Stubborn Things

The midterms are in view, and Sean and Jay try not to treat the tea leaves like gospel. Although Jay got into the limelight through election blogging, he’s realized that it’s difficult to differentiate what he wants to happen and what will happen. This bias doesn’t just influence Jay but is ingrained in the practice of forecasting itself, making election predictions all the more difficult. Nevertheless, what politicians are doing now and how voters are feeling might give us a glimpse into November. Sean notes that unless you’re a wartime president or a great economy president, the ruling president will likely lose house seats, so we might see a wave of Blue representatives. The Senate? Only God knows for certain.

Our founders did not want all of American governance to diverge from England. In fact, the founders were inspired by Parliament's structure, which attempted to represent the desires of the people. Congress was perhaps well constructed but is not currently functioning well. As Wallach argues in his book, Congress is functioning well when the people trust that their interests are properly represented in the legislature. That trust and reciprocal relationship may not currently exist in spades. However, Wallach offers some potential solutions to not only empower better representation but also inspire Congress to pass bi-partisan legislation for the betterment of the whole country. Wallach, Philip A. Why Congress . New York: Oxford University Press, 2023. https://www.amazon.com/Audible-Why-Congress/dp/B0C446NBP5 Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast . Comments? Suggestions? Email us at StubbornThings@aei.org .

From 1933 to 1953 we only had two presidents… So we naturally ranked them. When FDR came into office the country was looking bleak, there was a steady economic decline into the Great Depression that could have inspired a revolution. Instead, FDR maintains our democracy but grows the federal government like no other. Sean points how FDR was more moderate than perceived and Jay calls him a Wilsonian progressive but both see FDR as a defender of the republic. Following FDR, Truman "slips into place" as a wartime president but leaves with shockingly low approval ratings. However, Truman’s commitment to civil rights and strong opposition to communism may be his saving grace. Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast. Comments? Suggestions? Email us at StubbornThings@aei.org.

Some kooks with sex scandals, securities fraud, and outlandish tweets are winning primaries and even congressional seats. Why are these ideological crackpots winning? And where are the party gatekeepers? On today’s podcast, Jay and Sean discuss how a centuries-long precedent of (primarily) electing the righteous is slowly falling prey to populism. In this podcast, our hosts discuss how the McGovern-Fraser Commission of 1968 may have increased democratic participation in primaries, but at the same time allowed political outsiders and some unique kooks to rise to power. Furthermore, the 1974 amendments to the Federal Election Campaign Act—although they limited the political power of rich donors—took power away from the parties to fund well-vetted candidates themselves. Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast . Comments? Suggestions? Email us at StubbornThings@aei.org .

On this week’s episode, Jay and Sean hypothesize about what Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, and even Brutus would have thought about our republic in its 250th year. From Washington’s hatred of partisanship to Hamilton’s love of our energetic national government, our hosts analyze what our founders would have admired and what they would have despised in 2026 America. We’d probably hear lots of “I told you so!” from all sides... Hope you enjoy our podcast and our nation’s semiquincentennial! Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast . Comments? Suggestions? Email us at StubbornThings@aei.org .

This episode of Stubborn Things comes out a week ahead of schedule, and this one’s for the historiography nerds. This week, Jay and Sean discuss the legacy of historian Gordon Wood, who passed away earlier this month, and the historiography of the American founding. Our hosts lead us on a tour from Charles Beard’s economic interpretation of the founding and framing of the constitution to the “consensus historians” of the mid-20th century who responded to Beard’s theory. Then, they address the shift in the way history was done, with the emergence of Bernard Bailyn, Gordon Wood, and others, all of whom emphasized that the American founding was ideological in nature. Jay and Sean also analyze new histories of the founding, including social histories and critical histories, like the 1619 Project. The episode concludes with a dialogue on how to think about the founders and the founding, 250 years on. Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast . Comments? Suggestions? Email us at StubbornThings@aei.org . Show notes: Gordon S. Wood, a Historian Who Loved America Gordon Wood Accepts the 2025 Irving Kristol Award, AEI Annual Dinner 2025 George Bancroft’s History of the United States of America Charles Beard’s An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States Bernard Bailyn’s The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution Gordon Wood’s The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787 and The Radicalism of the American Revolution Joyce Appleby’s Capitalism and a New Social Order: The Republican Vision of the 1790s and Liberalism and Republicanism in the Historical Imagination Lance Banning’s The Sacred Fire of Liberty: James Madison and the Founding of the Federal Republic Rogers Smith’s Civic Ideals: Conflicting Visions of Citizenship in U.S. History

