Faithful Politics

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected]

As our political and social landscapes polarize along party lines, religious liberty faces threats from both sides. From antidiscrimination commissions targeting conservative Christians to travel bans punishing Muslims, recent litigation has revealed the selective approach both left and right take when it comes to freedom of religion. But what if religious liberty is part of the cure for our political division?
Drawing on constitutional law, history, and sociology, our guest this week, Thomas C. Berg, shows us how reaffirming religious freedom cultivates the good of individuals and society. After explaining the features of polarization and the societal benefits of diverse religious practices, Berg offers practical counsel on balancing religious freedom against other essential values.
Protecting Americans’ ability to live according to their beliefs undergirds a healthy, pluralistic society—and this protection must extend to everyone, not just political allies. Lay readers and legal scholars who are weary of partisan quarreling will find Berg’s case timely and compelling. Buy his book here: https://a.co/d/hCVk4X2
Guest Bio:
Thomas Berg teaches constitutional law, religious liberty, intellectual property courses, and the religious liberty appellate clinic. In the clinic he supervises students in writing filing briefs in major religious liberty cases, drawing on his experience drafting nearly 60 briefs on issues of religious liberty and free speech in the Supreme Court and lower courts.

Berg combines advocacy with scholarship as one of the nation's leading experts on religious liberty and law and religion. He is the author of six books, including a leading casebook, Religion and the Constitution (with Michael McConnell and Christopher Lund, Aspen Publishing), and The State and Religion in a Nutshell (West). He has written approximately 75 book chapters and journal articles and dozens of op-eds and shorter pieces on religious freedom, constitutional law, and the role of religion in law, politics and society. His work has been cited multiple times by the U.S. Supreme Court and federal courts of appeals.

Support the show

Please Help Support the showhttps://donorbox.org/faithful-politics-podcast
To learn more about the show, contact our hosts, or recommend future guests, click on the links below:

• Website: https://www.faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/
• Faithful Host: [email protected]
• Political Host: [email protected]
• Twitter: @FaithfulPolitik
• Instagram: faithful_politics
• Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast
• LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics
• Subscribe to our Substack: https://faithfulpolitics.substack.com/

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected]

This episode of features a conversation with Nick Troiano, the founding executive director of Unite America. Nick discusses the organization's mission to foster a more functional and representative government through nonpartisan election reform. He highlights the importance of changing the election process to break the cycle of polarization and dysfunction in politics, emphasizing that the current system rewards divisiveness and is not representative of the majority of Americans.

The discussion delves into the specifics of election reform, such as the adoption of nonpartisan primaries and ranked-choice voting, as exemplified by Alaska's election system. Nick argues that these reforms can lead to more broadly representative candidates and allow voters to hold elected officials accountable. The episode underscores the critical role of citizen engagement in initiating change and challenges the notion that the current state of politics is unchangeable.
To learn more about Unite America visit their website: https://www.uniteamerica.org/
Buy Nick's book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Primary-Solution/Nick-Troiano/9781668028254
Guest Bio:
Nick Troiano is a civic entrepreneur based in Denver, CO. He is the Executive Director of Unite America, a national organization that works to bridge the growing partisan divide by enacting political reforms and electing candidates who put people over party.

Nick is active in leading efforts and supporting organizations that are aimed at strengthening American democracy and tackling our country's most pressing challenges. Previously, Nick worked for Change.org on Change Politics – a non-partisan platform that empowers citizens to make informed decisions on Election Day. In 2016, he was named to the "Forbes 30 Under 30" for Law & Policy.

Nick ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014 from Pennsylvania’s 10th District and drew national attention as both the youngest candidate and the most successful independent of the cycle, garnering over 22,000 votes. In 2012, Nick co-founded The Can Kicks Back campaign to advocate for bipartisan policies to reduce the national debt and was instrumental in the introduction of the INFORM Act to increase transparency in the federal budget. Previously, he served as National Campus Director for Americans Elect where he organized and supported student groups at over 300 colleges nationwide.

Support the show

Please Help Support the showhttps://donorbox.org/faithful-politics-podcast
To learn more about the show, contact our hosts, or recommend future guests, click on the links below:

• Website: https://www.faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/
• Faithful Host: [email protected]
• Political Host: [email protected]
• Twitter: @FaithfulPolitik
• Instagram: faithful_politics
• Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast
• LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics
• Subscribe to our Substack: https://faithfulpolitics.substack.com/

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected]

**We're currently on a brief vacation and will return in early 2022, but wanted to replay some of our favorite episodes and interviews from this past year** Hope you enjoy!
In the final episode of our series exploring what Critical Race Theory (CRT) is, we speak with author, mathematician, and political commentator, Dr. James Lindsay. James has written six books spanning a range of subjects including religion, the philosophy of science and postmodern theory. He is the founder of New Discourses and currently promoting his new book "Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity―and Why This Harms Everybody."
Dr. Lindsay offers a viewpoint and opinion on Critical Race Theory that differs from the previous two guests in this series. While many believe that CRT is a legal framework by which to view the racial disparity among minorities, Dr. Lindsay argues that this is a dangerous, and racist, theory that undermines the progress and the vision of the Civil Rights Movement.
If you are interested in hearing a counter argument to CRT, Dr. Lindsay provides a well informed and well researched view that you are unlikely to hear anywhere else.
To learn more about New Discourses, please visit: https://newdiscourses.com
Here is an article from the Atlantic about the Sokal squared paper we referenced in the show: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/10/new-sokal-hoax/572212/
Guest Bio:
James Lindsay has a doctorate in math and background in physics. He is the author of five books and his essays have appeared in TIME, Scientific American, and The Philosophers’ Magazine. He led the "grievance studies affair" probe and his forthcoming book with Helen Pluckrose, Cynical Theories, looks at the evolution of postmodern thought in scholarship and activism.

