A state can look rich on paper while ordinary life gets harder fast and the bill comes due. We sit down with Hephestion Bolaris of Class Unity and Hank Adler, an accounting professor and former Deloitte tax partner, to ask the uncomfortable question behind every big promise: who pays, how, and what happens when the payers can leave? We pressure-test wealth taxes and “tax the rich” politics against real examples, from European welfare states that lean heavily on income taxes and VAT to France’s e...
Apr 18, 2026•36 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Entry-level hiring is getting squeezed, but the reasons aren’t as simple as “the economy is bad.” We sit down with David Brown, Americas CEO of Hays, and James Dusserre, assistant dean for placement and career services, to map what the 2026 job market actually looks like for new grads and early career professionals. The surprising part: GDP and unemployment can look okay while companies still pull back on junior openings, because the expectation of AI-driven productivity is changing how leaders ...
Mar 26, 2026•31 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Religious belief is supposed to fade as societies get richer and more educated. So why do newer surveys show the opposite pattern in the United States, with college grads and post grads often *more* likely to attend church than people with only a high school education? We unpack what the data can and cannot prove, why earlier secularization theories missed key realities, and how a smaller but more committed religious share can still look like a “revival” in daily life. We also get into the deepe...
Mar 12, 2026•48 min•Season 5Ep. 5
California’s housing crisis isn’t a riddle; it’s a chain reaction. We trace it from land policy and restrictive growth boundaries to code complexity, construction costs, and the quiet social fallout inside families, schools, synagogues, and neighborhoods. With demographers, advocates, and veteran builders around the table, we unpack why the median home price-to-income ratio ballooned, how the land share of a home soared past construction, and why four million people have left since 2000. We shar...
Feb 23, 2026•54 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Populism gets blamed for everything from polarization to democratic decay—but what if the louder story is a search for voice and belonging? We sit down with sociologist Frank Furedi to unpack why so many voters are breaking with legacy parties and why the energy behind these movements is less about recession and more about culture. From national identity and neighborly trust to the norms families rely on, we explore the deeper drivers that explain why reform-minded parties are rising across the ...
Feb 06, 2026•31 min•Season 5Ep. 3
What if the internet that promised liberation ended up centralizing control over what we see, share, and believe? We sit down with Jake Siegel—journalist, former Army intelligence officer, and author of The Information State—to trace how a tool built for openness became the backbone of a new information order. Starting with the Internet Freedom Agenda and moving through 9/11’s surveillance shift, we connect the dots between national security priorities, platform consolidation, and the collapse o...
Jan 20, 2026•41 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Want a clear-eyed map of where AI is taking jobs, education, and leadership over the next five years? We dig past the headlines to examine why tech profits can soar while layoffs spread, why white-collar roles are suddenly vulnerable, and how students and mid-career professionals can protect their earnings in a market that rewards speed, strategy, and human touch. We unpack the difference between robots and cobots, showing how “human-in-the-loop” work changes which skills pay. Our guests lay out...
Jan 08, 2026•56 min•Season 5Ep. 1
The headlines shout about winners and losers, but the real story this year is a quiet break in the social fabric: rising costs, collapsing civility, and a middle class pushed to the margins while trillion-dollar platforms set the rules. We take stock without the wishful thinking—where leadership fell short, why media trust eroded, and how populist energy devolved into a performance economy. Then we chart a path that doesn’t wait for national saviors: rebuild the basics at the scale where life is...
Dec 23, 2025•36 min•Season 4Ep. 21
The ground beneath American religion is shifting, but not in a straight line. We dig into why the country’s casual middle is shrinking while conviction grows at the edges—among communities that ask more, not less. With Charles Murray and Terry Mattingley, we trace the data on mainline decline, the plateau of the “nones,” and the surprising surge in tradition-forward spaces where authority, discipline, and community still shape everyday life. We share stories of parishes packed with young familie...
Dec 09, 2025•39 min•Season 4Ep. 20
A governor with national ambitions, a party tug‑of‑war, and a state wrestling with affordability—this conversation goes straight at the question on everyone’s mind: can Gavin Newsom sell hope to a country tired of anger without getting buried by California’s record? We bring together seasoned strategists to weigh why prediction markets love his chances, how a relentless work ethic and podcast‑first media game reshape reach, and whether a transactional political style beats an old‑school “vision ...
