Derek Thompson

And we were recently on a podcast the other day that made me wonder about a particular Straussian read of this book. The parties, as you know better than anybody, are polarized by education. I wonder what we think of this idea that they're also polarized by personality.

In many ways, the character of liberalism that we are trying to shift is overly deferential to process, to infinite listening, and not sufficiently committed to action and outcome. That's how you get what Nick Bagley, as quoted in the book, calls the procedural fetish of our side.

In many ways, the character of liberalism that we are trying to shift is overly deferential to process, to infinite listening, and not sufficiently committed to action and outcome. That's how you get what Nick Bagley, as quoted in the book, calls the procedural fetish of our side.

On the other hand, I think a criticism that you and I both share of Donald Trump is that his style assumes a kind of kingly power in the executive branch in a way that assumes something close to absolute power and is inclined to run roughshod over norms and bureaucracies and laws that exist to channel voices to reach a consensus. This might be a simplified diagnosis, but

On the other hand, I think a criticism that you and I both share of Donald Trump is that his style assumes a kind of kingly power in the executive branch in a way that assumes something close to absolute power and is inclined to run roughshod over norms and bureaucracies and laws that exist to channel voices to reach a consensus. This might be a simplified diagnosis, but

One interpretation of the personality differences between the modern left and the modern right is that the left believes in language and process and listening and trusts bureaucracies and rules that respect those, while the modern right believes in a kind of extreme centralization of executive power that actively seeks to destroy bureaucracies.

One interpretation of the personality differences between the modern left and the modern right is that the left believes in language and process and listening and trusts bureaucracies and rules that respect those, while the modern right believes in a kind of extreme centralization of executive power that actively seeks to destroy bureaucracies.

I wonder if you see this personality polarization as a live wire in politics right now. And if so, is what we're asking for is for liberalism to have a bit of a personality shift, not a personality flip all the way to the other end of Trumpist extreme authoritarianism, but a personality shift that values process a little bit less and values outcomes and action a little bit more.

I wonder if you see this personality polarization as a live wire in politics right now. And if so, is what we're asking for is for liberalism to have a bit of a personality shift, not a personality flip all the way to the other end of Trumpist extreme authoritarianism, but a personality shift that values process a little bit less and values outcomes and action a little bit more.

I agree the pendulum needs swinging, and I'm grateful that you helped me try to swing it, both in the book and in the show. Ezra Klein, thank you very much, and I'll talk to you in 35 minutes.

I agree the pendulum needs swinging, and I'm grateful that you helped me try to swing it, both in the book and in the show. Ezra Klein, thank you very much, and I'll talk to you in 35 minutes.

Chat GPT wrote that sentence. It's so easy now.

Chat GPT wrote that sentence. It's so easy now.

Für eine lange Zeit hat die Linke geschaut, was sie subsidieren könnte. Wenn wir nicht genug Gesundheitsversorgung haben, können wir dir eine Gesundheitsversorgung anbieten. Das ist Obamacare. Can we give you food stamps to get food? Pell grants to get higher education? Rental vouchers to get housing?

Für eine lange Zeit hat die Linke geschaut, was sie subsidieren könnte. Wenn wir nicht genug Gesundheitsversorgung haben, können wir dir eine Gesundheitsversorgung anbieten. Das ist Obamacare. Can we give you food stamps to get food? Pell grants to get higher education? Rental vouchers to get housing?

Then you look at places where liberals govern and a lot of it doesn't work because we don't have enough of the core thing. If you give people a bunch of rental vouchers in New York City, in San Francisco, what often happens is they can't get housing because there isn't enough of it or the price goes up. Higher education is a similar dynamic. Healthcare has some dynamics like that.

Then you look at places where liberals govern and a lot of it doesn't work because we don't have enough of the core thing. If you give people a bunch of rental vouchers in New York City, in San Francisco, what often happens is they can't get housing because there isn't enough of it or the price goes up. Higher education is a similar dynamic. Healthcare has some dynamics like that.

You gotta at a certain point focus on building enough of the things you need. Housing is a big one. I'm from California. I'm from Irvine, California, down south from Los Angeles. I lived in San Francisco during much of the writing of the book. This is a solved problem. We know how to build apartment buildings. We know how to build homes. We just don't let people do it.

You gotta at a certain point focus on building enough of the things you need. Housing is a big one. I'm from California. I'm from Irvine, California, down south from Los Angeles. I lived in San Francisco during much of the writing of the book. This is a solved problem. We know how to build apartment buildings. We know how to build homes. We just don't let people do it.

And the result is that California... New York, Illinois verlieren hunderttausende von Menschen pro Jahr.