Tatter
67 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 17 ratingsHosted by social psychologist Michael Sargent, this podcast has become a place for conversation about policy and politics, where Sargent talks with people who nerd out on the topics, bringing extensive knowledge, including knowledge of the limits of their knowledge. These nerds don't have the pocket protectors and social awkwardness of nerd stereotypes. They have wit, a love of fun, and most importantly, an understanding gained from the tattered pages of journals, books, and printouts of statistical analyses, or they've been tattered by experience. As host, Sargent isn't above asking dumb questions, because he knows we all learn from the answers.
If you're looking for overconfident, ill-informed (or misinformed) bloviation, this isn't the place for you. (But maybe Fox & Friends is.) If that's the opposite of what you want, then stick around.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Episode 67: Metastasis (Impeachment, w/ Frank Bowman)
January 17, 2021 12:00 - 39 minutes - 18.2 MBThe U.S. House has impeached President Donald Trump, for an unprecedented second time. This time, a majority of members of Congress endorsed a single article of impeachment for "incitement of insurrection," based on Trump's urging a crowd of his supporters to march to the Capitol where both houses of Congress were meeting to count electoral votes, urging the crowd to go pressure members of Congress to overturn the results in key states that Trump lost. Once the House officially transmits the ...
Episode 66: Conviction (Impeachment Politics, w/ Sarah Binder)
January 12, 2021 11:00 - 43 minutes - 19.8 MBIn the wake of the violence and destruction resulting from mob action in the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, and given that many view President Donald Trump's public comments beforehand as inciting the mob's action, House Democrats have presented a single article of impeachment with a vote likely imminent. If this happens, Trump would be the first U.S. president impeached twice. I recently spoke with Sarah Binder, Professor of Political Science at The George Washington University, and Senior...
Episode 65: Gut Check (w/ Tim Spector, on food science)
December 16, 2020 12:00 - 45 minutes - 20.8 MBWe all eat, but we don't all eat well. How can we do so? In particular, what dietary choices are best for an individual's physical wellness? And how much do individuals' unique characteristics determine what choices are best for them? And what choices are best for the environment? Why are calories and "food miles" overrated as metrics? How can governments help consumers make good food choices, especially if they live in food deserts? I discuss such questions with genetic epidemiologist Tim Sp...
Episode 64: Rogue (Conspiracy Theories, w/ Kelley-Romano & Miller)
December 09, 2020 11:00 - 58 minutes - 28.2 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Even though some conspiracy theories are only endorsed by a small fraction of the population, it is likely a mistake to write off all who believe in conspiracy theories, especially since some theories are endorsed more widely, and with substantial effect. I discuss these issues with two conspiracy theory researchers: Stephanie Kelley-Romano of the Bates College Department of Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies, and Joanne Miller of the University of Delaware Department of Po...
Episode 63: Tripwire (w/ Peter Margulies)
November 13, 2020 11:00 - 35 minutes - 16.4 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE The firings and resignations of senior civilian officials at the Pentagon--most notably of Secretary of Defense Mark Esper--has raised alarm in many quarters. Many are also concerned about President Trump's refusal to concede the election and his refusal to support a transition to the administration of President-elect Joe Biden. I discuss these concerns, and other issues, with Roger Williams University Professor of Law, and expert on national security law, Peter Margulies. ...
Episode 62: Hard Knocks (w/ Seth Masket)
November 08, 2020 17:00 - 49 minutes - 22.5 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE As Democrats were reminded (the hard way) in 2016, elections don't always turn out as we expect them to. When a political party loses an election, especially if it does more poorly than expected, it often has tough, self-reflective conversations about what happened. In so doing, parties try to learn lessons from their losses. University of Denver political scientist has written about these issues in his new book, Learning from Loss: The Democrats, 2016-2020. LINKS --Seth Ma...
