stories”Airbnb and Uber as case studies in failed disruptionEV range anxiety, charging infrastructure, and the next phase of innovationEmily’s new podcast Unicorn Roast, skewering tech’s biggest flopsGuest: Emily Forlini, Senior Tech Reporter at PCMagSmart, funny, and provocative—this episode is a must-listen for anyone wondering why everything in tech (and TV) feels just a little bit worse.📺Watch the full episode on YouTube➡️https://youtu.be/lnBQ9WHFgrA 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

9 Feb 1h 8min