DIA-Today: Democracy in America Today

Season 1 Recap/Season 2 Preview

December 19, 2020 12:00 - 41 minutes - 40.3 MB

We take a look back at the first season of the show and preview our plans for season 2 beginning January 16. Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (3:21): Season 1 Recap - We discuss our favorite topics, writers, gradebook topics, and picks from the first season of our show. Part 2 (16:59): Season 2 Preview - We discuss our plans to study the great works in the history of political philosophy beginning in January an...

Election Integrity Epilogue

December 12, 2020 13:41 - 1 hour - 64.4 MB

We discuss the legal battles over the results of the presidential election and the lessons for election integrity from this campaign season. Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (2:11): Headlines - We discuss the legal effort by the Trump campaign and others to challenge the results of the presidential election and the lessons for election integrity from this campaign season. Links: The Dispatch summary of election-rel...

The Free Exercise of Religion

December 05, 2020 14:12 - 58 minutes - 56.7 MB

We discuss the history of religious freedom in light of the Supreme Court’s recent “free exercise” ruling in favor of NYC churches and synagogues. Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (1:51): Headlines - We discuss the Supreme Court’s recent decision setting aside Covid-related restrictions on attendance at religious assemblies in New York City in the broader context of the constitutional theory and practice of First A...

Thanksgiving and Gratitude

November 28, 2020 13:44 - 52 minutes - 50.5 MB

We discuss the election endgame, good news on the Covid-19 vaccine front, and the virtue of gratitude. Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (0:46): Headlines - We discuss the recently-announced Biden foreign policy team, the election lawsuits endgame, and the good news on the Covid-19 vaccine front. Links: Biden’s foreign policy team at The Hill; State-by-state election certification status at CNN; Dan McLaughlin at Nat...

The Revival of Civic Life with guest professor Pete Peterson

November 21, 2020 12:00 - 45 minutes - 44.3 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines with special guest Pete Peterson, dean of the School of Public Policy at Pepperdine University. We discuss how to revive our civic life in the face of challenges posed by a lack of viewpoint diversity in academia and the public square and our ongoing epidemic of loneliness. Part 1 (1:20): Introduction - Pete Peterson discusses his pathway to Pepperdine University and the world of public pol...

Republican Citizenship

November 14, 2020 13:31 - 1 hour - 59.8 MB

We talk about the ongoing debate over the results of the presidential election and the role of citizens in a republic. Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (1:11): Headlines - We review Joe Biden’s victory speech, Donald Trump’s response, and the ongoing discussion of the integrity of the presidential election. Links: Joe Biden’s victory speech; Donald Trump statement on 11/7/20; Peter Alexander Tweet; Byron York’s sum...

Election Review and Reaction

November 07, 2020 13:24 - 1 hour - 60 MB

We talk about the results (so far) from the election and the way forward from here. Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (1:08): Headlines - We talk about the election results, the performance of the pollsters, President Trump’s allegations of fraud, and the way forward from here. Links: Trump’s statement; results of state legislatures; exit poll summary; RCP list of polls; Federalist article on Quinnipiac; Quinnipiac U...

Election Preview Special

October 31, 2020 13:40 - 1 hour - 62.3 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (0:47): Headlines - We talk about the state of the presidential race and the polling behind the most popular projections. Links: RCP betting odds; 538 projection; The Economist projection; 270toWin projection; Rich Lowry column at National Review on Trafalgar Group Polling; American Association for Public Opinion Research study; Derek Thompson at The Atlantic; Trump events; Biden even...

None of the Above?

October 24, 2020 13:10 - 58 minutes - 56.2 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (0:59): Headlines - We discuss the conservative case for and against voting for Donald Trump as featured in a National Review symposium and an essay by Pastor John Piper. Links: Andrew McCarthy for Donald Trump; Ramesh Ponnuru against Donald Trump; Charles C.W. Cooke: undecided; John Piper on character and policy; the Massachusetts Body of Liberties. Part 2 (31:10): Required Reading...

Donald Trump and republican Government

October 17, 2020 13:02 - 1 hour - 58.5 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (1:41): Headlines - We discuss the case that’s been made for a Donald Trump presidency in light of republican principles. Links: list of newspapers endorsing Donald Trump; daily newspaper endorsements; Ouachita Citizen endorsement; Santa Barbara News-Press endorsement; John Fonte at The American Mind; Wilfred McClay’s Land of Hope. Part 2 (17:34): Required Reading - We apply founda...

Joe Biden and republican Government

October 10, 2020 13:40 - 1 hour - 61.7 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (2:25): Headlines - We discuss the case that’s been made for a Joe Biden presidency in light of republican principles. Links: New York Times endorsement of Joe Biden; George Will endorsing Biden, 2018 column against a Republican Congress, recent column on a Biden presidency. Part 2 (24:08): Required Reading - We examine foundational republican principles with the help of a number of ...

Why Can't We Get Along?

October 03, 2020 12:47 - 1 hour - 61.6 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (1:40): Headlines - We discuss the dangerous, deep divisions in American politics and the prospects for promoting civility in the public square. Links: Our essay at The Federalist; Politico on political violence; Colleen Sheehan at The American Mind; RealClearFoundation on civic knowledge; Gallup poll on single-party government; RealClearEducation college free speech rankings; RealCle...

Supreme Court Showdown

September 26, 2020 12:47 - 1 hour - 69.4 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (1:06): Headlines - We discuss the debate over whether and how Republicans should attempt to fill the Supreme Court opening created by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Gisburg in light of the events of 2016 and the history of post-Roe v. Wade Supreme Court nominations. Links: History of Supreme Court nominations; Justice Ginsburg in the New York Times; Dan McLaughlin at National Review...

Presidential Battleground: The Midwest

September 19, 2020 12:26 - 1 hour - 62.9 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (2:01): Headlines - We take a close look at the presidential race in three Big 10-country battleground states: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Links: RealClearPolitics Battleground polls; RealClearPolitics Create-Your-Own-Map; 538 article on Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania in 2012; Pennsylvania in 2016; Bucks County, PA; Wisconsin in 2012; Wisconsin in 2016; Juneau County Star-Time...

Presidential Battleground: The Sunbelt States

September 12, 2020 12:54 - 1 hour - 63.9 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (2:06): Headlines - We take a close look at the presidential race in three sunbelt battleground states: Florida, North Carolina, and Arizona. Links: RealClearPolitics Battleground polls; Politico backgrounder; 270towin election simulation; Politico on Florida; Politico on Arizona; 2016 presidential results in Florida, North Carolina, and Arizona; 2016 Senate results in Florida, North ...

Democracy in America...Today

September 05, 2020 13:22 - 1 hour - 58.6 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (1:01): Required Reading - We go straight to the required reading, discussing key passages from Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America and their intersection with contemporary political culture. Links: Mansfield & Winthrop’s Democracy in America; Liberty Fund’s Democracy in America. Part 2 (42:28): Open the Grade Book -We grade some popular ways to celebrate Labor Day, includin...

Republican Convention Review

August 29, 2020 13:24 - 1 hour - 65.5 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (starts at 0:55): Headlines - We review the major themes of the Republican National Convention, including the Republican response to the Democratic case against Donald Trump and for Joe Biden. Link: Don Lemon on CNN. Part 2 (33:45): Required Reading - Professor Corbin assigns a selection from Herbert Hoover’s 1922 book, American Individualism, Hoover’s 1941 speech, “The Fifth Freedo...

Democrats in America Today

August 22, 2020 13:47 - 1 hour - 65.4 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (starts at 3:52): Headlines - We do a night-by-night review of the Democratic National Convention, discussing its major speeches and overall themes. Part 2 (29:17): Required Reading - Professor Corbin assigns William James’s Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking, Herbert Croly’s The Promise of American Life, and the first chapter of Paul Johnson’s Modern Times. L...

The Future of American Conservatism

August 15, 2020 12:59 - 1 hour - 56.2 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (1:17): Required Reading - Professor Corbin assigns two essays by Frank S. Meyer to understand the intellectual roots of modern conservatism and Meyer’s own contribution to that intellectual tradition, fusionism: “Western Civilization: The Problem of Freedom” (1968), published in In Defense of Freedom and Other Essays, and “Freedom, Tradition, and Conservatism,” chapter 1 of What is C...

Preserving the Consent of the Governed: Election Integrity and Legitimacy

August 08, 2020 13:46 - 56 minutes - 56.8 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (starts at 3:43): Headlines - Covid-19 has led many states to expand absentee or mail-in voting in advance of the general election this November. We talk about how to preserve the integrity of the election and assure its legitimacy in the midst of our ongoing health crisis. Links: National Review report on the Wisconsin primary; AP report on President Trump’s position; Adam Laxalt on ...

Anarchy, Authority, and the Rule of Law

August 01, 2020 13:57 - 1 hour - 63.6 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (starts at 1:46): Headlines -President Trump deployed federal agents to protect the federal courthouse in Portland in early July. We discuss the charges of authoritarianism that have followed. Links: Bill Hutchinson for ABC News; Oregon Public Broadcasting report; Reuters reports on ‘Operation Diligent Valor’; Ryan Cooper at The Week; Zach Beauchamp at Vox. Part 2 (17:00):...

The Return of Sports

July 25, 2020 13:26 - 54 minutes - 54.5 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (starts at 2:09): Headlines - Major League Baseball is back (!) with the NBA, NHL, and NFL starting soon. We discuss the big stories for each league. Part 2 (27:12): Required Reading - Professor Corbin recommends Michael Lombardi’s Gridiron Genius while Professor Parks talks about Ted Williams’s The Science of Hitting and Michael Lewis’s Moneyball. Part 3 (35:41): Open the G...

Reopening Revisited: Going Back to School (?)

July 18, 2020 13:27 - 57 minutes - 54.5 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (starts at 2:27): Headlines - We discuss the politics and the science surrounding the debate over reopening schools this fall. Links: Noah Rothman at Commentary; Fox News report on the demands of the LA Teacher’s Union; Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on CNN’s State of the Union; Florida’s Covid-19 data; Yahoo! News report on German school reopening study; Science reports on school...

President Trump, "Hamilton," and American Patriotism

July 11, 2020 14:06 - 54 minutes - 52.6 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (starts at 3:20): Headlines - We discuss the reaction to President Trump’s July 3 address at Mt. Rushmore and the release of the film of Hamilton the same night. Links: President Trump’s speech; Zeeshan Aleem at Vox; Senator Duckworth; Charles C.W. Cooke at National Review; Roger Kimball at American Greatness; Ed Morales at CNN; Kyle Smith at National Review. Part 2 (21:23): Requ...

The 4th of July and the American Republic

July 04, 2020 12:51 - 59 minutes - 54.7 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (starts at 1:08): Headlines - We discuss the recent efforts to remove, destroy, and deface monuments and memorials remembering key figures from American history. Links: Wilfred M. McClay at First Things; Rich Lowry at National Review; David Marcus at The Federalist. Part 2 (18:06): Required Reading - Professor Corbin assigns Fourth of July addresses from John Quincy Adams (July 4, 1...

Criminal justice reform, self-government, and the pursuit of justice

June 27, 2020 14:31 - 57 minutes - 54.5 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (starts at 2:00): Headlines - We take a look at the criminal justice system through the lens of the changes in the crime rate and incarceration rate over the last 55 years. Links: FBI crime data; Bureau of Justice Statistics on the prison population; President Johnson's 1965 message to Congress; report of President Johnson’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Jus...

In Pursuit of Justice, part 2

June 20, 2020 13:57 - 49 minutes - 47.2 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (starts at 3:26): Headlines - “Cancel culture” continues to encourage snap judgments about historical figures, individuals, and institutions. We discuss the firing of Emmanuel Cafferty and the effort to demonetize The Federalist. Links: National Review’s “Cancel Counter”; Emmanuel Cafferty: local NBC News article; radio interview; The Federalist: NBC News report; David Harsanyi respon...

"From Protest to Politics" - In Pursuit of Justice, part 1

June 13, 2020 13:27 - 50 minutes - 47 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1 (starts at 1:22): Headlines - Activists issue calls to “defund the police” and national political leaders try to chart a more moderate course while the Minneapolis City Council pledges to “dismantle” its police force and Seattle now has CHAZ. Links: Black Lives Matter petition; Byron York in the Washington Examiner; Minneapolis City Council; USA Today on CHAZ; Shelby Steele; Biden and...

Racism, Policing, and Revolution

June 06, 2020 17:20 - 46 minutes - 42.4 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1: Headlines - The killing of George Floyd has led to debates, protests, and violence centered on the problems of racism and police misconduct. Links: Rafael Mangual at City Journal; Seth W. Stoughton, Jeffrey J. Noble, and Geoffrey P. Alpert at The Atlantic; Andrew McCarthy at National Review; President Obama at Medium; Kellie Carter Jackson at The Atlantic; Yuval Levin at National Rev...

Great Power Rivalries: US v. China

May 30, 2020 14:39 - 49 minutes - 45.3 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1: Headlines - The presidential candidates accuse each other of being too soft on China while analysts suggest competing visions of US-China relations and the strategic challenge China poses to US interests. Links: Thomas Wright in The Atlantic: How Should Biden Handle China?; Rachel Esplin Odell and Stephen Wertheim in The New York Times: Opinion | Can the Democrats Avoid Trump’s China...

Reopening Our Divided States

May 23, 2020 16:12 - 42 minutes - 26.3 MB

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines. Part 1: Headlines - Reflections on this week's hyper-partisan lockdown/reopen debate featuring the (surprisingly?) good news out of Florida. Part 2: Required Reading - Prof. Corbin assigns Book III of Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War to help us understand the deep political divisions of our time. Part 3: Open the Grade Book - Grading 2020 presidential campaign slogans: Trump,...