Harry and Philip sit down with Bryce to discuss today's article from him, "The Power of the Dollar," how CBDCs are promising, who's displacing the dollar, and why China may be facing an uphill battle in popularizing the Yuan. -Important References- https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (Listen to the article we're discussing.) https://www.spectacles.news/big-brothers-bank-account/ (Bryce's previous piece for Spectacles, on CBDCs) -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/the-power-of-the-dollar-insight/ (Leave a comment!) https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Subscribe to our newsletter!) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (Listen to Spectacles Out Loud!) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow our Twitter!) // https://www.tiktok.com/@spectacles.news (Follow our TikTok!)

Harry and Philip discuss today's Insight, "The Disease of Medical Lobbying." We talk the nature of policy fights with lobbyists, cost disease socialism, and more! -Important References- https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (Listen to the article we're discussing!) -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/the-disease-of-medical-lobbying-insight/ (Leave a comment!) https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Subscribe to our newsletter!) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (Listen to Spectacles Out Loud!) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow our Twitter!) // https://www.tiktok.com/@spectacles.news (Follow our TikTok!)

Today, we’re joined by Professor Thomas J. Main to discuss his recently released book, The Rise of Illiberalism. -Important References- https://www.brookings.edu/book/the-rise-of-illiberalism/#:~:text=Chapter%20One-,PURCHASE%20BOOK,-Purchase%20Print%20Book (The book, The Rise of Illiberalism) https://twitter.com/ThomasJMain?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor (Professor Main's Twitter) -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/author-thomas-j-main-focus-interviews/ (Leave a comment on this interview!) https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Subscribe to our newsletter!) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (Listen to Spectacles Out Loud!) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow our Twitter!) // https://www.tiktok.com/@spectacles.news (Follow our TikTok!)

Last year, we thought California had killed single-family zoning. But this Bay Area enclave would rather have mountain lions than new homes. https://www.spectacles.news/cougars-or-duplexes-which-are-scarier-insight/ (Read, listen to, or comment on this article here!) Correction: Woodside has dropped this claim to a wildlife habitat to prevent SB9, though I would still predict other communities making other legal attempts to exempt themselves, and legal battles will probably follow. -Important References- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-housing-crises-and-interest-group-deception/ (Harry's previous Insight on SB9 and 10) -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Subscribe to our newsletter!) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (Listen to Spectacles Out Loud!) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow our Twitter!) // https://www.tiktok.com/@spectacles.news (Follow our TikTok!)

Today, we're joined by a very special guest who's with us to discuss healthcare policy, democracy reform, the filibuster, campaign finance, and her dream policy for her home state of Wisconsin. Tune in for our conversation. -Important References- https://battinoforsenate.us/ (Campaign Website) https://www.facebook.com/BattinoForSenate (Facebook) http://twitter.com/battino4senate (Twitter) https://www.instagram.com/battino4senate/ (Instagram) -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Subscribe to our newsletter!) https://www.spectacles.news/candidate-for-us-senate-dr-gillian-battino-focus-interviews/ (Comment on this interview!) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow our Twitter!) // https://www.tiktok.com/@spectacles.news (Follow our TikTok!)

Harry and Philip wrap up their series on international institutions and the future of peace by discussing the decline of American hegemony and what it means for international order. Can international institutions pick up the slack? What does the future hold?-- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!)https://www.spectacles.news/the-future-of-peace-iii-whats-next-birds-eye/ (To comment on this episode, click here!)https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to written articles from Spectacles read aloud, click here!)https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)-- Further Reading"Why did Trump end the WTO's Appellate Body? Tariffs.," by Chad P. Brown, for Peterson Institute for International Economics. "What Are the Trends in Armed Conflicts, and What Do They Mean for U.S. Defense Policy?" by Thomas S. Szayna et. al., for RAND. "The Unipolar Moment," by Charles Krauthammer in Foreign Affairs. https://www.spectacles.news/domestic-instability-is-ruining-foreign-policy-insight/ (Harry's Insight explaining the impact of domestic politics on US foreign policy) https://www.spectacles.news/why-autocracy-persists-focus/ (Philip's Focus on China's admission to the WTO)

