Matters of Policy & Politics

While the public clamors for regulating artificial intelligence, what’s the most sensible approach for federal and state governments?

This week, Robert Hall became the sixth Hoover Institution fellow in the last-half-century to receive a Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. Valerie Ramey, Hoover’s Thomas Sowell Senior Fellow and deputy director of research, discusses how Hall’s “New Keynesianism” school of thought impacts modern economic scholarship and its utilization in practical terms, as well a working relationship with the future laureate dating back to her graduate-school days, when she served as Hall’s research assistant on matters like the flat tax.

A vestige of Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society”, the federal Medicare healthcare program has expanded in ways its architects perhaps didn’t foresee – a growing constituency (nearly 70 million elderly Americans now rely on Medicare for their healthcare needs, with that number climbing as more Americans reach their golden years) and senior healthcare occupying a growing chunk of the federal budget (Medicare now accounting for one in every seven dollars Washington spends). With the entitlement going bankrupt as soon as 2033, what reforms can “rescue” Medicare – not to mention Social Security, which could run out of funding as soon as 2032? Tom Church, a Hoover policy fellow who’s done considerable research on entitlement and healthcare reform, discusses why Medicare reform went nowhere a decade ago, policy avenues for driving down costs, plus limitations imposed by the current political lineup in Washington – a Republican president famously averse to entitlement reform and an opposition party championing a single-payer “Medicare for All” alternative, suggesting the looming crisis will be tabled until 2029 or later. Also discussed: Church’s work with Hoover’s ambitious and bipartisan Tennenbaum Program for Fact-Based Policy.

Why are data centers villainized and how will America prepare for a future driven by a great demand for artificial intelligence – and electricity?

The podcast’s monthly update on the state of the Golden State looks at winners and losers in the aftermath of the Paramount antitrust settlement, the future of California’s beleaguered high-speed rail project, Gov. Newsom angling for trout (and the presidency) in a Montana photo-op, plus an upcoming debate in what otherwise has been a sleepy governor’s race.

Add to the list of artificial-intelligence concerns: how to balance the emerging technology with the development of young minds.

Twenty-five years ago, the Free World was shocked by an attack on America in which three airliners struck New York’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon – a fourth plane crashing in rural Pennsylvania presumably on its way to strike the US Capitol. What did we learn from that attack, and is America better prepared to handle terror that can take more sophisticated forms? Philip Zelikow, the Hoover Institution’s Botha-Chan senior fellow and executive director of the bipartisan panel that examined the root causes of 9/11 and ways America could better defend itself, discusses the 9/11 Commission’s findings and the challenges in preventing future attacks from occurring (terrorists possibly taking advantage of emerging technology and finding safe haven in the likes of northern Africa). Also: Zelikow’s role in launching Hoover’s ambitious Commons Initiative, which studies how America can lead free societies to adapt and survive in a changing world.

In a new century defined by another great-power competition, how does the United States match China in terms of integrating defense needs with its technological and industrial capacities?

Across America, school is in session in many a university, but does that guarantee the next generation of leaders is receiving the experience it deserves – freedom of speech and diversity of thought amidst cancel cultures and biased faculties? Hoover senior fellow Peter Berkowitz, author of the newly released Reclaiming Liberal Education in America, argues help is on the way, but reforms will take time and won’t come easy.

The podcast’s monthly update on the state of the Golden State looks at the relative lack of political drama in Sacramento as the August 31 legislative deadline nears, why the Golden State’s homelessness problem remains a chronic headache, divisions within the ranks of billionaires financing the effort to defeat the Proposition 40 wealth tax, the odds of Paramount CEO David Ellision relocating his company to a friendlier red state, plus why Harry and Megan are giving up on their California Dream.

Having recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of its founding, what makes Apple Inc. special? Stephen Haber contends the tech giant is but one more example of America’s uniquely innovative ecosystem – a constant in the 250-year narrative of the American experience.

Outer space isn’t as empty as you might imagine – especially the low-orbiting space around Planet Earth heavily populated by orbiting satellites and space debris. Hoover Institution science fellow Simone D’Amico discusses how make the “space highway” safer, more secure and its platforms more sustainable.

You’ve heard of the “AI Revolution’. Now, brace yourself for a “Quantum Revolution” – quantum technologies advancing science and industry and, like AI, affecting the world order. Will the technologies live up to their hype – and, if so, which nations are best suited to win an academic, economic and geopolitical competition?

