Ben Marsh is a pastor at First Alliance Church Winston-Salem. He's an advocate for the maligned, lonely, afraid, and harmed. Deeply suspect of the rising linkage of Christianity and partisanship, he aims to disentangle awful social and theological ties that have created *where we are now.* He has particular interests in the areas of Christian Nationalism, sexual abuse, and mental healthcare. You may have seen him on CNN ( 2024 , 2021 ), Al-Jazeera, World Relief , or other news outlets. Previousl...
Mar 20, 2025•53 min
Benjamin Carter Hett is Professor of History at Hunter College and the Graduate Center at City University of New York. He specializes in German history, and his books include The Death of Democracy: Hitler’s Rise to Power and the Downfall of the Weimar Republic ; The Nazi Menace: Hitler, Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin, and the Road to War ; and more. He is one of my favorite historians, and I was really excited to get to have him on the show. We dive into the parallels he thinks do and don't exist...
Feb 08, 2025•56 min•Season 8Ep. 1
Franziska Wagner studied comparative political sciences at the University of Mannheim and at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, Sciences Po. Her research interests lie in party politics, far-right politics, social media, and computational approaches to social sciences. Currently, she is pursuing a Ph.D in Political Sciences at the Central European University, where she works on party communication on social media, and the role of discourse and emotions. Franziska is a researcher at the AU...
Oct 01, 2024•51 min•Season 7Ep. 1
Today, I'm talking with Dr. Keri Leigh Merritt about her recent piece in Aeon Magazine , entitled "The southern gap." The piece explores the roots of economic underdevelopment in the American South, a problem that still plagues the region. From there, we talk more broadly about the politics of the South and what it means to be a Southerner today. Keri Leigh Merritt works as a historian and writer in Atlanta, Georgia. She earned her B.A. from Emory University and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the Unive...
Jun 13, 2024•49 min•Season 6Ep. 1
Dr. Kristin Lunz Trujillo from the University of South Carolina joins to discuss ruralness and identity in America. We talk about the new book, White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy by Tom Schaller and Paul Waldman, as well as some of the broader ideas about who is rural and what that means for the people living in those places. You can read Kristin's Newsweek response to White Rural Rage here: 'White Rural Rage' Cites My Research. It Gets Everything About Rural America Wrong...
Apr 12, 2024•51 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Pulaski fellow Bailey Fairbanks joins to talk about the potential for a mifepristone ban and the practice of judge shopping.
Mar 31, 2024•32 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Bailey Fairbanks joins Alan to talk about the Supreme Court's temporary hold on Texas's SB4. We also chat about a story featured in one of this week's Headlines from the Heartlands, concerning Russian Orthodoxy and American neo-Confederates. Find the link to our new home for Headlines from the Heartlands here: https://alanelrod.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web
Mar 15, 2024•41 min
Dr. Alex Middlewood of Wichita State University joins to talk about her new venture, IKE Lab . At IKE Lab, Alex and Brian Amos are building data and analysis of Kansas elections down to the most local level. We also talk about a new anti-DEI bill in Kansas, the challenges of brain drain, and crackdowns on local authority in red states. Read Dr. Middlewood's previous essay for Pulaski's 50 Takes on Democracy series here ....
Mar 07, 2024•47 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Bailey Fairbanks joins to talk immunity, Judge Aileen Cannon, Alabama's IVF U-turn, and the Michigan primary.
Mar 04, 2024•39 min
Welcome to a new regular segment of The Periphery, in which I'll be joined by Pulaski fellow Dr. Bailey Fairbanks to talk about current events with an eye to Pulaski's mission. This time, we're talking about the Alabama Supreme Court's recent ruling that frozen embryos are children.
Feb 22, 2024•37 min
This episode is guest hosted by Pulaski fellow Dr. Dominik Stecula. Dominik is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Colorado State University. His research interests encompass the intersection of political communication, political behavior, and science communication, in the American, but also in a comparative context. He was also born in Brzeg, Poland and writes about American politics for Polish publications like Polityka, Gazeta Wyborcza, and Kultura Liberalna. Dominic interviews Dr....