Support the show

Please Help Support the showhttps://donorbox.org/faithful-politics-podcast
To learn more about the show, contact our hosts, or recommend future guests, click on the links below:

• Website: https://www.faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/
• Faithful Host: [email protected]
• Political Host: [email protected]
• Twitter: @FaithfulPolitik
• Instagram: faithful_politics
• Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast
• LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics
• Subscribe to our Substack: https://faithfulpolitics.substack.com/

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected]

It seems as if every week the FBI search is searching the home of a person who has used, or still using, the title President or Vice President. These stories seem to be so ubiquitous that they are no longer newsworthy, well that definitely didn't stop our hosts from learning something about the world of document classification from a person who knows a thing or two about it. Professor Bob Deitz previously served as senior councillor to the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, was the general counsel at the National Security Agency, held positions as acting general counsel at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and as acting deputy general counsel, intelligence, at the Department of Defense. In our levity filled discussion Professor Deitz unpacks everything there is to know about classifications and why the President and Vice President should be viewed differently.
We then talk a little inside baseball about what the different intelligence communities think of each other, and how the formation of the Department of National Intelligence didn't really scratch the itch after 9/11. Professor Deitz also got off about the FISA warrant...ahem...I mean order... and why it gets such a bad wrap. Finally we discuss the myth of over classification in this country and the importance of journalistic standards for publication of classified information.
Guest Bio:
Robert L. Deitz is a professor in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. Previously, he served as senior councillor to the director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2006 until February 2009. From September 1998 to September 2006, Deitz was the general counsel at the National Security Agency where he represented the NSA in all legal matters. He has also held positions as acting general counsel at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and as acting deputy general counsel, intelligence, at the Department of Defense.

Deitz began his career as a law clerk to the Honorable Justices Douglas, Stewart, and White of the United States Supreme Court. He has also been in private practice and was special assistant to Deputy Secretary of State Warren Christopher and to Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare Joseph Califano during the Carter Administration.

Support the show

Please Help Support the showhttps://donorbox.org/faithful-politics-podcast
To learn more about the show, contact our hosts, or recommend future guests, click on the links below:

• Website: https://www.faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/
• Faithful Host: [email protected]
• Political Host: [email protected]
• Twitter: @FaithfulPolitik
• Instagram: faithful_politics
• Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast
• LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics
• Subscribe to our Substack: https://faithfulpolitics.substack.com/

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected]

In this episode of Faithful Politics, Will Wright and guest Patrick Ruffini delve into the intricacies of American politics, discussing the changing dynamics of voter demographics and the impact on election outcomes. Ruffini, a political strategist and author, shares insights from his book, highlighting the shift in voting patterns among different ethnic and racial groups, and the factors that contribute to these changes. They explore the complexities of black politics, the influence of religious beliefs on voting behavior, and the importance of understanding the nuances of different communities to accurately interpret polling data.

Will and Patrick also discuss the challenges and misconceptions surrounding polling, offering valuable advice on how to be a better consumer of polling information. They emphasize the significance of state polls over national polls in predicting election outcomes, and the evolution of the Republican party in recent years. The conversation also touches on the impact of economic factors on voter sentiment, the role of intergenerational wealth in the African-American community, and the potential appeal of Republican policies to minority populations. This episode provides a comprehensive and insightful analysis of the current political landscape, with practical tips for navigating the complex world of polling and elections.
Guest Bio:
Over the last 15 years, Patrick Ruffini has advanced the digital and data-driven transformation of politics in numerous roles, most recently as the co-founder of Echelon Insights, a next-generation polling, analytics, and intelligence firm.

Ruffini began his career as one of the country’s first political-digital practitioners, starting at the Republican National Committee in 2002. He managed grassroots technology and outreach for President George W. Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign, and returned to the RNC to run digital strategy in 2006. As the founder of Engage, a leading right-of-center digital agency, Ruffini would apply these lessons learned at the Presidential level to political campaigns nationally and internationally, the advocacy and nonprofit worlds, the Fortune 50, and beyond.

In 2014 he co-founded Echelon Insights to evolve the traditional ways that organizations collect information to drive strategy. Ruffini leads the firm’s analytics and technology practices, helping a wide array of clients craft more persuasive messages, manage crisis, and reach audiences more cost-effectively.

As a writer and public speaker, Ruffini’s insights on political, demographic, and technology trends are often highlighted by national media. He has contributed to publications including the Washington Post, FiveThirtyEight, Politico, and National Review, has been featured in The New York Times, Time, and Newsweek, and has app

Support the show

Please Help Support the showhttps://donorbox.org/faithful-politics-podcast
To learn more about the show, contact our hosts, or recommend future guests, click on the links below:

• Website: https://www.faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/
• Faithful Host: [email protected]
• Political Host: [email protected]
• Twitter: @FaithfulPolitik
• Instagram: faithful_politics
• Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast
• LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics
• Subscribe to our Substack: https://faithfulpolitics.substack.com/