Matters of Policy & Politics cover art

Matters of Policy & Politics

Matters of Policy & Politics

By: Hoover Institution
Listen for free

About this listen

Matters of Policy & Politics is a Hoover Institution podcast devoted to matters of governance and balance of power at home and abroad. It is hosted by Hoover fellow Bill Whalen.© The Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University Political Science Politics & Government World
Episodes
  • California Update: The 50-50 Proposition
    Oct 2 2025

    As California enters the final phase leading up to its Nov. 4 special election and a vote on Proposition 50, plenty of unknowns surround the fate of the controversial ballot measure that would redraw California’s congressional districts to offset a Republican-led gerrymander in Texas.

    Hoover senior fellow Lee Ohanian and distinguished policy fellow Bill Whalen, both contributors to Hoover’s California on Your Mind web channel, discuss the tactics and messaging behind Prop 50 (does a pair of governors playing starring roles mean too much Gavin Newsom, too little Arnold Schwarzenegger?), why the upscale town of Calabasas ended up as a toxic waste site for Los Angeles fire debris, the failure of a prominent former legislator to gain traction in next year’s governor’s race despite her compelling life story, plus the travails of UCLA’s football program – what the Bruins’ struggles on and off the field say about the state of college football in the Golden State.

    Recorded on September 30, 2025.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 4 mins
  • History in the Making: Victor Davis Hanson on Strategika’s Century Mark, Examining Wars Present and Past
    Sep 9 2025

    For the past dozen years, Hoover’s online publication Strategika has examined contemporary conflicts and national security challenges by assembling academics of varied thought to re-examine past struggles. On the occasion of its 100th issue, historian Victor Davis Hanson, Hoover’s Martin and Ilie Anderson senior fellow and the man tasked with bringing the publication to life, discusses the institution’s growing commitment to the study of history (Hoover’s having a compliment of historians rivaling that of world-class universities) and how a Strategika-like approach explains complicated conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. Also discussed: how Victor’s passion for military history stems from his male ancestors’ involvement in two world wars, his thoughts on how best to introduce young learners to classical opuses, plus the problem of university history departments discouraging intellectual diversity.

    • Celebrate Strategika’s 100th issue titled, The Current Status of Military History, by exploring the full collection of essays here.
    • For more episodes of Matters of Policy & Politics, subscribe here.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr
  • California Update: Pippa Can’t Win . . . Gavin Can’t Lose?
    Aug 23 2025

    The big political news in California: its state legislature agreeing to a Nov. 4 special election to decide whether to temporarily return congressional redistricting to lawmakers – by doing so, California is adding more Democratic House seats and offsetting Republican gains in Texas via that state’s mid-decade redistricting efforts.

    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 product manager Jonathan Movroydis to discuss election wildcards (Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mixed record as the face of initiative campaigns; former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as a voice against), what the ballot ploy means for Newsom’s presidential prospects (is he a winner 2028-wise regardless of the outcome?), plus its impact on next year’s gubernatorial race (if voters reject the plan, will Democratic hopefuls ease off democracy-in-danger rhetoric in favor of more tangible concerns like housing and public safety?).

    Recorded on August 21, 2025.

    Show More Show Less
    56 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.