This week, Jay and Sean welcome Echelon Insight’s Patrick Ruffini to Stubborn Things to talk about how the GOP went from the party of Reagan to the party of Trump. Patrick discussed the Republican Party’s demographic shift and how Trump began to appeal to working class voters during the 2016 election. Jay, Sean, and Patrick also touched on the idea of economic aspiration, potential reversions in the GOP’s demographic gains, and economic and educational indicators of voting patterns. Plus, hear Patrick’s thoughts about the future of the GOP post-Trump and what to watch for in the midterms. Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast . Comments? Suggestions? Email us at StubbornThings@aei.org . Show notes: Party of the People: Inside the Multiracial Populist Coalition Remaking the GOP Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream Steadfast Democrats: How Social Forces Shape Black Political Behavior

The last Stubborn Things episode was so popular that we couldn’t resist doing yet another presidential tiers episode. Take a listen to hear how Sean and Jay rank the first presidents of the twentieth century, from Theodore Roosevelt through Hebert Hoover. And let us know where you’d place these presidents on your own tiers! Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast . Comments? Suggestions? Email us at StubbornThings@aei.org .

Back by popular demand, this week, Sean and Jay continue their rankings of America’s presidents. After harshly grading the antebellum presidents, our Stubborn Things hosts sprinkle in a few good grades for the presidents of the latter half of the 19th century. Still, failing grades abound, as Stubborn Things has a strict policy against grade inflation! Let us know in the comments where you agree and where you disagree with Sean and Jay’s tiers. Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast . Comments? Suggestions? Email us at StubbornThings@aei.org .

This week, Stubborn Things is laser-focused on the Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais . Our hosts discuss the history of the Voting Rights Act, as well as the Gingles test which the majority updated last week. Sean and Jay evaluate how far-reaching the Court’s decision will prove to be, and they correct some of the narratives that have emerged in the wake of the decision. What do they think of Justice Alito’s argumentation? What about Justice Kagan’s dissent? Take a listen to find out! Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast . Comments? Suggestions? Email us at StubbornThings@aei.org . Show notes: Louisiana v. Callais Amy Coney Barrett’s Precedent and Jurisprudential Disagreement

Jay and Sean are joined this week by Ruy Teixeira, Nonresident Senior Fellow at AEI and longtime analyst of Democratic politics. Our hosts interview Ruy about the evolving relationship between the Democratic Party and organized labor, whether Democrats can learn from their past mistakes to form a durable electoral coalition, and more. Along the way, Jay, Sean, and Ruy discuss the “Abundance" movement, immigration, class, and if there are any heterodox Democrats who can make waves in future elections. Take a listen! Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast . Comments? Suggestions? Email us at StubbornThings@aei.org . Show notes: America's Forgotten Majority The Emerging Democratic Majority Where Have All the Democrats Gone? Ruy's last article in The Liberal Patriot

This week, our hosts take a break from talking about the drama of 21st century American politics and turn back the clock. In this very special edition of Stubborn Things, Jay and Sean start the Very Official Stubborn Things Presidential Tiers List. They start, of course, with Washington and make it all the way through Buchanan. See where Jay and Sean agree and where their lists diverge. Take a listen and let us know what you think about our tiers! Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast . Comments? Suggestions? Email us at StubbornThings@aei.org . Show notes: Jay’s biography of James Madison

Our Stubborn Things hosts this week talk voting and the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, a.k.a. the SAVE Act, a.k.a. the SAVE America Act, currently making its way through Congress. Jay and Sean discuss how the bill would change voting, the advantages and challenges with requiring proof of citizenship to vote, and the bad faith arguments each camp makes about the bill. Then, they go back in time to review the 2021 Democrat-led For the People Act, and Sean calls Jay old. Finally, the episode wraps with a focus on campaign finance and the role of big money in elections. Take a listen and let us know what you think! Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast . Comments? Suggestions? Email us at StubbornThings@aei.org . Show notes: H.R.22 – SAVE Act Yuval Levin’s National Review article NYT article about campaign finance

