Truth Politics & Power: Big Government Edition

Truth Politics & Power is a weekly series where host Neal Conan engages with historians, journalists, scholars, poets and even comedians to explore the context and meaning of the Trump era.

The battle over health care encapsulates the philosophical chasm between the two major parties: Democrats want to expand coverage even at the price of new taxes and Republicans want to reduce the size and power of government, even if millions lose coverage. In this episode, trace the evolution of the argument on the appropriate size and role of government from the New Deal through Civil Rights, the Reagan revolution and the partisan warfare of the 21st century.

Airs Saturday, July 8 at 10pm on AM820

Guests

Julie Rovner is one of the leading reporters on health care policy. She’s the Chief Washington Correspondent for Kaiser Health News (KHN), where she is the Robin Toner Distinguished Fellow. Prior to joining KHN Julie was NPR’s health policy correspondent. She’s the author of Health Care Politics and Policy A-Z.

Brian Balogh is a Professor of History at the University of Virginia, where he is also the Director and Chair of The Miller Center National Fellowship Program. Among his areas of expertise are United State politics in the 20th century and American political development. Professor Balogh is also the co-host of Backstory, a podcast that provides historical context to help listeners understand today’s current events. He is the author and editor of several books, including most recently, Recapturing the Oval Office: New Historical Approaches to the American Presidency.

Clayborne Carson is a Professor of History at Stanford University, where he is also the Martin Luther King, Jr., Centennial Professor of History and the Ronnie Lott Founding Director of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute at Stanford University. In 1985 Professor Carson was selected by the widow of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to edit the late civil rights leader’s unpublished writings, as well as his speeches, sermons, and correspondence. Thus far, Carson has produced seven volumes of King’s work. Among the books he has authored is Martin's Dream: My Journey and the Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.