Episode 61: Legitimate Authority (w/ Sara Benesh)
October 30, 2020 09:00 - 32 minutes - 15 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Many people discuss the public's trust in, and willingness to accord legitimacy to, U.S. courts, especially the Supreme Court. But why does that trust and legitimacy matter? What factors determine it? How might recent Republican maneuvering affect legitimacy, including maneuvering that has recently resulted in the confirmation of President Trump's third Supreme Court nomineee? What might be the impact of Democrats' increasing the number of seats on the Supreme Court? How mi...
Episode 60: Pass the Torch (w/ Jean Rhodes)
October 06, 2020 11:00 - 44 minutes - 20.6 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE My generation, and the ones before mine, have really screwed things up, it seems. But eventually, younger people will take their place as leaders (and some already are). For all our screw-ups, those of us who have some years under our belts can potentially play helpful roles as mentors, as younger folks find their way. I recently had a chance to talk about mentorship with Jean Rhodes, an influential expert on the topic, and the Frank L. Boyden Professor of Psychology at the...
Episode 59: Hazardous Conditions (w/ Doug McConnell)
September 14, 2020 12:00 - 45 minutes - 21 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many people have called for hazard pay for "essential workers" to compensate them for additional risks they encounter because they have to go in to work in person. For example, I'm aware of such calls for custodial workers at colleges and universities that have invited students to campus. Indeed, I've encountered such arguments at the institution where I teach. In this episode, I discuss such issues with philosopher Doug McConnell, who re...
Episode 58: The Seamless Garment Goes On
September 10, 2020 11:00 - 41 minutes - 18.9 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Father James Martin is a Jesuit priest and editor-at-large at America, a weekly magazine published by the Jesuits of the United States. Father Martin is widely know for his advocacy for the rights of LGBT people, including his book Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity (https://www.amazon.com/Building-Bridge-Relationship-Compassion-Sensitivity/dp/0062694316). In 2017, Pope Fran...
Episode 57: The Seamless Garment (Pro-Life Politics, w/ Fr. James Martin)
August 10, 2020 11:00 - 32 minutes - 14.9 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Father James Martin is a Jesuit priest and editor-at-large at America, a weekly magazine published by the Jesuits of the United States. Father Martin is widely know for his advocacy for the rights of LGBT people, including his book Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity (https://www.amazon.com/Building-Bridge-Relationship-Compassion-Sensitivity/dp/0062694316). In 2017, Pope Fran...
Episode 56: When They Hit You (w/ Omar Wasow)
July 16, 2020 11:00 - 1 hour - 31 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Princeton political scientist Omar Wasow joins me to talk about a recent paper of his that focuses on the relative impact of violent and nonviolent protest of racial injustice. In the wake of such deaths as that of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, and in light of subsequent protests, his paper has been quite timely. It's also been met with some controversy. Wasow and I discuss his background, the paper, the implications of the paper for activists, reactions to the paper, an...
Episode 55: Moment of Truth (w/ Robin Engel)
June 15, 2020 11:00 - 1 hour - 28.1 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE As promised, here's another episode inspired by the killing of George Floyd, and the subsequent protests. In this one, I remain focused on police behavior. This is my interview with Robin Engel, Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati, as well as Director of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)/UC Center for Police Research and Policy. We discuss police decision-making--which she studies--as well as police reform. Not only has Engel...
Episode 54: There's Got To Be A Better Way (w/ Lamar Stewart)
June 09, 2020 11:00 - 59 minutes - 27.2 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE This is my conversation with G. Lamar Stewart, a detective and head of community engagement in the office of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. Stewart is a former Philadelphia police officer, and was also Vice-President of the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the National Black Police Association. We discuss policing, including its connection to race, a timely topic in the wake of the death of George Floyd. LINKS --New York Times video essay on the chronology of ...