Nov 02, 2023•45 min
Matt McManus joins to talk about his newest book, The Political Right and Equality: Turning Back the Tide of Egalitarian Modernity (Routledge). The book is a wide-ranging and gripping exploration of right-wing arguments against egalitarianism. We talk about as many of McManus's subjects as we can fit into an episode, including Fyodor Dostoevsky, Patrick Devlin, Patrick Deneen, Friedrich Nietzsche, Carl Schmitt, and more. Matt lectures at the University of Michigan ....
Oct 26, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Itoro Bassey is a first-generation Nigerian-American who grew up in Southbridge, Massachusetts. She is a journalist, playwright, cultural worker, educator, and novelist. Her debut novel, Faith , was published by Malarkey Books in 2022. Itoro has previously worked as a correspondent for Arise News and is now a segment producer for the BBC, based in Washington, D.C. We talk about her experiences growing up in rural New England, her time living in Nigeria, and how identity and ruralness play out in...
Oct 19, 2023•48 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Dr. Kevin Vallier is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Bowling Green State University , where he directs their program in Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law. Vallier’s interests lie primarily in political philosophy, ethics, philosophy of religion, and philosophy, politics, and economics (PPE). He is also an affiliate with the Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics at the University of Pennsylvania. His newest book is All the Kingdoms of the World: On Radical Religious Alter...
Oct 10, 2023•46 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Pulaski fellows Dr. Hanah Stiverson and Dr. Dominik Stecuła join Dr. Michael Simeone from New America and Arizona State to discuss some of the dangers of misinformation and disinformation, with particular attention given to rural and exurban America. A link to the video version of the panel is here: (488) A Pulaski Panel: Misinformation, Disinformation, and Offline Effects in America's Heartlands - YouTube
Aug 11, 2023•1 hr 32 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Craig Calhoun is University Professor of Social Sciences at Arizona State University. Previously, he was Director of the London School of Economics, President of the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), founder of the Institute for Public Knowledge at NYU, and a professor there and at UNC-Chapel Hill, Columbia, and Princeton. He is also a member of the Pulaski Board. Calhoun’s newest book is Degenerations of Democracy (Harvard 2022, co-authored with Dilip Gaonkar and Charles Taylor). This tak...
Jun 12, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Samuel C. Spitale is a media studies expert who has written for Huffington Post , as well as Geek magazine and Advocate.com. Previously, he worked at Lucasfilm Ltd. in global product development. In addition to How to Win the War on Truth , he is the author of Star Wars: Collecting a Galaxy . We talk about his book, the ways in which he thinks about our emotions and biases, and how to better navigate a fraught informational landscape....
May 08, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Matt McManus is a lecturer in political science at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He is the author of The Emergence of Postmodernity and Liberalism and Liberal Rights: A Critical Legal Argument amongst other books. His forthcoming work includes the essay collection Nietzsche and the Politics of Reaction for Palgrave MacMillan and The Political Right and Equality for Routledge Press. You can also find Matt's writings around the web, at places like Arc Digital , Liberal Currents , and Ja...
Apr 25, 2023•55 min•Season 2Ep. 9
William Kristol has been a major figure in American political life for decades. He was a founder of The Weekly Standard , and is a regular guest on leading political commentary shows. Prior to his work at The Weekly Standard, Kristol led the Project for the Republican Future, an organization that helped shape the strategy that produced the 1994 Republican congressional victory. From 1985 to 1993, Kristol served as chief of staff to Education Secretary William Bennett in the Reagan Administration...
Apr 18, 2023•55 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Dr. Justin Ellis is a senior lecturer in criminology at the Newcastle School of Law and Justice. His research into digiqueer criminology critically analyses the relationship between digital media technology, criminal justice, and queer representation and resistance. His broader research focus is on the relationship between digital technologies on institutional accountability and responsible government. He is also joining Pulaski as new fellow! Helpful links: A Fairy Tale Gone Wrong: the Politici...
