Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com

Why do everyday Americans feel more divided than ever—despite living side by side?

Anthropologist Anand Pandian joins Faithful Politics to explore the literal and metaphorical walls shaping American life. Drawing from his new book, Something Between Us: The Everyday Walls of American Life and How to Take Them Down, Pandian reflects on how gated communities, armored SUVs, and isolated media bubbles reinforce our moral divisions and political tribalism. From border walls to suburban surveillance, the conversation investigates how social infrastructure amplifies fear, reduces neighborly contact, and fosters moral distance.

Pandian doesn’t just critique—he models empathy across difference, even recounting his own experience at a Trump rally. Together with hosts Will and Josh, the episode challenges listeners to reconsider what “safety” really means and how we might rediscover shared belonging.
Whether you're wrestling with polarization, cultural identity, or moral responsibility, this episode offers a hopeful reframe grounded in anthropology, faith, and civic curiosity.

👉 Subscribe, share, and join the conversation.

Guest Bio
Anand Pandian is a professor of anthropology at Johns Hopkins University and the author of Something Between Us: The Everyday Walls of American Life and How to Take Them Down. His work blends ethnography, cultural theory, and storytelling to explore how we live with difference, both globally and within the U.S. He has conducted fieldwork across multiple continents and brings a deeply personal lens to the study of American social divisions.

Something Between Us by Anand Pandian: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9781503637870
Anand Pandian's Website: https://anand.studio

Support the show

🎧 Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, get in touch with the hosts, or suggest a future guest?
👉 Visit our website: faithfulpoliticspodcast.com

📚 Check out our Bookstore – Featuring titles from our amazing guests:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore

❤️ Support the show – Help us keep the conversation going:
donorbox.org/faithful-politics-podcast

📩 Reach out to us:

• Faithful Host, Josh Burtram: Josh@faithfulpolitics.com
• Political Host, Will Wright: Will@faithfulpolitics.com

📱 Follow & connect with us:

• Twitter/X: @FaithfulPolitik
• Instagram: faithful_politics
• Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast
• LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics

📰 Subscribe to our Substack for behind-the-scenes content:
faithfulpolitics.substack.com

📅 RSVP for upcoming live events:
Chec...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com

Why does so much political dysfunction begin before Election Day? In this episode of Faithful Politics, Will Wright speaks with Nick Troiano, Executive Director of Unite America and author of The Primary Solution. They unpack how gerrymandering and redistricting battles in states like Texas and California are only part of the problem. The real issue? Closed primaries that shut out millions of voters and reward partisan extremes.

Troiano explains how open primaries, ranked choice voting, and reforms already working in states like Alaska, Colorado, and New Mexico could restore competition, accountability, and majority rule to American elections. This conversation blends history, constitutional context, and on-the-ground reform efforts to show how we can strengthen democracy from the ground up.

If you’ve ever wondered why your vote feels like it doesn’t matter—or what can be done about it—this episode is your roadmap to meaningful reform.

Guest Bio
Nick Troiano is the Executive Director of Unite America, a nonpartisan organization advancing political reform to foster a more representative and functional government. A nationally recognized leader on electoral reform, Troiano has been at the forefront of efforts to end gerrymandering and promote open primaries across the country. His book, The Primary Solution (2024), makes the case for abolishing closed party primaries and empowering voters with real choice. He has been featured in national outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and C-SPAN, and is widely regarded as one of the leading voices on fixing the structural roots of polarization in American politics.

Relevant Links
Nick Troiano’s book: The Primary Solution https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-primary-solution-nick-troiano/
Unite America: www.uniteamerica.org

Support the show

🎧 Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, get in touch with the hosts, or suggest a future guest?
👉 Visit our website: faithfulpoliticspodcast.com

📚 Check out our Bookstore – Featuring titles from our amazing guests:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore

❤️ Support the show – Help us keep the conversation going:
donorbox.org/faithful-politics-podcast

📩 Reach out to us:

• Faithful Host, Josh Burtram: Josh@faithfulpolitics.com
• Political Host, Will Wright: Will@faithfulpolitics.com

📱 Follow & connect with us:

• Twitter/X: @FaithfulPolitik
• Instagram: faithful_politics
• Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast
• LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics

📰 Subscribe to our Substack for behind-the-scenes content:
faithfulpolitics.substack.com

📅 RSVP for upcoming live events:
Chec...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com

What happens when your zip code determines your child’s future?

In this episode, Will and Josh talk with Jason Bedrick, a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Education Policy, to unpack the complex—and often contentious—landscape of school choice. Bedrick shares his 20+ year journey in education reform, tracing his advocacy for parental rights and religious liberty back to a post-9/11 awakening and Milton Friedman’s theories.

The conversation explores vouchers, education savings accounts (ESAs), the history and distortion of school choice post-Brown v. Board, and how pandemic-era frustrations accelerated parental engagement. Bedrick also addresses the tension between religious freedom and government schooling, pushing back on claims that school choice fuels segregation or undermines civic unity.

If you’re wondering how school choice intersects with parental rights, government responsibility, First Amendment protections, or the values debate in public schools, this episode is a must-listen.
Subscribe, share, and join the conversation as we examine what true educational freedom looks like—and who gets to decide.

👤 Guest Bio
Jason Bedrick is a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Education Policy, where he focuses on education freedom, religious liberty, and classical education. A former New Hampshire state legislator, Bedrick has spent over two decades working in the school choice movement and is one of the nation's most prominent voices advocating for education savings accounts and parental rights.

Support the show

🎧 Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, get in touch with the hosts, or suggest a future guest?
👉 Visit our website: faithfulpoliticspodcast.com

📚 Check out our Bookstore – Featuring titles from our amazing guests:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore

❤️ Support the show – Help us keep the conversation going:
donorbox.org/faithful-politics-podcast

📩 Reach out to us:

• Faithful Host, Josh Burtram: Josh@faithfulpolitics.com
• Political Host, Will Wright: Will@faithfulpolitics.com

📱 Follow & connect with us:

• Twitter/X: @FaithfulPolitik
• Instagram: faithful_politics
• Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast
• LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics

📰 Subscribe to our Substack for behind-the-scenes content:
faithfulpolitics.substack.com

📅 RSVP for upcoming live events:
Chec...