Politics Decoded

How We Stopped Seeing Ourselves as Humans

This week on Politics Decoded, Ana and Sina continue their discussion about the issue of dehumanization in US politics by tracing its most recent historical development. This episode takes a look back at the recent historical shift towards using economics as the main way to talk about every aspect of society – from the way we go to work to how much we should sleep at night. From the beginning of the Cold War to our current administration, they map out how we went from thinking about ourselves as organic beings to mainly units of economic output and production. They then tie back how this kind of thinking has led to the problematic policies and public reactions related to immigration enforcement described in the last episode. Soundbites from: Reagan 1987 Brandenburg Gate Speech [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NjNL4Nsa4Q] Reagan 1981 First Presidential Press Conference [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-weFrhlWeU0] Trump State of the Union Address 2026 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yRxYouWqwo]

Dehumanization in Society

This week on Politics Decoded, Ana and Sina begin a discussion about the issue of dehumanization in US politics. This episode draws on the enactment of and reaction to immigration enforcement efforts by the Trump administration to begin a discussion about the way that US political culture tends towards reducing empathy towards people labeled as "outsiders" and encourages people to maintain an emotional distance from political issues that do not immediately affect them. They then turn the discussion towards the implications of this trend for the future of US political society.  CORRECTION: In the episode, a quote is mistakenly attributed to the chief of the Minneapolis police force. It actually comes from the Sheriff of Hennepin County, which includes the city of Minneapolis in its boundary.  Sources for Audio Clips: NPR Morning Edition [https://www.npr.org/2026/02/05/nx-s1-5701320/the-trump-administration-is-reducing-the-number-of-federal-agents-in-minnesota-by-700] 2/6/2026 Sound Compilations from the LA ICE Protests via the Washington Post [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rTynBapfFP4] June, 2026

Censorship in the Arts

Welcome back to Politics Decoded! In this episode, Ana and Sina discuss the impacts of art censorship on society. From the Kennedy Center and national television to the classroom and small artists, the impact of arts censorship is being felt at every level and our hosts are determined to find out what it means for us and our society. Focusing on the United States, Ana and Sina discuss issues of funding cuts, political rhetoric, and the cultural and social implications of the current crackdown on the arts.

Social Media and Protests

Welcome to the first episode of Politics Decoded, a new Journal of Political Inquiry podcast hosted by Ana Mentar and Sina Amberg, graduate politics students at NYU. In this introductory episode, we explore the role and impact of social media on revolutions and mass movements around the world. Starting with the 2011 Arab Spring and moving all the way to the 2025 Nepalese revolution, we discuss how local politics and culture, the age and demographics of protestors, and the types and uses of social media interact to enable mass protests and what it could mean for future mass movements.