Mar 22, 2023•47 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Dr. Shaun Casey was U.S. special representative for religion and global affairs and director of the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Religion and Global Affairs. He is also a non-resident fellow at Pulaski . His new book is Chasing the Devil at Foggy Bottom: The Future of Religion in American Diplomacy . From the publisher: "In this fresh and provocative narrative, Casey writes frankly about his work integrating sophisticated, research-driven policy into the State Department under Secretary ...
Feb 15, 2023•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 6
This episode's guest is Tom Nichols, professor emeritus at the United States Naval War College and staff writer at The Atlantic. Tom is the author of the Peacefield newsletter and the Atlantic Daily newsletter. His most recent book is Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault from within on Modern Democracy. In that book, he "challenges the current depictions of the rise of illiberal and anti-democratic movements in the United States and elsewhere as the result of the deprivations of globalization or the...
Feb 12, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Dr. Alex Middlewood joins for another conversation in our 50 Takes on Democracy Series. Dr. Middlewood is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Wichita State University. Her areas of specialization include gun politics, public opinion, political behavior, civic engagement, and gender. Her research focuses on the political participation and attitudes of American gun owners. She is also a Policy Fellow at the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University and a member o...
Jan 26, 2023•52 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Dr. Luke Perry joins to talk about New York politics, with a focus the upstate regions away from New York City. Dr. Perry is Professor of Political Science at Utica University and Director of the Utica University Center of Public Affairs and Election Research. Perry’s recent books include The 2020 Presidential Election: Key Issues and Dynamics, The 2020 Democratic Primary: Key Lessons, Dynamics and Lessons for 2024, and Donald Trump and the 2018 Midterm Battle for Central New York. His New York ...
Jan 23, 2023•44 min•Season 2Ep. 3
In the second of our 50 Takes on Democracy episodes, Dr. Kevin Baron of Austin Peay State University joins to talk about Tennessee. We discuss anti-CRT and anti-LGBTQ legislation, the state of Tennessee's education system, and the challenges of representation. You can read Kevin's 50 Takes essay here: Cultivating Anti-Democratic Tendencies in Tennessee — The Pulaski Institution...
Jan 10, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 2
In the first of our episode featuring authors from Pulaski's 50 Takes on Democracy series, Dr. Steven L. Taylor joins to discuss the state of things in Alabama. We talk about one-party dominance, gerrymandering, and the distortive effects of primaries on American politics. His 50 Takes essay can be found here: Alabama: Lack of Competition and Election Skepticism Down South — The Pulaski Institution Steven L. Taylor, Ph.D. is a Professor of Political Science and Dean of the College of Arts and Sc...
Jan 06, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 1
On this episode, Jessica Pishko joins to talk about sheriffs—their history, politics, and institutional role in law enforcement in America. Jessica Pishko is a lawyer and journalist who focuses on sheriff accountability. She graduated with a J.D. from Harvard Law School and received an M.F.A. from Columbia University. She practiced corporate law, specializing in securities fraud, and represented death penalty clients and victims of domestic abuse pro bono. She writes frequently about incarcerati...
Jul 18, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Dr. Heather Yates (Acting Director of the Program on Nativism, Nationalism, and Populism at Pulaski) joins to talk about the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe and what it means for subnational democracy in America. We talk about the myths surrounding abortion, the political conditions in anti-abortion states, and what this all means for citizenship and freedom in the United States.
Jun 27, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Dr. Stephen Knott joins us in an episode co-hosted by Dr. Heather Yates. Dr. Stephen F. Knott is a professor in the National Security Affairs Department. Prior to accepting his position at the War College, Knott co-chaired the Presidential Oral History Program at the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. His books include “Secret and Sanctioned: Covert Operations and the American Presidency,” “Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance That Forged America” and “Rush to Judgme...
Jun 10, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Edward Goldberg is a Non-resident Fellow at the Pulaski Institution. He is a leading expert in the area of where global politics and economics intercept. He teaches International Political Economy at the New York University Center for Global Affairs where he is an Adjunct Assistant Professor. He is also a Scholarly Practitioner at the Zicklin Graduate School of Business of Baruch College of the City University of New York where he teaches courses on globalization. He is the author of "Why Global...
Nov 23, 2021•1 hr 3 min