Over a century ago, California first began the practice of publicly approved ballot measures – initiatives and referenda – as a means of curbing special-interest influence in Sacramento. But a look at the 14 initiatives that Californians will decide this fall suggests the opposite – special interests are driving the process.

Are voters in one of America’s bluest states certain to approve a ballot measure this fall imposing a 5% “wealth tax” on its billionaire class? If so, will California have struck a blow for wealth inequality – or, instead, succeed in killing “the goose the laid the golden egg” as investors and entrepreneurs flee the Golden State for friendlier tax climates?

Monthly update on the implications of California’s First Couple under federal investigation for tax and financial improprieties; the possibility of a deal in the coming days to keep a billionaire wealth tax off the November ballot, and more.

On the eve of the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, how has the nation’s Declaration of Independence – drafted, debated and signed in a world shaped more by royalty than republicanism – managed to stand the test of time?

A monthly update on the state of the Golden State finds California no longer looking at a budget deficit, courtesy of an unexpected capital-gains tax windfall. Meanwhile, as California’s June 2  primary approaches, is reality-TV “villain” Spencer Pratt gaining ground in Los Angeles’ mayoral race thanks to his message (failed local leadership) or a new medium (attention-grabbing AI-generated ads)?

What happens when an industry-dominant “company town” loses its primary employer? In the case of those parts of America once reliant upon coal companies to provide work and literally run small mining towns, a Hoover fellow has found economic hardship and a disturbing loss of confidence in democracy and institutions.

Before invasions of Ukraine and Crimea and various “resets” of America’s diplomatic approach toward the Kremlin, there was the “Boris and Bill Show” – two chummy and newly-installed presidents meeting multiple times at the tail-end of the 20th Century with the shared goal of bringing Russia into a post-Cold War world order as a peaceful, prosperous (and non-proliferating) society. Rose Gottemoeller, a Hoover Institution research fellow and former Clinton and Obama administration national security aide, sets the record straight on the Clinton-Yeltsin summits, what she learned as the first American woman to lead nuclear arms talks, why Vladimir Putin went from offering help in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks to seeing America as a threat Russia’s security, and the challenges of serving as NATO’s deputy secretary general during the first Trump presidency. It’s all chronicled in her new book, Security Through Cooperation: Space, Nuclear Weapons, and US-Russia Relations after the Cold War, a must-read for history buffs and students of the enigma that is Putin and the Russian mindset.

Can America power growth, protect nature, and out-innovate the world—or will the clash between markets and mandates decide its future?

The podcast’s monthly update on the state of the Golden State finds California struggling with soaring fuel prices (the result of hostilities in the Middle East plus decades of dubious energy policy) and a gubernatorial primary very much up for grabs after one of the frontrunner’s scandal-ridden departure. Meanwhile, a new study shows California’s population centers have yet to fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, while the dream of a flourishing legalized cannabis market goes up in smoke.

While America’s education system doesn’t lack for shareholders (parents, educators, political and policy leaders, as well as business and community activists), there’s a question as to whether all concerns are being heard and respected. Margaret “Macke” Raymond, a Hoover Institution distinguished research fellow and director of Hoover’s program on K-12 Education, discusses the findings of Hoover’s Unheard Voices report – Raymond and her research team engaged with nine communities across America, each one beset with underperforming schools. What they discovered: parents and community leaders want to become more involved in the lives of their schools but suffer from a lack of information and context – and, in some cases, educators are reluctant to listen to outside voices.  Recorded on April 9, 2026.

With the public’s trust in the media at historic lows and the industry trying to adapt to changing information-gathering tastes, what does the future hold for a struggling “Fourth Estate” (tradition news outlets) and an incipient “Fifth Estate” (bloggers and social media)? David Shribman, a columnist, academic and two-time Pulitzer Prize recipient, examines a changed landscape of print media ceding dominance to cable news networks, which in turn compete against an even speedier (and more reckless) social media. Also discussed: the Washington Post’s travails and how the New York Times one-upped its competitors by winning minds (puzzles) and stomachs (more food content); the future of political journalism without President Trump to entertain (and boost viewership and readership); the extent of bias within journalists’ ranks; understanding community concerns by reading (and replying to) letters-to-the-editor; what aspiring journalists should study during their college years (read the Bible, Shakespeare and plenty of history). Recorded on March 10, 2026.

Can California’s governor’s race get any airtime (a televised debate scratched after a controversy over four candidates who didn’t take the cut), much less any traction with a disinterested electorate?

