America's 250th: What's Changed the Most Over the Years? | Politics with Paul #98

America's 250th: What's Changed the Most Over the Years? | Politics with Paul #98

250 years is a lot of time for change. So what has transformed the most in American politics in that time? Many aspects have gotten better over 250 years. Some have gotten worse. And some are just as flawed as they were before. Regardless, this episode of Politics with Paul is about some of the most seismic, overarching changes that you might not know about -- from election formats to campaigning strategy to civil service reform -- and what may be in store for the next 250 years. Other Works * FREE 5-day educational email course on how to fight polarization: https://detoxifyamericanpolitics.com/ [https://detoxifyamericanpolitics.com/] * Buy my book about political independents: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Independents-Rarely-Win-Elections-ebook/dp/B09K8PYM5J/ [https://www.amazon.com/Why-Independents-Rarely-Win-Elections-ebook/dp/B09K8PYM5J/] * Medium articles on elections and political science: https://paulrader-42650.medium.com/ [https://paulrader-42650.medium.com/] Media * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulrader352/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulrader352/] * My website: https://paulrader.org/ [https://paulrader.org/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulRaderWrites [https://www.facebook.com/PaulRaderWrites] * Email: paulraderwrites@gmail.com [paulraderwrites@gmail.com] (0:00) 250 Years of Changes (1:17) Improvements to Voting Rights and Citizenship (6:04) Transformations of Elections and Nominating Processes (7:28) Changes in How We Cast Votes and Ballots (9:02) Directly Electing US Senators (10:55) Nominations: Shifting From Caucuses to Primaries (12:37) The Evolution of Presidential Campaigning (16:42) Geographic and Demographic Shifts in Party Loyalties (23:39) From Patronage to Civil Service Reform (28:22) What Will Change Most in the Next 250 Years? (29:49) Will 250 Years Improve Government Accessibility? (33:35) How Will Artificial Intelligence Reshape Politics? (35:31) What Shifts in Party Loyalties Will We See? (38:41) How Will Election Rules and Formats Change? (45:22) Closing, Call to Action, Show Notes

Redistricting Part 2: Can We Ensure Fair Districts in Elections? | Politics with Paul #97

Redistricting is fraught with partisanship and underhanded tactics...but can it be 100% fixed? Making fair districts and preventing gerrymandering is an extraordinarily difficult goal for a lot of reasons we don't realize...or want to admit. Today's episode explores the issues with rules that currently govern the redistricting process today, how we as citizens make it easier to gerrymander, several proposals for how to make redistricting fairer, and whether it is truly possible to make the redistricting process impartial. Other Works * FREE 5-day educational email course on how to fight polarization: https://detoxifyamericanpolitics.com/ [https://detoxifyamericanpolitics.com/] * Buy my book about political independents: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Independents-Rarely-Win-Elections-ebook/dp/B09K8PYM5J/ [https://www.amazon.com/Why-Independents-Rarely-Win-Elections-ebook/dp/B09K8PYM5J/] * Medium articles on elections and political science: https://paulrader-42650.medium.com/ [https://paulrader-42650.medium.com/] Media * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulrader352/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulrader352/] * My website: https://paulrader.org/ [https://paulrader.org/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulRaderWrites [https://www.facebook.com/PaulRaderWrites] * Email: paulraderwrites@gmail.com [paulraderwrites@gmail.com] (0:00) Introduction (1:03) Recapping Current Criteria in Redistricting (2:55) Issues with Current Criteria in Redistricting (11:44) Considering the Future When Redistricting Now (17:14) Do We Also Gerrymander Ourselves? (21:32) How Do We Fix the Redistricting Process? (25:22) Would Independent Redistricting Commissions Fix Gerrymandering? (32:43) Would Expanding The US House Fix Gerrymandering? (39:59) Would Proportional Representation Fix Gerrymandering? (43:59) What Even is a "Fair" District? (48:15) Can We Ever Ensure Fair Districts? (50:38) Want More Fair Districts? Then Actually Hold Officials Accountable (55:45) Closing, Please Share and Subscribe, Links

Redistricting Part 1: What Goes Into Making New Districts? | Politics with Paul #96