Episode 53: The Pursuit (w/ Laurie Santos)
June 04, 2020 13:00 - 58 minutes - 26.6 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Psychologist Laurie Santos offered a course on well-being in 2018, and it became the most popular course ever offered at Yale University. Her online course also developed a strong following. Now she had a podcast called The Happiness Lab. I had a chance to talk with her about human happiness, and the ways in which our intuitions about what promotes happiness are often wrong. Our discussion includes a discussion of happiness in a time of a pandemic and of physical distancing...
Episode 52: Married to the Mob
May 18, 2020 13:00 - 56 minutes - 28.6 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Political scientists (and returning Tatter guests) Julia Azari and Seth Masket join me to talk about how the Republican Party has changed in recent years, and the meaning and consequences of those changes, including the impact on the Democratic Party and on (little-d) democratic values. LINKS --Julia Azari's Marquette University profile (https://www.marquette.edu/political-science/directory/julia-azari.php) --Seth Masket's University of Denver profile (https://www.du.edu/ah...
Episode 51: Engaging Power (w/ Eitan Hersh)
April 15, 2020 11:00 - 45 minutes - 20.7 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Eitan Hersh is a faculty member in the Department of Political Science at Tufts University, and he's the author of the book Politics Is For Power. In his book, he discusses what he calls "political hobbyism," which the host of this podcast all too often engages in when he gets into arguments in comment threads on Facebook. In one demographic respect, Sargent's doing so is not that surprising. But in another respect, it is a bit more unusual. To learn more, listen to the ep...
Episode 50: Wrong Tool for the Job (Brian Kalt, on the 25th Amendment)
March 20, 2020 17:00 - 43 minutes - 20 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Concerns about Donald Trump's fitness to serve as U.S. President have motivated many people to advocate for the invocation of the 25th Amendment, particularly Section 4. Those who have engaged in such advocacy--and I've done it--seem to believe that effectively invoking Section 4 of the 25th Amendment could be a way to remove Trump from office. But my guest--Brian Kalt of the Michigan State University College of Law--makes a case that we're wrong. LINKS --Brian Kalt's MSU p...
Episode 49: "Fuck You" Money, And Then Some (Azari & Wood, on Campaign Finance)
March 09, 2020 10:00 - 1 hour - 28 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE What's the impact of money on electoral politics? For instance, how does reliance on large numbers of small donors affect a candidate's appeal to voters? As more candidates recruit more financial support from large numbers of donors online, what's the impact on political parties? Does it further weaken them? I discuss such issues as these--and more, including race, gender, and campaign finance--with Marquette University political scientist Julia Azari and USC law professor ...
Episode 48: The Episodic Man (Discussing Donald Trump w/ Dan McAdams)
February 10, 2020 11:00 - 1 hour - 29 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Dan McAdams is The Henry Wade Rogers Professor of Psychology at Northwestern University, as well as Director of the Foley Center for the Study of Lives. McAdams's areas of interest and expertise include personality and personal narrative. He's also written about the personality and narrative of Donald Trump, going back to when Trump was merely a candidate for President. Trump is now U.S. President (and will remain so, at least for the time being, since he was acquitted in a...
Episode 47: Above and Beyond (Respectability Politics, w/ David Crockett)
January 27, 2020 11:00 - 57 minutes - 26.4 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Within Black communities, "respectability politics" is a term often used to describe efforts at racial uplift that involve efforts at self-regulation in the service of disproving negative racial stereotypes. It includes ensuring that one's conduct is beyond reproach, and that one's standards of dress meet certain high standards (often those of upper-middle class White society). The term also refers to demands that Black Americans engage in such self-regulation. Black figure...
Episode 46: Measure for Measure (Wil Cunningham & Uli Schimmack Discuss the Implicit Association Test)
January 13, 2020 11:00 - 1 hour - 30.7 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Since Tony Greenwald, Debbie McGhee, and Jordan Schwartz introduced the Implicit Association Test to the published literature in 1998, the IAT has taken social psychology by storm, and the notion that implicit bias is prevalent and impactful has taken the world by storm. But to what extent are popular beliefs, and popularizing claims, about implicit bias and the IAT well-supported by the science? What improvements are needed in the science of implicit bias? Does that resear...
