The Road to Now

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#374 The Senate's Hard Summer

August 10, 2026

Ben & Bob talk about the history of the US Senate and why the august body is now under attack from both the Freedom Caucus and the Democratic Socialists of America.   For readings discussed in this episode, check out Michael Trotti's "The Troubling Roots of Off-Year Gubernatorial Elections" from Made By History (Oct. 29, 2025) and Article 5 of the US Constitution, which states: "The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constit...

#373 Good Government w/ Lindsey Cormack

August 03, 2026

In an era of cynicism towards politics, Lindsey Cormak wants you to focus on what government has gotten right and to raise your kids to be active citizens. And as the host of the new podcast Government That Doesn't Suck (alongside History That Doesn't Suck's Greg Jackson), and the author How to Raise a Citizen (And Why It's Up to You To Do It), she has evidence and a framework for how to get there. In this conversation we cover all this, as well as Lindsey's research on Veterans and her work...

Necropolis: Disease, Power & Capitalism in 19th Century New Orleans w/ Kathryn Olivarius

July 27, 2026

Kathryn Olivarius joins Bob & Ben to explain the powerful role that Yellow Fever played in shaping all aspects of life in New Orleans during the 19th Century. Kathryn is Associate Professor of History at Stanford University and the author of Necropolis: Disease, Power & Capitalism in the Cotton Kingdom, (Harvard University Press, 2022). She was also a 2024 recipient of the Dan David Prize.   This is a rebroadcast of #329, which originally aired on March 10, 2025. This episode was edited by B...