A war with Iran and a new oil shock tests America’s energy strategy.

What can Julius Caesar’s fate—and Rome’s strategy toward rivals and allies—teach us about “preventive wars,” great-power competition, and America’s current approach to Iran?

Two decades before the centenary of its independence, India faces a pivotal question: can it sustain economic growth, technological innovation, and strategic autonomy while navigating geopolitical tensions and domestic challenges?

What does it really mean to be a “well-informed” citizen?

Bill Whalen and Lee Ohanian explore Governor Newsom’s new book and political upheaval in Los Angeles.

Valerie Ramey on Valentine’s Day, Population Decline, Winning the “Rug Rat Race”.

Allison Okamura on the role of robotics in emerging technology.

Eighty-five years after FDR’s “arsenal of democracy,” great-power rivalry is back—this time spanning China, Taiwan, and the Americas.

David Brady traces how America’s era of political stability unraveled into today’s age of razor-thin majorities and partisan conflict.

California’s new year begins with a “new” version of Gov. Gavin Newsom – offering Sacramento lawmakers a detailed and in-person State of the State Address, as opposed to recent years when the governor eschewed such pageantry.

What do America and Israel share other than shared values and a strategic alliance against the forces of tyranny? Try: declarations of independence and a celebration of individual rights that have stood the test of time.

Before long, holiday celebrations, family gatherings, and gift-sharing will give way to a new year and the question of resolutions and crafting a better self.

It was 25 years ago this month that the U.S. Supreme Court settled the final outcome of both Florida’s presidential vote count and America’s choice for its 43rd president.

If you think America’s schools fell into decline solely as a consequence of 2020’s pandemic and a year of alternate instruction models, guess again.

After a lopsided victory earlier this month, can California’s redistricting Proposition 50 survive a legal challenge? And why do last January’s devastating fires in Los Angeles continue to raise unsettling questions?

Admiral James Ellis reflects on his nearly forty years of service on land and at sea, the challenges facing veterans as they re-enter civilian life, plus ways to properly honor and improve the lives of America’s sizable veterans community.

How does one man whose formative years are largely defined by five “s’s” – sex, satanism, suicide, secret agents, and Stalinism – somehow wind up as a defining intellectual behind the rise of America’s conservative movement?

As California enters the final phase leading up to its Nov. 4 special election and a vote on Proposition 50, plenty of unknowns surround the fate of the controversial ballot measure that would redraw California’s congressional districts to offset a Republican-led gerrymander in Texas.

For the past dozen years, Hoover’s online publication Strategika has examined contemporary conflicts and national security challenges by assembling academics of varied thought to re-examine past struggles. On the occasion of its 100th issue, historian Victor Davis Hanson, Hoover’s Martin and Ilie Anderson senior fellow and the man tasked with bringing the publication to life, discusses the institution’s growing commitment to the study of history (Hoover’s having a compliment of historians rivaling that of world-class universities) and how a Strategika-like approach explains complicated conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. Also discussed: how Victor’s passion for military history stems from his male ancestors’ involvement in two world wars, his thoughts on how best to introduce young learners to classical opuses, plus the problem of university history departments discouraging intellectual diversity. Celebrate Strategika’s 100th issue titled, The Current Status of Military History, by exploring the full collection of essays here. For more episodes of Matters of Policy & Politics, subscribe here.

The big political news in California: its state legislature is agreeing to a Nov. 4 special election to decide whether to temporarily return congressional redistricting to lawmakers.

Three times in ancient history, the Jewish people revolted against the Roman Empire – the end result being genocide, enslavement, exile, and religious oppression.

Examining the origins of Xi Jinping’s thought and ruling style.

Unpack Gov. Gavin Newsom’s South Carolina visit, his redistricting process to add more Democratic seats in Congress, and how California’s unresolved crises — from homelessness to high-speed rail — could weigh down his presidential ambitions.

While last year’s US presidential election didn’t lack for historical quirks – an incumbent president dropping out of the race soon before his party’s convention; for only the second time, a former president returned to office – opinions differ as to the campaign’s long-term effect on America’s political landscape.  In a special edition of Matters of Policy & Politics hosted by Hoover distinguished policy fellow Bill Whalen, we hear from a bipartisan slate of leading pollsters on the state of America’s two political parties. They provide perspectives on the 2024 election, including assessments of what did and did not work in terms of messaging, how voting blocs shifted, whether Democrats can rebrand and rebound by 2028 or anti-woke Republicans once again will prevail, plus the chances of Trump-style politics outlasting its term-limited namesake.  This episode is in partnership with the Center for Revitalizing American Institutions (RAI).

