The Politics Guys

Trey and Mike start with a focus on economic affordability, inflation rates, and the implications of Trump's economic policies. Trey outlines the historic economic conditions between Trump and Biden, noting that the economic conditions under Trump were better than under Biden. Mike argues that you can’t look at the total average under Biden because of COVID.  Next, they discuss Trump's pardon of Tina Peters, exploring the limits of presidential power and the role of norms in governance. Mike argues that, from a textualist viewpoint, the U.S. Constitution is consistent with a unitary theory of the presidency. Trey disagrees sharply, arguing that no matter the framework of constitutional interpretation, you can’t get to a unitary vision of the presidency. The show ends on an extended debate between Trey and Mike over the need for more than paper barriers in political systems. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Check out the excellent Sustainable Planet podcast. Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support atpatreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike talks about the Explain Like I'm 5 podcast. I hope you will enjoy this excellent show as much as we do.

Mike and Joey open with a deep dive into the emerging battle over Warner Bros. Discovery, weighing Netflix’s proposed mega-merger against Paramount Skydance’s rival bid and asking whether antitrust law still has teeth in a streaming world defined by consolidation. Mike stresses market definition, consumer harm, and the risk of enshittification when dominant platforms get complacent, while Joey argues consolidation raises prices and erodes both competition and the marketplace of ideas  Next, they turn to the idea of “objective” or traditional news, debating David Ellison’s claim that CNN and CBS could rebuild a fact-driven, ideologically broad audience. Joey defends the possibility and sees value in restoring credibility and competition in media, while Mike remains skeptical that mass audiences in 2025 want anything other than affirmation and outrage, even if he’d personally welcome the experiment  After that, the conversation shifts to the Minnesota COVID-era fraud scandal, where more than a billion dollars meant for vulnerable populations was allegedly stolen. Mike frames it as a structural failure driven by weak oversight, rushed emergency funding, and overreliance on nonprofits, while Joey emphasizes the brazen nature of the fraud and warns against the weaponization of racism accusations to shut down scrutiny  Then they tackle harder cultural questions around assimilation, balkanization, and how identity politics complicates governance and accountability. Mike argues these are permanent tensions between competing values that require constant management rather than simple fixes, while Joey worries that avoidance of honest discussion creates openings for corruption and social decay  Finally, the guys close with listener questions on evidence-based policy, tariffs, deficits, and accusations of authoritarianism in the Trump era. Mike concedes the right often diagnoses problems with big government more accurately but rejects its preferred cures, while Joey defends tariffs as pragmatic fair-trade tools and dismisses claims of rising authoritarianism as rhetorical overreach fueled by fundraising incentives on both sides The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Check out the excellent Sustainable Planet podcast. Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Joey open with a look at U.S. missile strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats and the seizure of an oil tanker, debating whether Article II authority is enough or whether Congress should have a say. Mike presses on limiting principles, civilian deaths, and why Coast Guard interdiction might achieve the same ends with fewer moral costs, while Joey argues the strikes fit long-standing counterterror logic and reflect the president’s duty to act decisively against narco-terror networks  Next, they pivot to Trump v. Slaughter and the fate of Humphrey’s Executor, unpacking what presidential removal power means for “independent” agencies. Joey leans toward a unitary executive reading that restores democratic accountability, while Mike agrees the precedent is weak but worries that blowing it up without Congress rebuilding its own capacity could turbocharge executive whiplash and regulatory chaos  After that, the discussion widens into the administrative state itself, with both circling the same problem from different angles: Congress has offloaded too much responsibility, leaving courts and agencies to fill the void. Mike stresses the need for narrow, well-defined lanes where experts handle technical matters but elected officials own big policy choices, while Joey pushes the idea that forcing Congress back into the driver’s seat may be the only way to fix the incentive rot  The guys close with a sober reflection on stability versus accountability, warning that unchecked executive swings risk long-term incoherence at home and weakness abroad. Despite sharp disagreements, they converge on a rare point of unity: the system’s dysfunction is less about any one president and more about a legislature that has forgotten how to govern  The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Check out the excellent Sustainable Planet podcast. Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trey & Justin continue their dive into contemporary political ideologies. This week they dive into Marxism. Topics covered include: Marxism’s underlying structure in Hegel’s writings Historical Determinism Democracy and Marxism Lenin’s “fix” to Marxism with imperialism Critiques of Marxism and Neo-Marxism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices