Evan Meyer welcomes the past Chair of Public Policy, Princeton, Nolan McCarty on this episode of Meyerside Chats.
Recorded February 22, 2023
Evan Meyer welcomes the past Chair of Public Policy at Princeton University, Nolan McCarty on this episode of Meyerside Chats.
Meyerside Chats seeks to eliminate the “us and them” narrative and toxic polarization by striving to create virtuous community leadership and authentic conversation. The intent is to showcase the humanity in those that take on the often thankless jobs of public service through civil discourse, and honoring differing points of view.
About Nolan McCarty
Biography
Nolan McCarty is the Susan Dod Brown Professor of Politics and Public Affairs and Vice Dean for Strategic Initiatives at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. He served as the chair of Princeton Politics Department from 2011-2018.
He has written on a variety of topics related U.S. politics and political economy ranging from the causes and consequences of political polarization, economic and politic inequality, regulation, and the political role of business. He has also engaged in the development of statistical methodologies and the application of game theoretic models to political questions.
He has authored or co-authored four books: Political Game Theory (2006, with Adam Meirowitz), Polarized America: The Dance of Ideology and Unequal Riches (2016 second edition with Keith Poole and Howard Rosenthal), Political Bubbles: Financial Crises and the Failure of American Democracy (2013 with Keith Poole and Howard Rosenthal) and Polarization: What Everyone Needs to Know (2019). With Frances Lee, he co-edited Can American Govern Itself? (2019) In 2010, he was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He earned his A.B. in Economics from the University of Chicago and his PhD in Political Economy from Carnegie Mellon University.
About Evan Meyer
Evan is the Founder of BeautifyEarth.com, a tech platform and marketplace that speed tracks the urban beautification process through art, as well as the original 501(c)3 sister organization and public charity that beautifies schools in the communities that need it most. Beautify has now facilitated thousands of murals around the planet, working with hundreds of communities, community organizations, cities and national brands.
He is also the Founder of RideAmigos.com, a tech platform that optimizes commuter travel and behavior through intelligent programs and analytics for governments, large enterprises, and universities, serving many regions across the US.
As a civic leader in the City of Santa Monica, he is the past Chairman of his neighborhood (Ocean Park), giving residents a voice in the public process, as well as helping the City of Santa Monica with innovative, actionable ways of civic engagement.
Podcast Summary
- Intro to Nolan McCary | 0:00
- What is Democratic backsliding and are we experiencing it? | 5:15
- Why every president is blamed or praised for his successes and failures depending on what side you’re on? | 6:30
- How the train derailment in East Palestine exemplified the fundamental toxic polarization issue? | 7:40
- Politics of confirmation bias | 10:55
- Why does every election gets delegitimized by the opposite party? | 13:30
- What is the general margin of error for election votes?
- Issues with our election process 18:00
- Why the context of “facts” matters & Trump/Biden election fairness | 25:00
- Why is civic humility so hard? | 26:00
- Marriage between couples of different political parties has become less accepted than that of different faiths, religions, or ethnicities | 35:00
- Many political leaders misusing social media. | 37:00
- Is polarization intentional? 39:30
- Where does Princeton stand with the claims about liberal University indoctrination? | 43:00
- Academic freedom and institutional neutrality | 48:00
- What are Nolan’s goals as a result of his efforts in polarization? | 55:00
- The importance of not eliminating polarization if it means not talking about important topics | 58:00