Matters of Policy & Politics

Saints, Sinners, and Salvageables: The State of the Election, the Saliency of Election Denial

As polls show the economy and crime toping the charts of voter concerns (with abortion as a wild card), what about the hangover from the 2020 election and the January 6 assault on democracy? Hoover Institution visiting fellow Ben Ginsberg, a veteran campaign attorney and preeminent authority on election law, interviews Washington Post national reporter Amy Gardner and political strategist Matt Rhoades on the current campaign landscape, plus how the Left and the Right are ginning up their respective bases in America’s battleground states. 

Matters Of Policy & Politics: No Bullet Train, No Test Scores, No Debates . . . But Plenty of Jane Fonda | Hoover Institution

California’s high-speed rail project grows ever more quizzical, the Golden State’s housing market slumps, and Sacramento’s Educrats seem in no rush to release K-12 test scores. 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 lack of candidates’ debates this fall and the emergence of actress/activist Jane Fonda as a voice for more taxes on California’s wealthy.

Saints, Sinners and Salvageables: Tackling the Crisis of Confidence in Elections | Ben Ginsberg | Hoover Institution

How to remove distrust and negative partisanship – the politics of maximum fear and maximum blame – from America’s voting population? Hoover Institution visiting fellow Ben Ginsberg, a veteran campaign attorney and preeminent authority on election law, interviews Citizen Data CEO Mindy Finn on what her findings suggest in how to re-instill confidence in an electorate consisting of (in her words) democracy “defenders,” “inhibitors,” and “shifters.”

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya: Is COVID Done . . . Or Is the Public Done with COVID? | Hoover Institution

President Biden’s assertion that the pandemic has ended notwithstanding, a new COVID wave seems likely during the holiday season. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Hoover senior fellow and Stanford University professor of medicine and epidemiological researcher, assesses the public’s appetite for a new round of restrictions as well as the ramifications of a new California law cracking down on medical “misinformation.” Dr. Bhattacharya also talks about the First Amendment implications of a lawsuit in federal court involving public-health dissenters, the Biden Administration officials, and media platforms.

Saints, Sinners, and Salvageables: Election Safeguards—Stopping the Starting of Steals

What to do about the public’s eroding faith in elections and a lack of confidence in ballot tallies? Hoover Institution visiting fellow Ben Ginsberg, a preeminent authority on election law, interviews Neal Kelley, former registrar of voters for California’s Orange County, on safeguards in place at the county level to deter election fraud and suggested improvements in the casting and counting of votes

Saints, Sinners, and Salvageables: “The Big Truth” vs. “The “Big Lie”

With polls showing alarming pluralities of voters not believing in the legitimacy of the last national election, how can we set the record straight on what transpired in 2020? Hoover Institution visiting fellow Ben Ginsberg, a preeminent authority on election law, interviews Center for Election Innovation & Research executive David Becker and CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett, coauthors of the newly released book The Big Truth: Upholding Democracy in the Age of “The Big Lie,” on fact versus fiction in America’s democratic process.

“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.