What’s the most likely outcome for President Trump’s tariff strategy – trading partners capitulating, America’s economy and exceptionalism crumbling, or something in the middle?

What do an electric-vehicle mandate, a structural budget deficit, and chronic homelessness and affordable housing woes have in common? The answer: they are policy headaches likely awaiting California’s next governor.

California’s new global standing, the impact of looming Trump tariffs, the reemergence of former vice president Kamala Harris as she ponders whether to run for governor in 2026, and basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal becoming the general manager of Sacramento State’s men’s basketball team.

What do the polls indicate about President Trump’s first 100 days in office?

How has the ACA managed to survive despite power shifts in Washington, what areas of healthcare should Congress address in 2025, and why can’t California cover the cost of its Medi-Cal program.

Newsom’s latest foray into podcasting comes up short; how a shortfall in the state’s health budget may tie into his political re-branding; plus, differences in state and city approaches to California’s homelessness issues.

President Trump’s signing of an executive order calling for the downsizing of the US Department of Education (DOE) raises concerns related to the federal versus state balance in K-12 policy.

How “economic statecraft” applies to settling the current wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as America’s “great power competition” with China.

The intricacies of a Ukraine-Russia peace deal and the Future of NATO.

In an Information Age during which decentralized news and information have contributed to a greater lack of trust in government and traditional media outlets, is it possible to restore confidence in both institutions? Nick Mastronardi, a Hoover Institution veteran fellow and software innovator in the field of public-sector communications, discusses advances in data collection and artificial intelligence and a positive impact on government behavior with Hoover Volker Senior Fellow (adjunct) “Checker” Finn, one of the nation’s preeminent authorities on education policy and innovation. Recorded on January 14, 2025.  ABOUT THE SERIES Educators across the land are preparing for Civic Learning Week in mid-March—with the capstone National Forum at the Hoover Institution on March 13—as the nation also gets ready for next year’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. In anticipation of both—and recognizing the urgent need to rekindle civic literacy via our schools and colleges—Renewing Civics Education – Preparing for American Citizenship, a five-part podcast series, takes on the challenges of citizenship education: why it matters, what it needs to do differently, what shortcomings it must overcome. The series features distinguished members of Hoover’s Working Group on Good American Citizenship, led by Volker Senior Fellow Chester Finn.

Does a Stanford University initiative reinstating a century-old tradition of American civics learning offer a roadmap for the future of higher education?

A smarter approach to fire response and prevention and what the future holds for swift reconstruction and affordable property insurance.

Can colleges and secondary schools teach American civics (i.e., an examination of the republic’s good and bad experiences) without being jingoistic?

The following episode was recorded on December 10, 2024. An adventurous year in California politics and policy ends with a special legislative session to “Trump-proof” the Golden State. Will a pair of would-be reformers – a newly elected mayor of San Francisco and a Los Angeles district attorney, both of whom ran against the status quo, be able to deliver the goods? Hoover senior fellow Lee Ohanian and distinguished policy fellow Bill Whalen, both contributors to Hoover’s California on Your Mind web channel, join Hoover senior product manager Jonathan Movroydis to reflect on 2024’s lessons as well as this year’s winners and losers, plus causes for California-based optimism come January 2025.

Do high-school students – including those fortunate to attend America’s most prestigious universities – enter college with a solid understanding of American civics (i.e., the republic’s origin and design) or is it more a case of remedial learning?

What the future holds for India, which has the world’s largest population and whose demographics are changing as well as its tastes in work, leisure, and family planning.

The Hoover Institution is launching a new limited podcast series featuring experts grappling with how to reinvigorate civics education across America.

Are state and local leaders capable of rebuilding both swiftly and in a commonsense manner, as opposed to years of regulatory gridlock?

Was America’s crazy quilt of election systems and safeguards formidable or merely fortunate in 2024?

Among the surprise results in this year’s American election: a victorious Donald Trump improving his numbers among Latino voters to a level not seen in 20 years and George W. Bush’s re-election (the only other time this century that the Republican choice won the popular vote). David Leal, a Hoover Institution adjunct senior fellow and University of Texas-Austin professor of government specializing in American demographic changes, discusses why Latino voters turned Trump’s way, how 2024’s inroad impacts the idea of demography as destiny ( i.e., a growing minority population working to the Democrats’ advantage), plus Texas returning to its redder self despite talk of newcomers from other states making the Lone Star State more competitive. Recorded on November 20, 2024.

