Matters of Policy & Politics

California Update: AI to the (Fiscal) Rescue; Spencer for Hire in LA?

California’s revised state budget for the new fiscal year beginning in July comes with a plot twist – a deficit that’s no more, courtesy of an unexpected capital-gains tax windfall. But is the same entity that showered Sacramento with billions in tax revenue – California’s vibrant AI sector – also a source of long-term economic and policy concerns (tech-related job losses; competing with farmers for water and electricity)? And how does AI and the jittery state of California’s finances factor into Gov. Gavin Newsom’s presidential ambitions? Meanwhile, as the Golden State’s June 2 primary approaches, is it time to take reality-TV “villain” and Palisades Fire victim Spencer Pratt seriously as he gains ground in Los Angeles’ contentious mayoral race?

Recorded on May 20, 2026.

Declining Industry and Public Trust at the Local Level: Elizabeth Elder on America’s “Company Towns”

America is a land dotted with so-called “company towns” – population centers where a single business or industry dominates not only the local economy, but government and community ethos as well. But what happens when a town and an industry in decline part ways, leaving it to local government and leadership to take up the slack? Hoover fellow Elizabeth Mitchell Edler discusses what transpired in those portions of America (Appalachia and the Midwest) once dominated by a since-diminished coal industry and the lack of institutional confidence that followed – her interviews, polling and data research chronicled in her new book, Company Towns: Industry Power and the Historical Foundations of Public Mistrust.

Recorded on May 4, 2026.

“Security Through Cooperation”: Rose Gottemoeller on US-Russian Diplomacy Past, Present . . . and Future?

Before invasions of Ukraine and Crimea and various “resets” of America’s diplomatic approach toward the Kremlin, there was the “Boris and Bill Show” – two chummy and newly-installed presidents meeting multiple times at the tail-end of the 20^th Century with the shared goal of bringing Russia into a post-Cold War world order as a peaceful, prosperous (and non-proliferating) society.

Rose Gottemoeller, a Hoover Institution research fellow and former Clinton and Obama administration national security aide, sets the record straight on the Clinton-Yeltsin summits, what she learned as the first American woman to lead nuclear arms talks, why Vladimir Putin went from offering help in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks to seeing America as a threat Russia’s security, and the challenges of serving as NATO’s deputy secretary general during the first Trump presidency.

It’s all chronicled in her new book, Security Through Cooperation: Space, Nuclear Weapons, and US-Russia Relations after the Cold War, a must-read for history buffs and students of the enigma that is Putin and the Russian mindset. 

Like Oil and Water? Free-Market Environmentalism with Terry Anderson

America, a land rich in growth and prosperity but also blessed with an abundance of natural beauty, faces a quandary: how to keep its economy flourishing while at the same time safeguarding its environment. It’s the topic of the Hoover’s Institution’s upcoming “Markets vs. Mandates” conference. Terry Anderson, Hoover’s John and Jean De Nault Senior Fellow (adjunct) and one of the founders of “free-market environmentalism”, discusses what’s on the agenda at the Hoover symposium (tariffs, AI, federal-to-state regulatory shifts) and why tradeoffs are the key to America’s future, be it protecting resources, meeting energy needs and keeping the nation on the cutting edge of technology. Anderson points to different regions of the US where markets and mandates butt heads, including his native Montana and nearby Wyoming, Virginia’s embrace of energy-guzzling data centers, and a potential lithium bonanza in the Carolinas and parts of New England.    

California Update: (Self-Inflicted?) Pain at the Pump; Governor’s Race in Flux; A Cannabis Black Market

The war in Iran finds its way to California in the form of higher fuel prices, but how much of the Golden’s State “pain at the pump” is driven by geopolitics versus decades of arguably misguided state energy policies? Meanwhile, a gubernatorial primary unique in its lack of a clear frontrunner becomes more muddled after former Rep. Eric Swalwell abruptly quits the race following accusations of sexual misconduct. Also muddled: post-COVID California and news that Golden State’s population centers haven’t fully bounced back six years after the pandemic ( a reflection of changing workstyles and a lack of affordable housing). Finally, where’s the smoke, there’s . . . a flourishing cannabis black market in California a decade after voters legalized (and levied a heavy tax) on recreational marijuana.

Recorded on April 22, 2026.

A Matter of Trust: Macke Raymond on “Unheard Voices” in America’s School Communities

While America’s education system doesn’t lack for shareholders (parents, educators, political and policy leaders, as well as business and community activists), there’s a question as to whether all concerns are being heard and respected. Margaret “Macke” Raymond, a Hoover Institution distinguished research fellow and director of Hoover’s program on K-12 Education, discusses the findings of Hoover’s Unheard Voices report – Raymond and her research team engaged with nine communities across America, each one beset with underperforming schools. What they discovered: parents and community leaders want to become more involved in the lives of their schools but suffer from a lack of information and context – and, in some cases, educators are reluctant to listen to outside voices. 

Recorded on April 9, 2026.

