Big questions are coming up as the midterm elections inch closer. Where does the GOP stand in the post-Trump era? How severe is political polarization? And how will President Biden and his team tackle some of the country’s biggest challenges from responding to the war in Ukraine to getting a handle on inflation?

Former Congressman Will Hurd — and self-described “idealist” — proposes a blueprint for getting things done in Washington, all of which is explained in his new book, “American Reboot: An idealist Guide to Getting Things Done,” published this week by Simon & Schuster. He discusses this and more in a lively conversation with Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang in this week’s episode.

Hurd represented Texas’s 23rd Congressional District from 2015 to 2021. He previously worked for the CIA stationed primarily in Washington, D.C., including a tour of duty as an operations officer in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.