Episode 45: Correctional Training (w/ J. Pfaff & M. Rocque)
August 22, 2019 13:00 - 59 minutes - 27.1 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE John Pfaff is Professor of Law at Fordham University, and has areas of expertise that include prisons, criminal law, and sentencing law. Michael Rocque is Associate Professor of Sociology at Bates College, and his areas of expertise include criminological theory, racial disparities in the criminal justice system, and desistance from crime. He has also worked as Senior Research Advisor with the Maine Department of Corrections. In this episode, we use the recent death of Jeff...
Episode 44: Interim Ad Infinitum (On The Use and Abuse of Presidential Appointment Power)
August 06, 2019 11:00 - 30 minutes - 13.8 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Steve Vladeck is the A. Dalton Cross Professor in Law at the University of Texas School of Law. He's also a prolific writer and CNN's Supreme Court analyst, and he's argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. He joined me to discuss the President's power to appoint individuals in an acting capacity in senior positions. This is a power that can be abused--and some would argue has been abused by President Trump. We discuss the power, and possible reforms that could limit abuse. LI...
Episode 43: Trash Talk (w/ Jeffrey M. Berry)
June 24, 2019 12:00 - 30 minutes - 13.8 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Political scientist Jeffrey M. Berry and sociologist Sarah Sobieraj co-authored the book The Outrage Industry, which examines media efforts to provoke outrage in audiences (including efforts that play fast and loose with the facts), as well as the conditions that have encouraged and rewarded such efforts. Berry joined me for a conversation about incivility, outrage rhetoric, and more. LINKS --Tufts University profile for Jeffrey Berry (https://as.tufts.edu/politicalscience/...
Episode 42: Grace Under Pressure (An Abortion Provider In The South)
May 22, 2019 01:00 - 45 minutes - 21 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Lori Beard-Williams is clinic director at Little Rock Family Planning Services, the only full-service abortion provider in the state of Arkansas (my home state). She is also on the Board of Directors of the National Abortion Federation. Given the legislation that's been coming out of such state legislatures as Alabama, Missouri, and Arkansas, we thought abortion was a timely topic. We discuss her professional path, as well as her patients, and the challenges facing her, her...
Episode 41: Judgment Call (The Impeachment Episode)
May 16, 2019 21:00 - 52 minutes - 24.2 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Julia Azari is a political scientist at Marquette University, as well as a frequent contributor to FiveThirtyEight. Seth Masket is a political scientist at the University of Denver, and a contributor to Vox.com's Mischiefs of Faction. The three of us talked about the prospects of impeaching Donald Trump, the potential aftermath, and why it all matters. LINKS --Julia Azari's Marquette University profile (https://www.marquette.edu/political-science/directory/julia-azari.php) ...
Episode 40: Up That Hill (Women in Congress)
May 06, 2019 09:00 - 58 minutes - 28.6 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE As reported by the Pew Reserach Center, the current 116th Congress includes more women (https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/12/18/record-number-women-in-congress/), and is more racially and ethnically diverse (https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/02/08/for-the-fifth-time-in-a-row-the-new-congress-is-the-most-racially-and-ethnically-diverse-ever/), than any previous Congress. Inspired by that shift, this episode features my conversation with political scientists...
Episode 39: Pocket Protection (Compensating College Athletes)
April 24, 2019 09:00 - 54 minutes - 25.3 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE In a report by Chris Smith (https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/2018/09/11/college-footballs-most-valuable-teams/#63d1287f6c64), Forbes lists Texas A&M University's football program as the most profitable in the 2014-2016 seasons. Its three-year average for revenue across those seasons was $148 million. Its three-year average for profit was $107 million. It was the leader of the pack, but far from alone. The 10th most profitable program (at the University of Florida) wa...