Nov 03, 2025•46 min•Season 4Ep. 19
What explains the outsized success of Iranian Americans—and can that same resolve help tilt the future of Iran? We bring together two sharp voices to unpack a story that spans kitchen-table sacrifice, elite migration, and a culture where A’s are expected and grit is non-negotiable. From early professional cohorts in medicine and engineering to founders in Silicon Valley, we trace the “immigrant trifecta” of aspiration, constraint, and discipline that turned upheaval into momentum. The conversati...
Oct 28, 2025•48 min•Season 4Ep. 18
Tired of big talk that falls apart when the trash doesn’t get picked up? We bring together two insiders who’ve lived the fight from the council chamber to the mayor’s office to map how cities actually move: coalitions, budgets, police staffing, and the messy business of making streets feel safe. Houston’s recent pivot toward a centrist, basics-first agenda shows how bipartisan votes still form when leaders fix pensions, rebuild infrastructure, and keep patrol cars rolling. San Francisco’s saga i...
Oct 15, 2025•38 min•Season 4Ep. 17
The landscape of American defense manufacturing has transformed dramatically since World War II—and not for the better. What happens when a nation with the world's most advanced military technology can't produce enough conventional artillery shells to supply Ukraine while maintaining its own reserves? This episode brings together three exceptional voices to examine America's critical vulnerability: our diminished industrial capacity. Arthur Herman, author of "Freedom's Forge," provides historica...
Sep 22, 2025•45 min•Season 4Ep. 16
Support Our Work The Center for Demographics and Policy focuses on research and analysis of global, national, and regional demographic trends and explores policies that might produce favorable demographic results over time. It involves Chapman students in demographic research under the supervision of the Center’s senior staff. Students work with the Center’s director and engage in research that will serve them well as they look to develop their careers in business, the social sciences, and the a...
Sep 18, 2025•49 min
Is there a middle ground between open borders and immigration restriction? This thought-provoking discussion with GOP strategist Mike Madrid and Venezuelan immigrant Dr. Daniel DiMartino explores the complex realities of America's immigration debate beyond the partisan talking points. The experts delve into surprising data showing how education levels dramatically impact immigrant outcomes - college-educated immigrants are approximately 1,000 times less likely to commit crimes than those without...
Sep 17, 2025•44 min•Season 4Ep. 15
The technological revolution of artificial intelligence isn't just changing how businesses operate—it's transforming how they're governed. In this riveting conversation, we're joined by Dean Yoost, former senior partner at PWC, and Ashwin Rangan, CEO of DoubleCheck, to explore their groundbreaking book "Governance in the Age of AI: A Director's Handbook." Our guests challenge popular misconceptions about artificial intelligence, arguing that what we call "AI" isn't truly intelligent but rather a...
Aug 25, 2025•49 min•Season 4Ep. 15
The global balance of power is undergoing a dramatic transformation that extends far beyond the US-China rivalry dominating Western headlines. This eye-opening conversation with experts from three continents reveals how developing nations are reshaping international relations through demographic advantages, economic growth, and strategic non-alignment. Our panel delivers surprising insights about Africa's explosive potential, where the median age is just 19 and five of the world's ten fastest-gr...
Aug 19, 2025•47 min•Season 4Ep. 14
The widening gender gap is reshaping American society in profound and troubling ways. Join hosts Marshall Toplansky and Joel Kotkin as they dive deep into this growing divide with Christine Emba, author of "Rethinking Sex: A Provocation," and Aaron Renn, writer of "Life in the Negative World." Drawing from fresh research including focus groups conducted in Raleigh, North Carolina, our guests reveal a dating landscape filled with mutual misunderstanding and pessimism. Women are becoming more prog...
Aug 04, 2025•37 min•Season 4Ep. 13
America's Jewish geography is undergoing a dramatic transformation, shifting from its historical concentration in the Northeast to flourishing communities across the South and West. This fascinating evolution reflects broader demographic patterns while revealing unique insights about Jewish identity, community formation, and cultural adaptation. Demographic expert Ira Sheskin takes us through the numbers, showing how the Jewish population in the Northeast has declined from two-thirds after WWII ...
Jul 14, 2025•48 min•Season 4Ep. 12
What happens when we give machines the power to think without ensuring they share our values? This riveting conversation dives deep into one of humanity's most pressing challenges: controlling artificial intelligence as it grows increasingly powerful. Joined by Roni Abovitz, founder of groundbreaking companies Mako Surgical and Magic Leap, and neuroscientist Dr. Uri Maoz from Chapman University, we explore the profound question of AI intentions. Abovitz introduces a compelling biological metapho...