The verdict on California’s November election?

By most metrics – a 16% job-approval rating, failing to deliver budgets much less conducting itself in a stately manner – the U.S. House of Representatives isn’t living up to the Founding Fathers’ ideals. How to restore the public’s confidence in the ways of Capitol Hill? Brandice Canes-Wrone, the Hoover Institution’s Maurice R. Greenberg senior fellow and the founding director of Hoover’s Center for Revitalizing American Institutions, joins former Illinois congressman and Hoover distinguished fellow Daniel Lipinski to discuss Revitalizing the House: Bipartisan Recommendations on Rules and Process – suggested ways to re-empower House members and committees and restore some semblance of the democratic process. Recorded on November 12, 2024.

And so the great election meltdown that was supposed to happen didn’t – across America this week, tens of millions of voters going about their business in a seemingly orderly fashion, with a decisive outcome favoring one presidential candidate and his party.

What to expect in a California election that shows some prominent big-city incumbents in trouble and an anti-crime ballot measure steamrolling to victory?

How to convince a distrusting section of the American electorate that, contrary to what conspiracy theories claim, elections aren’t rigged, and vote-tallies aren’t manipulated?

Are battleground states better prepared this election cycle than in recent election cycles?

Jacquelyn Schneider on Wargaming’s Historic Role in National Security Decision-Making.

Who are the winners and losers now that California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed off on hundreds of legislative bills?

What matters most to independent voters, the odds of one or both chambers of Congress flipping, plus whether Pennsylvania is the “new Florida” as ground zero for deciding presidential outcomes.

Michael Boskin on the Future of Federalism.

The Democratic National Convention turns out to be a tale of two Californians – Vice President Kamala Harris becoming her party’s standard-bearer; Governor Gavin Newsom left out of the speakers’ lineup.

The economic consequences of the federal government imposing its will on the free market.

The world is bracing for further violence in the Middle East, fearing the conflict will escalate into a regional war.

George Nash on the Life of “The Great Humanitarian.”

For the first time in 40 years, a Californian is set to become a major party’s presidential nominee, plus upcoming milestones for two US presidents with California ties.

Hoover Institution fellow John Yoo analyzes recent Supreme Court decisions including presidential immunity, the right blend of freedom and restrictions, and more.

Embracing a ‘Warrior Ethos’: Strategic Insights for Taiwan’s Defense.

A nascent 2026 governor’s race (will vice president Kamala Harris “pull a Nixon” and give it a go?), plus a fond remembrance of the late Bill Walton.

The merits of the new debate schedule, what it means for the future of the Commission on Presidential Debates.

Campus protests, ballot machinations, a Governor “Roman around.”

Why Senator Bill Bradley keeps Rolling Along.

Mickey Levy on higher employment and higher prices.

Better ways to engage K-12 and college students in the understanding and appreciation of the concept of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Recent economic news out of California isn’t all that “golden:”

Election results, the controversy over Panera Bread and a gubernatorial chum seemingly exempted from a California minimum-wage increase for fast-food chains.

Wisconsin Rep. Mike Gallagher discusses what brought him to Capitol Hill and why he’s decided to depart so relatively soon; life inside a fractious Republican caucus; his legacy as chair of a House select committee examining the threat of an ambitious Chinese Communist Party; plus lessons learned from political and military service.

The latest in the California, including a campaign to turn a coastal stretch of the Golden State into a new nation called “Pacifica”; the politics of “shrinkflation”; what this year’s US Senate race says about California’s top-two primary system; plus the legacy of the late C.C. Myers, who rebuilt the Santa Monica Freeway after 1994’s Northridge Earthquake.

Four US Senate candidates gathered for the first televised debate in advance of California’s March 5 primary; the state’s alarming budget deficit exposes fundamental problems with spending and taxes; and what are the odds of Silicon Valley luminaries building a new city form scratch in the heart of rural Solano County?

Strategic options for the United States in the Middle East include how to curb Iranian aggression, strengthening ties with regional allies, and reintroducing the notion of American-led deterrence.

Some of the various political dynamics heading into Iowa and beyond include whether there’s room for three viable Republican candidates in January’s and February’s contests.