Episode 38: Just Theory (w/ John Jost & Jim Sidanius)
March 28, 2019 09:00 - 53 minutes - 24.7 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Historically, many activists and organizers have struggled to enact their visions of social justice, and many do so to this very day. What role, if any, can and should social psychology play in such struggles? Do we have a role to play? Or do the risks of such engagement outweigh any potential rewards? In this episode, I discuss such issues with social psychologists John Jost and Jim Sidanius. Jost co-crafted system justification theory, and Sidanius co-crafted social domin...
Episode 37: Level Up (Advancing Foreign Policy Through Feminism)
March 11, 2019 10:00 - 57 minutes - 26.2 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE As world leaders set their countries' foreign policies, history (https://www.fpri.org/article/2016/04/history-foreign-policy-making-relationship-work/) might seem an obvious basis upon which to base sound policy. Other potential bases that might seem obvious include game theory (https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2017-02-01/trump-and-putins-game-theory) and perhaps even evolutionary theory (http://oxfordre.com/politics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637....
Episode 36: Vet the Technique (w/ Jonathan Haidt & Aaron Hanlon)
March 04, 2019 11:00 - 57 minutes - 27.7 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Given the ultimate purposes of colleges, universities, and academic disciplines, is viewpoint diversity (such as recruiting more conservatives into the social sciences) essential to achieving those purposes? What about free speech? Are trigger warnings an impediment to achieving those purposes? In this episode, I discuss these issues with two publicly engaged scholars: Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist and a faculty member at the New York University Stern School of Busi...
Episode 35: Fear of Falling (w/ Ashley Jardina)
February 25, 2019 11:00 - 39 minutes - 18.2 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Ashley Jardina, a faculty member in political science at Duke University, is the author of White Identity Politics, which is scheduled to go on sale on Thursday, February 28. She and I recently talked about her book, which examines White identity and its political impact. As much as Whiteness has often been treated as a kind of cultural default, and even though it's often assumed that their own race isn't salient to White Americans and that they don't feel solidarity with o...
Episode 34: I Am. I Am. I Am. (w/ J.R. & Vanessa Ford)
January 08, 2019 11:00 - 1 hour - 29 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE My former student Vanessa Ford, and her husband JR, join me to talk about their family's story, and about the experiences of trans youth and their families. Vanessa is a board member for the National Center for Transgender Equality, and JR works for the federal government. They're parents to Ronnie and his younger sister Ellie (who is transgender), and they're also advocates for trans youth. They've written pieces for Newsweek, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. K...
Episode 33: A Christmas Tatter
December 23, 2018 12:00 - 40 minutes - 18.7 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Marine biologist and storyteller Skylar Bayer, psychologists Paul Bloom, Dan Molden, and David Pizarro, Moth storytellers and hosts Shannon Cason and Dame Wilburn, soccer coach Stewart Flaherty, and rhetoric professor Stephanie Kelley-Romano describe their favorite Christmas movies, discuss their criteria for qualifying a movie as a Christmas movie, and offer their opinions on whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie or not. LINKS --Skylar Bayer's personal homepage (https://sk...
Episode 32: Movements (w/ Dan Kaufman)
December 17, 2018 11:00 - 38 minutes - 17.7 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE There are many robust threads of progressivism in the history of Wisconsin, running all the way back to its founding by Scandinavian and German immigrants. It also had influence on progressive policies in other governments, including the federal government. But at least in recent years, conservative officials in the state have successfully enacted policies contrary to the stances of progressives, and in many cases inimical to the interests of organized labor and others. And...
Episode 31: Not Yet (Andersen v. Planned Parenthood)
December 10, 2018 19:00 - 12 minutes - 5.91 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Stephen Vladeck is the A. Dalton Cross Professor in Law at the University of Texas School of Law. He's also CNN's Supreme Court analyst. On the day of its announcement, he and I spoke about the Supreme Court's decision not to review a lower court decision that is at least partially related to abortion (Andersen v. Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri). He also shared his thoughts on what it means that it appears Chief Justice Roberts and Associate Justice Kavanaugh...