Jul 08, 2025•46 min•Season 4Ep. 11
The economic and political landscape between the United States and Europe is undergoing a seismic shift as Trump's tariff threats create ripples across the Atlantic. Our expert guests, Professor Veronica de Romanis from Rome and journalist Fraser Myers from London, provide fascinating insights into how European countries are responding to this new economic reality. De Romanis characterizes Europe's reaction as one of profound uncertainty, noting that while this instability threatens short-term g...
Jun 17, 2025•38 min•Season 4Ep. 10
The battle for New York City's future is heating up as former Governor Andrew Cuomo faces off against progressive challenger Zoran Mamdani in what's shaping up to be an unpredictable mayoral race. With ranked-choice voting, multiple candidates, and current Mayor Eric Adams making a last-minute decision not to run in the Democratic primary, the city's political landscape has never been more complex. At the heart of this contest are two fundamental issues dividing voters: public safety and housing...
Jun 10, 2025•48 min•Season 4Ep. 9
As the Feudal Future podcast marks its fifth anniversary, hosts Joel Kotkin and Marshall Toplansky examine how dramatically our society has evolved since they first warned about the emergence of neo-feudalism—a concentration of wealth and power resembling historical feudal systems. The world has changed profoundly since they began. Political alliances have shifted, with powerful tech oligarchs now supporting figures across the political spectrum. Media credibility has deteriorated to the point w...
May 13, 2025•40 min•Season 4Ep. 8
The fault lines in US-Mexico relations have never been more visible. Our expert panel—featuring former CNN journalist Bruno Lopez and economist Alejandro Chaufen—brings decades of experience to unpacking one of North America's most crucial yet strained relationships. Recent polling reveals a shocking statistic: 80% of Mexicans now hold negative views of the United States. This represents a diplomatic crisis happening right under our noses, with consequences that stretch far beyond politics into ...
May 05, 2025•40 min•Season 4Ep. 7
America stands at a political crossroads where old alliances are shifting and economic realities are reshaping party loyalties. The Democratic Party faces a profound identity crisis - pragmatic at the local level where mayors tackle real problems head-on, yet seemingly detached at the national level where ideology often trumps practicality. Our fascinating conversation with David Gershwin, Democratic strategist, and Jim Wunderman, CEO of the Bay Area Council, explores this tension that could det...
Apr 15, 2025•37 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Trump's threatened tariffs against Canada have sparked more than just economic anxiety—they've triggered a profound identity crisis among our northern neighbors. Joining Joel Kotkin and Marshall Toplansky are John Kay (Quillette) and Rob Roberts (National Post), who offer razor-sharp insights into how this diplomatic tension is reshaping Canadian self-perception. The conversation reveals a fascinating psychological whiplash. Kay observes that many Canadians who recently characterized their count...
Apr 01, 2025•40 min•Season 4Ep. 6
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has become one of the most controversial initiatives of the Trump administration, but what does it actually represent? We're joined by Shawn Steel, National Committeeman for the Republican National Committee, and Professor Luke Nichter, historian at Chapman University, to explore the deeper meaning behind this government restructuring effort. Our conversation reveals how DOGE taps into profound middle-class frustration with government spending and o...
Mar 19, 2025•41 min•Season 4Ep. 5
The future of California's economy depends on Latino communities. This stark reality emerges vividly in our special town hall session recorded at the Cheech Collection for Chicano Art in Riverside, where experts gathered to discuss findings from "El Futuro es Latino," a groundbreaking research project from Chapman University. The numbers tell a compelling story: Latinos will represent 78% of new US workers over this decade. In California, they comprise nearly 40% of the population and half of re...
Mar 14, 2025•43 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Dive into the compelling world of populism in our latest podcast episode where we engage with thought leaders Ryan Streeter and Karl Zinsmeister. With multiple perspectives surrounding the rise of populism, this episode unpacks what it means for the future of American governance and society at large. Discussing the resurgence of populism, our guests present arguments on how it can serve as a counter to the elite's dominance, spotlighting the voices of the working and middle class as critical ele...
Mar 05, 2025•40 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Is California losing its status as a global innovation powerhouse? Join us for a compelling conversation with Dr. Ken Murphy as we explore the shifting dynamics of California's economic landscape. We question whether the iconic tech hub is maintaining its edge or if it's at risk of devolving into a neo-feudalist economy. While Silicon Valley continues to thrive, other regions like Los Angeles and Sacramento face significant hurdles. Dive deep into the challenges of remote work, high operational ...
Feb 19, 2025•37 min•Season 4Ep. 2
