Defending — Federalism
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Why America needs a principled center-right | Todd Weiler
They discuss the future of the conservative movement, the importance of principled and evidence-based policymaking, and why states may be better positioned than Washington, D.C., to tackle some of America’s biggest challenges by bringing policymaking closer to the people it…
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How the federal government keeps expanding its power | Kevin Williamson & Bill Duncan
They discuss regulatory “dark matter,” the decline of congressional responsibility, practical examples of federal agencies pressuring states, and how federalism, transparency, and a renewed commitment to separation of powers could help rein in Washington’s influence.
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Understanding the Supreme Court’s biggest decisions in 2026 | Dr. Matthew Brogdon & Bill Duncan
Brogdon and Duncan explain why many popular interpretations you see online often fall short, and how we should be thinking about these cases instead.
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The Future of Conservatism: Principles, Populism, and the American Founding | Tim Chapman
Conservatism is at a crossroads. Does it stick with Trump-style populism, or embrace the principles of limited, effective government that led to some of the movement’s biggest victories?
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The U.S. needs a new safety net | Angela Rachidi
AEI Senior Fellow Angela Rachidi joins host Nic Dunn to discuss benefit cliffs, the Upward Mobility Act, and whether state-led innovation could help more families achieve self-reliance through things like empowerment accounts.
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The roadmap to restore trust in elections | Matthew Weil & Derek Monson
The conversation covers California’s ballot counting process, why states should learn from one another, a new survey on voter confidence, and why transparency, evidence, and citizen engagement remain essential to maintaining trust in American elections.
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Rebuilding trust in America’s elections | Ben Ginsberg & Bill Duncan
The conversation explores the constitutional role of states in election administration, the limits of federal authority, the importance of institutional trust, and why federalism may offer a better framework for addressing election concerns moving forward.
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What the Declaration of Independence still teaches us | Jay Lapeyre & Lawson Bader
Their conversation explores individual dignity, natural rights, constitutional self-government, and how a renewed focus on America’s founding principles could help reduce political division and strengthen civic culture for the next 250 years.
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Can a return to federalism fix our politics? | Rep. Ken Ivory & Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost
In this episode of Defending Ideas, Nic Dunn speaks with two Utah representatives, Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost and Rep. Ken Ivory, about polarization, congressional dysfunction, the role of states as laboratories of democracy, and why shifting more decisions to local communities…
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Is the Supreme Court as political as we think? | Sarah Isgur
The U.S. Supreme Court is often portrayed as just another political battleground. But that is a fundamental misunderstanding of its role.