Technology giants like Facebook, Google and Amazon are often praised for the jobs they create and high salaries they offer. But that praise may be misplaced because my guests this week say the tech sector is also responsible for many Americans

The Faces of New Power

Apr 2nd, 2018 28m 5s

In George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, O’Brien, a leader in the Inner Party concludes that “Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to est

Governor Pessimism

Mar 26th, 2018 17m 11s

In less than a year, California politician Jerry Brown will close out his political career. But Brown isn’t a member of the Republican Trump retirement club. He’s the Democratic governor of California who will bump up against his term limits af

Alt-Righting

Mar 19th, 2018 24m 38s

During the 2016 election cycle, the ultra conservative white nationalist movement peddling anti-semitism and other forms of bigotry known as the alt-right emerged as a growing group with influence in the Trump camp. And once Steve Bannon became

Polarizing Tribalism

Mar 12th, 2018 26m 33s

Political polarization has only been increasing over the last decade. From fights on Capitol Hill to discourse on social media, our union is divided and it goes beyond our two party system. On this episode, S. Mo Jang of the University of South

The Fight For Corporate Civil Rights

Mar 5th, 2018 28m 10s

Concerns about corporate civil rights and power over individual citizens isn’t exactly a new phenomenon. With the Supreme Court decisions on Citizens United and Hobby Lobby, Americans are increasingly aware of the special citizenship corporatio

Scandalized

Feb 26th, 2018 27m 1s

Since President Donald Trump stepped foot in the Oval Office a little more than a year ago, it seems a week can’t go by without scandal-soaked headlines. From Russian ties to Trump World to White House personnel catastrophes to financial confli

Powerful Networks

Feb 13th, 2018 30m 20s

Facebook news feed changes are coming after the Silicon Valley giant has increasingly come under fire for having a negative impact on politics and for making the proliferation of fake (and divisive) news that much easier. Facebook CEO Mark Zuck

Writing The State of The Union

Jan 30th, 2018 18m 51s

President Donald Trump is preparing to deliver his first State of the Union address. But what exactly goes into the making of this annual address? On this governmentality short, I spoke with Jennifer Grossman, CEO of the Atlas Society and forme

(Neo) Liberalism: A Slow Death

Jan 22nd, 2018 26m 58s

Liberalism may conjure up certain political leanings in American society, but its roots are in philosophy that predates the United States and while encompassing the norms, practices and principles of both major political parties and the overwhe

It's Even Worse Than You Think: David Cay Johnston

Jan 16th, 2018 17m 26s

Earlier this month, when Michael Wolff released his book Fire and Fury, a number of bombshell reports broke about how President Trump conducts his business, how staffers routinely badmouth the commander-in-chief, and the mindset that fuels his

Down Girl With Kate Manne

Jan 1st, 2018 27m 52s

This week, we return to Down Girl by Kate Manne, Cornell University philosophy professor. It was the subject of last week’s book chat, but the interview was so insightful that producer Michele Zipkin and I decided to publish my interview with h

Undoing Misogyny

Dec 19th, 2017 30m 38s

The case of Harvey Weinstein and his sexual abuse of women opened the floodgates for the similar revelations in media, entertainment and politics that continue to fill the daily news. And while the reckoning of workplace harassment and assault

The Politics of Impeachment

Dec 12th, 2017 29m 28s

Before Donald Trump even took office, some of his most vocal detractors were already calling for impeachment. But after nearly a year of political, moral and legal controversies, that number has grown — with several polls showing that as many a

Drones for Good

Nov 27th, 2017 19m 33s

Last week, a start-up in China said next year it plans to launch taxi drones in Dubai. And it’s just as it sounds—a flying car that will carry passengers in its tiny cockpit. As far fetched as that might sound, from warfare and espionage to pho

The Resistance Kills the Enthusiasm Gap

Nov 21st, 2017 17m 28s

A wave of Democratic electoral victories, particularly in state legislative seats and governorships, have been said to be a referendum on President Donald Trump. The gained seats may or may not be a sign of what’s to come in the 2018 elections,

Innovation and Destruction in Silicon Valley

Nov 14th, 2017 31m 4s

There is little question that technology brings about change. But how much of it is for the good? At their best, technology giants can save lives. But at their worst, they provide massive audiences for the most of deplorable human behavior. Sil

The Big, Big Ideas Industry

Nov 7th, 2017 31m 7s

Alfred Nobel, the Swedish chemist, engineer and innovator who used his enormous fortune to fund the Nobel Prizes, once said, “If I have a thousand ideas and only one turns out to be good, I am satisfied.” Today, ideas are all around us. From ti

Exploiting Migration

Nov 1st, 2017 34m 6s

The number of international migrants world wide has continued to rapidly grow over the past 15 years, reaching nearly 250 million in 2015, according to the United Nations. There's no sign of that slowing down as individuals and families seek ec

Appearing Presidential

Oct 24th, 2017 30m 32s

President Donald Trump may be unsure of exactly how presidential he wants to be, but what does it mean to "be presidential" anyway? In this episode, we look at Trump's presidential style with Alex Shephard, news editor of The New Republic. And

Mike Pesca, Your TEDbudsman

Oct 16th, 2015 29m 2s

In this episode of the governmentality podcast, journalist Allen McDuffee talks with Mike Pesca of Slate's The Gist about the power of podcasting, storytelling and humor — and why he wants to be the arbiter of TED Talks. And, in the book chat,

The Next American Prime Minister

Oct 5th, 2015 33m 37s

In this episode of the governmentality podcast, journalist Allen McDuffee talks with John Hudak of the Brookings Institution about the power dynamics of the 2016 election cycle. And, in the book chat, Allen talks with Kristin Soltis Anderson ab

Is ISIS A Solvable Problem?

Sep 25th, 2015 35m 34s

In this episode of the governmentality podcast, journalist Allen McDuffee talks with John Sides, professor of political science at George Washington University, about why it's okay to ignore the polls at this point in the 2016 election cycle an

The Political Media We Deserve

Sep 17th, 2015 29m 34s

In this first episode of the governmentality podcast, journalist Allen McDuffee talks with Brooke Gladstone of WNYC's On The Media about the power of the media, the 2016 election cycle and a post Stewart and Colbert world, among other things. A

governmentality Podcast Trailer

Jun 9th, 2015 1m 3s

Political journalist, investigative reporter and blogger Allen McDuffee launches his new podcast on power, politics and ideas. Learn more at www.governmentality.net.

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