Redistricting in America is a broken process - but before we can fix it, we must understand its inner workings and how we got here. In this first episode of a two-parter, I explore the background of redistricting, including its history, how its impacted today, and what currently goes into making new districts. Current attempts to redistrict have clearly partisan motives, but is that much different than the past? What needs to be considered when making new districts today? And what can redistricting of the past teach us going forward? Other Works * FREE 5-day educational email course on how to fight polarization: https://detoxifyamericanpolitics.com/ [https://detoxifyamericanpolitics.com/] * Buy my book about political independents: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Independents-Rarely-Win-Elections-ebook/dp/B09K8PYM5J/ [https://www.amazon.com/Why-Independents-Rarely-Win-Elections-ebook/dp/B09K8PYM5J/] * Medium articles on elections and political science: https://paulrader-42650.medium.com/ [https://paulrader-42650.medium.com/] Media * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulrader352/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulrader352/] * My website: https://paulrader.org/ [https://paulrader.org/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulRaderWrites [https://www.facebook.com/PaulRaderWrites] * Email: paulraderwrites@gmail.com [paulraderwrites@gmail.com] (0:00) Intro: What Goes Into Making New Districts (2:01) A Brief History of Redistricting in Congress (12:40) Current Methods of Redistricting: Federal, State, and Local (16:44) 7 Main Criteria for Redrawing Districts (19:14) Criterion #1: Equal Population (22:10) Criterion #2: Racial Minority Representation (23:55) Criterion #3: Contiguity (26:04) Criterion #4: Consideration for Existing Political Boundaries (28:31) Criterion #5: Compactness (30:51) Criterion #6: Preservation of Communities of Interest (31:43) Criterion #7: Preventing Overly Partisan Outcomes (34:08) Other Potential Criteria for Redistricting (36:16) Lessons of the Past for Today's Redistricting (42:30) Teaser, Closer, Links

Is America Really on the Decline? | Politics with Paul #95

It’s a common sentiment: the country is going down the drain. But is it true? Our perceptions of whether the country is “on the decline” or “entering a golden age” are shaped by a variety of factors and biases. We need to have an honest conversation about these problems, but how do we do that? Today’s episode explores the debate about whether America is truly in decline, the importance of honestly discussing the flaws and strengths of the country, and the importance of (reasonable) optimism. Other Works * FREE 5-day educational email course on how to fight polarization: https://detoxifyamericanpolitics.com/ [https://detoxifyamericanpolitics.com/] * Buy my book on Amazon (ebook and paperback): https://www.amazon.com/Why-Independents-Rarely-Win-Elections-ebook/dp/B09K8PYM5J/ [https://www.amazon.com/Why-Independents-Rarely-Win-Elections-ebook/dp/B09K8PYM5J/] * Medium articles on elections and political science: https://paulrader-42650.medium.com/ [https://paulrader-42650.medium.com/] Media * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulrader352/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulrader352/] * My website: https://paulrader.org/ [https://paulrader.org/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulRaderWrites [https://www.facebook.com/PaulRaderWrites] * Email: paulraderwrites@gmail.com [paulraderwrites@gmail.com] (0:00) Is America Really on the Decline? (1:31) The Specter of Declinism (4:55) Political Biases that Impact Our Belief in Declinism (14:42) What Aspects of America are (Supposedly) in Decline? (21:55) Threats That Can Lead to Decline in America (28:56) How Should We Talk About Our Country's Flaws, Potential Decline? (35:28) American Capacity to Fix the Country's Problems (42:02) Closing and Show Notes

What Would the Founding Fathers Think of America Today? | Politics with Paul #94

On the cusp of America's 250th anniversary, would the nation's Founding Fathers be proud or disappointed in what America's become? I believe the answer isn't so simple. Today's episode of Politics with Paul explores this question, discussing the biases that influences our answers, misconceptions about the Founding Fathers and how those misunderstandings impact our political thinking today, how politics during the Founding Fathers' time wasn't so different to now...and what it all means for America's 250th birthday. Other Works: * FREE 5-day educational email course on how to fight polarization: https://detoxifyamericanpolitics.com/ [https://detoxifyamericanpolitics.com/] * Buy my book on Amazon (ebook and paperback): https://www.amazon.com/Why-Independents-Rarely-Win-Elections-ebook/dp/B09K8PYM5J/ [https://www.amazon.com/Why-Independents-Rarely-Win-Elections-ebook/dp/B09K8PYM5J/] * Medium articles on elections and political science: https://paulrader-42650.medium.com/ [https://paulrader-42650.medium.com/] Media: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulrader352/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulrader352/] * My website: https://paulrader.org/ [https://paulrader.org/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulRaderWrites [https://www.facebook.com/PaulRaderWrites] * Email: paulraderwrites@gmail.com [paulraderwrites@gmail.com] (0:00) Introduction to the Founding Fathers' Perspectives (1:44) Common Misunderstandings About the Founding Fathers (7:12) How the Founding Fathers Would See Today's Divide in America (19:43) How the Founding Fathers Would See Today's Political Parties (26:21) How Bad Was Enmity Between the Earliest Political Parties? (32:02) How the Founding Fathers Would See Today's Career Public Servants (37:46) Founding Fathers and America's 250th Anniversary (44:40) Closing, Call to Action, Links