Ben & Bob talk about the history of the US Senate and why the august body is now under attack from both the Freedom Caucus and the Democratic Socialists of America.   For readings discussed in this episode, check out Michael Trotti's "The Troubling Roots of Off-Year Gubernatorial Elections" from Made By History (Oct. 29, 2025) and Article 5 of the US Constitution, which states: "The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate."   This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.

In an era of cynicism towards politics, Lindsey Cormak wants you to focus on what government has gotten right and to raise your kids to be active citizens. And as the host of the new podcast Government That Doesn't Suck (alongside History That Doesn't Suck's Greg Jackson), and the author How to Raise a Citizen (And Why It's Up to You To Do It), she has evidence and a framework for how to get there. In this conversation we cover all this, as well as Lindsey's research on Veterans and her work to document political rhetoric via congressional emails at DCInbox.com.   Dr. Lindsey Cormack is Associate Professor of Political Science at Stevens Institute of Technology. Click here to follow her on substack.   This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.  

Kathryn Olivarius joins Bob & Ben to explain the powerful role that Yellow Fever played in shaping all aspects of life in New Orleans during the 19th Century. Kathryn is Associate Professor of History at Stanford University and the author of Necropolis: Disease, Power & Capitalism in the Cotton Kingdom, (Harvard University Press, 2022). She was also a 2024 recipient of the Dan David Prize.   This is a rebroadcast of #329, which originally aired on March 10, 2025. This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.  

Between 1933 and 1942, the Civilian Conservation Corps enlisted more than three million young men in a project that planted two billion trees, slowed soil erosion on forty million acres of farmland, and enjoyed support across political and geographic divides. In this episode we talk with Neil Maher, author of Nature's New Deal: The Civilian Conservation Corps and the Roots of the American Environmental Movement (Oxford University Press, 2008) about how the CCC helped solidify FDR's New Deal and spread the seeds of environmental activism for generations to come. Dr. Neil Maher is a Professor of History and Master Teacher in the Federated History Department at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rutgers University-Newark. He is also the author of Apollo in the Age of Aquarius (Harvard University Press, 2017). You can find out more about his work at NeilMaher.com.   This is a rebroadcast of episode #274 which aired as The Original Green New Deal: The Civilian Conservation Corps with Neil Mahr on May 29, 2023. This rebroadcast was edited by Ben Sawyer.

Journalist Michael Tackett joins Ben & Bob to discuss his book The Price of Power: How Mitch McConnell Mastered the Senate, Changed America and Lost his Party (Simon & Schuster, 2024). Tackett, who wrote the biography with McConnell's consent, was granted unprecedented access to McConnell's vast personal archives, his staff, and even the Senator himself, who sat for about 50 hours of interviews. If you've ever wondered how Mitch McConnell rose to power, how he's stayed there despite challenges from both parties, or what makes the man tick, this conversation has the answers. Michael Tackett covers national politics for The New York Times. His work has earned him multiple awards, including the Pulitzer Prize and the Edgar A. Poe Award for National Reporting. This is a rebroadcast of RTN episode 322, which originally aired on December 9, 2024. This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.

Coca-Cola is one of the most well-known products on planet earth, but did you ever wonder how a brown fizzy drink fueled the rise of a corporate juggernaut? The answer, says Ohio State historian Bartow Elmore, has everything to do with its business structure. In this episode, Bart offers his take on how Coke went from Atlanta soda parlors in the late 19th century to markets across the globe in less than a century, all along reaping tremendous benefits from public infrastructure while passing the bulk of its environmental costs on to others.  Bart also talks about the difficulties of doing research on powerful corporations, why he thinks we should care about environmental history, and the meaning of what he calls "Coca-Cola Capitalism."   Dr. Bartow Elmore is Professor of History at The Ohio State University and author of Citizen Coke: The Making of Coca-Cola Capitalism (W.W. Norton, 2015). You can find out more about his work, including his book on the history of Monsanto at his website, BartElmore.com.   This episode was originally aired as episode 140 on August 26, 2019. This rebroadcast was edited by Ben Sawyer.

On July 2nd, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted a resolution stating that "that these united colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states." Two days later, on July 4, they adopted the Declaration of Independence, read here for you by (in order of appearance): Bob Crawford, The Road to Now Lindsay Graham, History Daily Greg Jackson, History That Doesn't Suck Lindsey Cormack, Government That Doesn't Suck Ben Sawyer, The Road to Now Colleen Shogan, In Pursuit With final commentary by Lindsay Graham.

This week, as we approach the 250th anniversary of American independence, we shine a light on one of the founding generation's greats: Benjamin Franklin   It's difficult to fathom how Franklin accomplished so much in a single lifetime. It's equally difficult to imagine how to take such an incredible life and consolidate it into four hours of documentary film. In this episode, we cover both feats with writer Dayton Duncan and producer David Schmidt, two of the great minds behind Ken Burns' documentary on Benjamin Franklin. Dayton and David discuss Franklin's life, the work that goes into creating a historical documentary film, and their process for deciding the best way to tell an American icon's story in a pair of two-hour episodes.   Benjamin Franklin: A Film by Ken Burns is available via PBS.org on your local PBS station and we highly recommend it!   If you enjoy this episode, check out Ben and Bob's conversation with Ken Burns in episode #191.   This episode originally aired as #229 on April 4, 2022. This rebroadcast was edited by Ben Sawyer.

The American Revolution touched the lives of everyone living in the American colonies, and though the focus is often on the battlefields and political debates, those who were excluded from those places nevertheless played a crucial role in gaining independence. In this episode, Denise Kiernan joins us to discuss her new book, Obstinate Daughters: The Rebels, Writers and Renegade Women Who Ignited the Revolution and how looking at the revolution through women's lives gives us a more perfect understanding of the events that founded the United States of America.   Denise Kiernan is the author of multiple New York Times Bestsellers including The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II (Atria, 2014). She is also a journalist, producer and former head writer of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.   Obstinate Daughters is available June 23, 2026 from Dutton. You can find out more about the book and order your copy at DeniseKiernan.com   This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.

If you feel like America is facing hard times right now, you've got a lot in common with your forebearers. Greg Jackson of History That Doesn't Suck joins Ben for a live conversation to discuss his new book Been There, Done That: How Our History Shows What We Can Overcome, and why he thinks highlighting some of America's hardest moments can strengthen us as we work to preserve the American Republic on the eve of its 250th anniversary. If you enjoy this conversation, come join us in Nashville on June 24th as Ben hosts a live event with Greg to celebrate the launch of the book. The event, sponsored by Ben's local bookstore, The Bookshop, is at 7pm at the Noelle. Click here for tickets. You can get your copy of Been There Done That here. This episode was recorded live on international waters during A Cruise That Doesn't Suck. A special thanks to Greg, Dossie McCraw and Riley Neubauer for inviting Ben to be part of the cruise and for all their hard work to organize and record this episode. This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.