logo

9 July 2026

logo
Oct 28, 2013 — Glenn Loury & Harold Pollack
video screenshot
The Glenn Show

On The Glenn Show, Harold laments the “humiliating” failures of Healthcare.gov, but points to ways the Affordable Care Act has already succeeded. Could the website glitches lead to an adverse selection disaster? Apportioning blame for the problems, Harold looks at both GOP intransigence and the government’s technical ineptitude. Will this fiasco do permanent damage to Americans’ confidence in government? Glenn and Harold discuss the decision by many Republican governors to refuse Medicaid expansion. Harold shares his personal frustrations with the website’s failures. Plus: Would a certain former Republican presidential candidate have been the ideal person to manage the website rollout?

Oct 27, 2013 — Robert Wright & Sharon Salzberg
video screenshot
Nonzero (The Wright Show)
Oct 26, 2013 — Glenn Loury & Steven Teles
video screenshot
The Glenn Show
On The Glenn Show, Steve and Glenn revisit an earlier conversation about what’s wrong with economics—namely, that it’s too insular and overly focused on technique. But, to be fair, some contemporary research in development and behavioral economics defies this description. Steve gets meta and proposes a behavioral theory to account for these exceptions, and Glenn bemoans the field’s “intellectual infantilization.” Glenn holds up the career of Paul Samuelson as an example of how an academic discipline can be revolutionized. They close by worrying about the narrow ideological range of the president’s economic advisers.
Oct 25, 2013 — William Beutler & Steven Teles
video screenshot
Oct 24, 2013 — Bill Scher & Matt K. Lewis
video screenshot
The DMZ
On The DMZ, Matt says that the Obamacare website failures give the GOP a chance to make a larger argument about big government. Bill and Matt take different sides in the debate between Joan Walsh and Ezra Klein over how liberal pundits should react to healthcare.gov’s glitches. Matt wants conservatives to realize that a Reagan-like savior will be not coming to rescue the movement. Will Republicans leave Reagan nostalgia behind in 2016? They ponder whether immigration reform is coming back from the dead. Plus: The meaning of Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s embrace of Medicaid expansion.
Oct 23, 2013 — Robert Wright & Joshua Greene
video screenshot
Nonzero (The Wright Show)
Oct 22, 2013 — Kevin Glass & Betsy Woodruff
video screenshot
Rational Actors
On Rational Actors, Kevin and Betsy discuss the political fallout from the technical failures of healthcare.gov, and consider rhetorical and political parallels between Obamacare and the Iraq war. If the website woes continue, will Obama delay the individual mandate? Kevin notes that the conservative base supports the intransigence of politicians like Sen. Ted Cruz. Could the shutdown cost the GOP the House in 2014? Finally, Betsy disputes the dominant media narrative that evangelicals are enthusiastic about immigration reform.
Oct 19, 2013 — Robert Wright & Hooman Majd
video screenshot
Worldwise
Oct 18, 2013 — Robert Farley & Stephen M. Saideman
video screenshot
Foreign Entanglements
On an unfortunately truncated Foreign Entanglements, Rob and Stephen reflect on the legacy of Tom Clancy, who died recently at 66, and explore how his books have affected contemporary views of the military. Have advancements in defense strategy made it harder to be a hero?
Oct 17, 2013 — Bill Scher & Matt K. Lewis
video screenshot
The DMZ
On The DMZ: The federal government is back in action! Matt grudgingly respects how Boehner played a tough hand to end the shutdown. Noting the Shelbyville-Springfield–style split among Republicans, Bill wonders if the Tea Party will launch more primary challenges against RINOs. Then they applaud Robert Costa for covering the shutdown negotiations, and list the three game-changing reporters of 2013. Matt worries that political dysfunction is driving some mentally ill people over the edge, and Bill disagrees with cynics on the left who think Obama got a raw deal.

Archives