David Shribman on Journalism’s Struggles, Restoring Institutional Trust, and Life After Trump

With the public’s trust in the media at historic lows and the industry trying to adapt to changing information-gathering tastes, what does the future hold for a struggling “Fourth Estate” (tradition news outlets) and an incipient “Fifth Estate” (bloggers and social media)? David Shribman, a columnist, academic and two-time Pulitzer Prize recipient, examines a changed landscape of print media ceding dominance to cable news networks, which in turn compete against an even speedier (and more reckless) social media. Also discussed: the Washington Post’s travails and how the New York Times one-upped its competitors by winning minds (puzzles) and stomachs (more food content); the future of political journalism without President Trump to entertain (and boost viewership and readership); the extent of bias within journalists’ ranks; understanding community concerns by reading (and replying to) letters-to-the-editor; what aspiring journalists should study during their college years (read the Bible, Shakespeare and plenty of history).

Recorded on March 10, 2026.

California Update: Cancelling a Debate . . . and a Labor Icon

Can California’s governor’s race get any airtime (a televised debate scratched after a controversy over four candidates who didn’t make the cut), much less any traction with a disinterested electorate?

Hoover senior fellow Lee Ohanian and distinguished policy fellow Bill Whalen, both contributors to Hoover’s California on Your Mind web channel, discuss the latest in the Golden State including the public ostracization of labor icon Cesar Chavez after a New York Times exposé revealed dark secrets from his past; Los Angeles’ penchant for spending follies (an 8-mile bike bridge to nowhere); and flawed ballot measures (including a “mansion tax” that’s snarled SoCal housing construction); plus what three recent polls say about the Golden State’s next wave of political leaders – and if former vice president Kamala Harris will be a part of that cohort.

Recorded on March 26, 2026.

Oil Shocks, Energy Strategies, And George Shultz’s Wisdom

A worldwide oil shock triggered by hostilities in the Middle East raises questions about the viability of America’s energy strategy and the ability of the US and other developed nations to ride out the current storm. David Fedor, the Hoover Institution’s Stephenson Policy Fellow and a member of Hoover’s George P. Shultz Energy Policy Working Group, puts 2026’s oil drama in historical context (2008 and the 1970’s), explains why Californians pay more at the pump than most Americans, and touches on a few policy items that have Hoover’s attention: the state of US-India energy relations; a nuclear reactor approved for Wyoming; Indo-Pacific nations hamstrung by limited supplies of LNG; and Taiwan’s energy security. Fedor, who worked alongside Secretary Shultz for nearly a decade and a half, also touches on his mentor’s intellectual curiosity and how Shultz might parse these troubled times. 

Recorded on March 13, 2026.

All Roads Leads To . . .? Barry Strauss on Ancient Rome, Modern Warfare

We know what fate befell Julius Caesar on March 15, 44 B.C., but how does ancient Rome’s treatment of its adversaries and allies and compare to the current American “excursion” in Iran and overall US foreign policy? Barry Strauss, the Hoover Institution’s Corliss Page Dean Senior Fellow and a military historian specializing in the rise and fall of Rome, separates fact from fiction regarding Caesar’s the events leading up to his assassination, as well as Rome’s belief in “preventive” wars, strategic alliances and great-powers competition. Also discussed: Hollywood’s fascination with all things Rome; similarities between Caesar and Donald Trump (communicative skills, strategic risk-taking, neither suffering from a lack of self-esteem); how the history of the republic differs (or doesn’t) if Caesar hadn’t met up with a horde of knife-wielding senators on that fateful day in mid-March. 

Recorded on March 10, 2026.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Barry Strauss is the Corliss Page Dean Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. He is also the Bryce and Edith M. Bowmar Professor of Humanistic Studies Emeritus at Cornell University, where he taught for over four decades. Strauss is a military and naval historian with a focus on ancient Greece and Rome and their lessons for today. “No one presents the military history of the ancient world with greater insight and panache than Strauss,” wrote Publishers Weekly. His books have been translated into twenty languages and include several bestsellers, The Battle of Salamis (2004), Masters of Command (2012), The Death of Caesar 2015), Ten Caesars (2019), The War that Made the Roman Empire (2022), and Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World’s Mightiest Empire (2025). Strauss is a winner of the 2025 Bradley Prize, honoring his lifelong dedication to the study and teaching of Western civilization and classical and military history.

• Follow Barry Strauss on social media: LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram

Bill Whalen, the Virginia Hobbs Carpenter Distinguished Policy Fellow in Journalism and a Hoover Institution research fellow since 1999, writes and comments on campaigns, elections, and governance with an emphasis on California and America’s political landscapes.

Whalen writes on politics and current events for various national publications, as well as Hoover’s California On Your Mind web channel.
Whalen hosts Hoover’s Matters of Policy & Politics podcast and serves as the moderator of Hoover’s GoodFellows broadcast exploring history, economics, and geopolitical dynamics.

RELATED SOURCES

• Masters of Command (2012)
• The Death of Caesar (2015)
• Ten Caesars (2019)
• The War that Made the Roman Empire (2022)
• Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World’s Mightiest Empire (2025)

ABOUT THE SERIES

Matters of Policy & Politics, a podcast from the Hoover Institution, examines the direction of federal, state, and local leadership and elections, with an occasional examination of national security and geopolitical concerns, all featuring insightful analysis provided by Hoover Institution scholars and guests.

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