7 chapters across the catalog
President Joe Biden makes comments regarding election reform and preventing future attempts to "steal an election," which the hosts interpret as a verbal slip. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defends the administration's use of the term "semi-fascism" to describe MAGA Republicans. The hosts analyze the formal definition of fascism in relation to current political rhetoric.
Ranked choice voting is discussed as a growing trend in US municipalities and states. The system is criticized as being potentially subversive to the Electoral College and moving the US toward a parliamentary-style system.
Texas Democrats Quorum Break, 2003 California Precedent
Texas Democrats fled the state to prevent a quorum and block voting reform legislation, a move with historical precedent in California and previous Texas sessions. While the lawmakers have engaged in high-profile media appearances and rallies with figures like Beto O'Rourke, the standoff is expected to be resolved through subsequent special sessions.
Ranked Choice Voting, New York Mayoral Race, Election Costs
The implementation of ranked choice voting in the New York City mayoral race has drawn comparisons to the Academy Awards' voting system. Proponents argue it prevents expensive runoffs and ensures a majority-supported winner, while critics claim it leads to the election of mediocre candidates and confuses the electorate. The complexity of the system has resulted in delayed results and public skepticism.
The "For the People Act" (HR1) is an 800-page bill aimed at federalizing voting rules, campaign finance, and ethics. Provisions include codifying mail-in voting and drop boxes, which critics argue is unconstitutional as states traditionally control elections. The bill also includes strict ethics rules for Congress, leading to skepticism that it will ever pass in its current form.
Author Mike Schwab introduced his book, Expressive Voting, which proposes alternatives to the current U.S. two-party system. Schwab advocates for unranked approval voting, allowing voters to select multiple candidates without ranking them. He argues this method would reduce the influence of primaries, eliminate the "spoiler effect," and discourage negative campaigning.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) reforms from 2010 are discussed in the context of US ratification delays. The debate centers on whether increasing the voting shares of Brazil, Russia, India, and China would effectively strip the United States of its supermajority veto power.