This week, Jay and Sean tackle the results of the Senate primary in Texas. They discuss James Talarico’s victory in the Democratic primary and the religious dimension of Talarico’s candidacy. They also assess the strengths and weaknesses of Talarico’s two potential GOP opponents, incumbent John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who will face each other in a runoff in May, as well as how Texas demographics may play in the general election. Plus, Jay and Sean dip into the mailbag and answer a listener question about the books that have influenced them. Take a listen and let us know what you think! Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast . Comments? Suggestions? Email us at StubbornThings@aei.org . Show notes: Sean’s Recommendations: The Almanac of American Politics Electoral Realignments , by David Mayhew The Emerging Democratic Majority , by John Judis and Ruy Teixeira Jay’s Recommendations: Conjectures and Refutations , by Karl Popper Micromotives and Macrobehavior , by Thomas Schelling Reflections on the Revolution in France , by Edmund Burke

AEI’s Jay Cost and Sean Trende talk about the topic on everyone’s mind this week: the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Learning Resources v. Trump , which struck down President Trump’s use of tariffs under IEEPA. Throughout the episode, our hosts touch on the majority opinion, as well as the various concurrences and dissents, that came down last Friday. Jay and Sean address the history of tariffs in American political economy before moving on to a conversation about the separation of powers. They wrap up by discussing the ideological makeup of the Court and this case’s implications for questions of checks and balances. Take a listen and let us know what you think! Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast . Comments? Suggestions? Email us at StubbornThings@aei.org . Show notes: Jay’s review of The Constitution of Conflict

On this week’s episode, Jay and Sean continue their focus on the Senate. In particular, they talk about the formation, history, and modern uses of the filibuster. Our hosts explain the rationale for the filibuster before addressing several criticisms of the procedure. In the second segment, Jay and Sean address the unexpected effectiveness Mike Johnson has shown as Speaker of the House. Take a listen! Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast . Comments? Suggestions? Email us at StubbornThings@aei.org .

This week, Jay and Sean zoom out from the ongoing immigration enforcement debate to talk about the history and politics of immigration. In the spirit of Stubborn Things, Jay and Sean try to make sense of various views – right, left, and center – on immigration and discuss the radical politics that prevents compromise and consensus. During the second half of the episode, they talk about Senate dysfunction and the upcoming Senate election in Texas. Take a listen! Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast . Comments? Suggestions? Email us at StubbornThings@aei.org .

This week, Jay and Sean talk the Donroe Doctrine. They address the centuries-old historical precedent of American military intervention in the Western Hemisphere and analyze how the Trump admiration's forays into Venezuela fit into this story. On the second half of the episode, Jay interviews Sean about his experiences as an election lawyer and congressional map-drawing extraordinaire. Take a listen! Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast . Comments? Suggestions? Email us at StubbornThings@aei.org .

On Stubborn Things’ first episode of 2026, Jay and Sean talk about elections both past and future. How will President Trump’s approval rating, partisan redistricting, and other factors affect the outcome of the midterms this November? Our hosts discuss whether the midterm results and the results of the 2028 GOP presidential primary are foregone conclusions. Plus, how do current election procedures differ from ones of centuries past, and why are some Americans prohibited from getting drunk on election day? Come for an analysis of JD Vance’s 2028 odds, stay for Sean’s humming of The Imperial March. To stay up to date with all things ST, follow Stubborn Things on your favorite podcast platform and follow the podcast on X @aei_STpodcast . Comments? Suggestions? Email us at stubbornthings@aei.org .

On this week’s episode of Stubborn Things, Jay Cost and Sean Trende recap the oral argument before the Supreme Court in Trump v. Slaughter and present an overview of the political history, legal cases, and theories of executive power that have led the Court to this point. Plus, our hosts kick off the way-too-early speculation about who might be the Democratic nominee for President in 2028. Will it be Gavin Newsom? AOC? Someone else? Take a listen to hear what Jay and Sean think. Show notes: Trump v. Slaughter Myers v. United States Humphrey's Executor v. United States Justice Scalia’s dissent in Morrison v. Olson Woodrow Wilson: The Study of Administration Jay’s recent AEI report on Wilson’s early views on regulation