Matters of Policy & Politics

“Game Show Gavin”

Big-money initiative wars over wealth taxes and online gaming dominate California’s airwaves; the Golden State’s plan for electric vehicles travels down an uncertain road; and a downturn in state revenue could mean trouble ahead. Hoover senior fellow Lee Ohanian and distinguished policy fellow Bill Whalen, both contributors to Hoover’s California on Your Mind web channel, join Hoover senior writer Jonathan Movroydis to discuss the latest in the Golden State, including a spend-happy governor Gavin Newsom suddenly embracing fiscal conservatism through his veto messages.

Saints, Sinners, and Salvageables: Rainbows, Unicorns, and Common-Sense Election Administration

How do elections officials prepare for midterm and presidential votes, and what improvements can be made to states’ voting systems? Hoover Institution visiting fellow Ben Ginsberg, a preeminent authority on election law, interviews Milwaukee Election Commission executive director Claire Woodall-Vogg and Colorado County Clerks Association executive director Matt Crane on the highs (quick and accurate vote counts) and lows (personal threats, election deniers) that come from administering elections in America’s battleground states.

Saints, Sinners, and Salvageables: O Ye of Little Faith (in Elections)

In battleground states across the nation, disinformation and partisan accusations have fed a growing lack of public confidence in America’s democratic process. Hoover Institution visiting fellow Ben Ginsberg, a preeminent authority on election law, interviews NYU Law professor Bob Bauer and Maricopa County supervisor Bill Gates on the root causes for the electorate’s trust going off the rails and suggested reforms to reassure those doubters that future elections are conducted honestly, with their votes counted accurately.

Taiwan’s Outlook: Independence, Unification or Status Quo?

The “Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis” raises unsettling questions as to the future of that island nation, including Beijing’s ambitions and America’s resolve to respond militarily should an invasion occur. Kharis Templeman, a Hoover veteran fellow and a program manager for Hoover’s Project on Taiwan, was part of a Hoover/Stanford delegation that visited the island in late August. Templeman offers a perspective based on his observations from both sides of the Pacific Rim.

Ruling Newark With An “Iron” . . . Boxing Glove

How to reinvest in and reinvigorate Newark, New Jersey, a city stricken by chronic poverty, unemployment and lack of investment capital? Hoover veteran fellow “Iron Mike” Steadman, a former Marine infantry officer, three-time college boxing champ, and CEO of the nonprofit IRONBOUND Boxing & Education, discusses his plans to get kids into the “squared circle” and young adults on an entrepreneurial path.

Saints, Sinners, and Salvageables: And If an Election Denier Gets Elected . . . ?

An irony in states across America: candidates seeking to become chief election officers who campaign and rail against the integrity of the democratic process. Hoover Institution visiting fellow Ben Ginsberg, a preeminent authority on election law, interviews former Kentucky secretary of state Trey Grayson and Politico reporter Zach Montellaro on the policy consequences should election deniers gain office, on current deficiencies within America’s voting systems, plus what state election officers can do ease the concerns of skeptics of our current democratic process.

“Cut From A Cloth That Has Long Been Discontinued”

Over the next few days, London will be filled to the brim with mourners paying their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II; billions around the world will watch her state funeral. Historian and Hoover visiting fellow Andrew Roberts discusses the end of an era in Great Britain, how Charles III should proceed in her absence, and how historians might choose to examine the queen if given access to her diaries and personal papers.   

“Our Greatest Strategic Regret In Afghanistan Is Yet To Come”

On the eve of the 9/11 anniversary, another event that went largely unnoticed outside the military community: Aug. 30 and the one-year anniversary of the chaotic U.S. evacuation from Kabul. Joseph Felter, a Hoover Institution research fellow and former Army Special Forces officer once deployed to Afghanistan, discusses lessons learned from that day, current intelligence capabilities in Afghanistan, the future of U.S. relations with Pakistan and India, plus how the war on terror is presented to a new generation of officers at West Point.

Saints, Sinners, and Salvageables: Denial Is a River In . . . American Elections

Why is the right to vote important to a democracy? What legal protections should there be? How do we counter electoral refuseniks who won’t accept outcomes? Hoover Institution visiting fellow Ben Ginsberg, a preeminent authority on election law, interviews Stanford University political scientist Bruce Cain and Stanford Law School professor Nathaniel Persily on the struggle to restore the public’s confidence in the accuracy of elections.

The FBI vs. Trump: “Raising The Volume to Level Ten – Or Eleven”

As an FBI affidavit reveals details of what classified documents the FBI found in Donald Trump’s Palm Beach residence, the question is: will the Justice Department take the unprecedented step of prosecuting a former president? John Yoo, a Hoover Institution visiting fellow and UC-Berkeley law professor, weighs the legal options before Attorney General Merrick Garland, as well as how to restore the FBI’s tarnished image, plus the constitutionality of forgiving student-loan debt.