Join Harry and Philip as they break down three major theories of international relations. From dark and scary to bright and beautiful, they'll discuss which seems to have the best grip on things.-- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!)https://www.spectacles.news/the-future-of-peace-ii-ir-theories-birds-eye/ (To comment on this episode, click here! Let us know your thoughts about these theories!)https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to written articles from Spectacles read aloud, click here!)https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)-- Further Reading"https://www.jstor.org/stable/2706858 (Anarchy Is What States Make of It: The Social Construction of Power Politics)," by Alexander Wendt, in International Organization. "https://www.jstor.org/stable/2539078 (The False Promise of International Institutions)," by John Mearsheimer, in Interntational Security. "https://academic.oup.com/isq/article-abstract/32/4/379/1805478?redirectedFrom=PDF (International Institutions: Two Approaches)," by Robert Keohane, in International Studies Quarterly. https://www.spectacles.news/why-autocracy-persists-focus/ (The Focus article Philip definitely wrote the day before Mearsheimer said the same thing)

Join Harry and Philip as they begin a discussion of international institutions and how they contribute (or fail to contribute) to global peace. What are institutions? How do they emerge at the international level? What do international institutions promise? -- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!)https://www.spectacles.news/the-future-of-peace-part-1-birds-eye/ (To comment on this episode, click here!)https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to written articles from Spectacles read aloud, click here!)https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)-- Further Reading"https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/jep.5.1.97 (Institutions)," by Douglass North in Journal of Economic Perspectives. "https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0010414099032002001 (Judicialization and the Construction of Governance)," by Alec Stone-Sweet in Comparative Political Studies.

Join Harry and Philip as they wade into a current debate about the global competition between autocracy and democracy. Is this really happening? Is it a decisive feature of democratic decline? Or are our problems mostly domestically rooted? We will be looking at three articles on the subject from Anne Applebaum in Atlantic Magazine, Max Fisher in The New York Times, and Damon Linker in The Week, all linked below. -- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!)https://www.spectacles.news/bad-guys-winning-or-good-guys-losing-birds-eye/ (To comment on this episode, click here!)https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to written articles from Spectacles read aloud, click here!)https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)-- Further Reading"https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/12/the-autocrats-are-winning/620526/ (The Bad Guys Are Winning)," by Anne Applebaum in Atlantic Magazine. "https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/16/world/americas/democracy-decline-worldwide.html (U.S. Allies Drive Much of World’s Democratic Decline, Data Shows)," by Max Fisher in The New York Times. "https://theweek.com/foreign-affairs/1007188/the-outdated-thinking-confusing-our-talk-about-autocracy (The outdated thinking confusing our talk about autocracy)," by Damon Linker in The Week. https://www.spectacles.news/focus-the-dangers-of-an-existential-struggle (Harry's Focus on the supposed democracy/autocracy struggle) https://www.spectacles.news/tag/tunisia/ (Harry's Insights on Tunisia) https://www.spectacles.news/a-losing-battle-with-no-winners-insight (Harry's Insight breaking down the war in Yemen) https://www.spectacles.news/deja-coup-insight (Philip's Insight explaining the coup in Sudan) https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-the-bandit-in-portugal (Bird's Eye episode on Salazar) https://www.spectacles.news/why-autocracy-persists-focus (Philip's Focus on China and the globalization of autocracy)

Harry and Philip discuss today's Insight, "Beyond Gerrymandering" to dive deeper into an explanation of what's wrong with America's single-member district system. On the other hand, it turns out there are some benefits. -Important References- https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-making-american-elections-healthier (Our chat with Benjamin Singer of Show Me Integrity, about approval voting) https://www.spectacles.news/backsliding-in-budapest-birds-eye (The recent Bird's Eye about Hungary's democratic backsliding) -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!) https://www.spectacles.news/beyond-gerrymandering-insight/ (To read, comment on, or listen to the article we're discussing, click here.) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)