Episode 30: Slurred Speech
November 26, 2018 11:00 - 1 hour - 39.8 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE The utterance and writing of gendered and racial or ethnic slurs has often evoked controversy. My philosopher colleague Lauren Ashwell has taken up slurs as a subject of scholarly inquiry. In this episode, we sit for a 90-minute conversation about such issues as what makes a slur a slur, whether slurs can be reclaimed by members of the target group, and why the study of slurs matters. LINKS --Lauren Ashwell's personal website (https://sites.google.com/site/lashwell/) --"Ge...
Episode 29: Mission Creep (On Carrying Implicit Bias Too Far)
November 05, 2018 12:00 - 31 minutes - 15.9 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Talk of implicit bias has moved far beyond its origin in psychology. It's spread to law journals, it informs training in many workplaces (including one famous coffeeshop chain (https://news.starbucks.com/press-releases/starbucks-to-close-stores-nationwide-for-racial-bias-education-may-29)), and it's entered popular discourse. Does that ubiquity carry risks? What balls are we potentially taking our eyes off of when we focus on implicit bias? These are the kinds of issues add...
Episode 28: Magnolia In Bloom (Mississippi Politics)
October 15, 2018 10:00 - 26 minutes - 12.5 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE The recent confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh's appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court--despite vocal and forceful opposition by many people--attests to the importance of being the majority party in the U.S. Senate. Democrats are currently in a narrow minority, and their path to control runs through Senate seats currently held by Republicans, many of which are in rural, agrarian states. One such state is Mississippi, and one such race features Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith and De...
Episode 27: Class Action
September 18, 2018 10:00 - 30 minutes - 13.8 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE An ongoing controversy is whether colleges and universities should be free to consider race and ethnicity in admissions, and how the use of race relates to "merit." As indicated in a recent Gallup poll, many people think merit should trump race or ethnicity, but what do they really mean by "merit"? Whose interests are at stake? What will happen if colleges and universities can't consider race and ethnicity as they decide whom to admit? I discuss these questions with Julie J...
Episode 26: A Mighty Pen, Part II (Another Discussion of the Kavanaugh Nomination)
September 02, 2018 10:00 - 56 minutes - 25.7 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Judge Brett Kavanaugh currently sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, but he's better known now as the more recent Supreme Court nominee by President Donald Trump, nominated to replace retired Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy. This is the second of two episodes focused on Kavanaugh's record and thinking, and the impact his addition would likely have on the Court. I spoke with Jonathan Adler and Brianne Gorod. Adler is the Johan Verheij Memorial Professor ...
Episode 25: A Mighty Pen, Part I (Discussing the Kavanaugh Nomination)
August 14, 2018 09:00 - 58 minutes - 27.6 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Judge Brett Kavanaugh currently sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, but he's better known now as the most recent Supreme Court nominee by President Donald Trump, nominated to replace retired Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy. This is the first of two episodes focused on Kavanaugh's record and thinking, and the impact his addition would likely have on the Court. I spoke with Peter Margulies and Stephen Vladeck. Margulies is Professor of Law at Roger Willi...
Episode 24: Old Times Forgotten (Talking Southern Politics)
August 10, 2018 22:00 - 36 minutes - 16.8 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Jay Barth is the M.E. and Ima Graves Peace Distinguished Professor of Politics at Hendrix College, of which he is an alum (as is the host of this podcast). Jay recently joined Tatter to talk about Arkansas politics, Southern politics, and national politics. Topics included a discussion of just how much support Donald Trump enjoys, whether a new political realignment has occurred in the U.S., what's gotten boring and what's stayed interesting about Arkansas politics, and wha...
Episode 23: Policy of Truth (or, How to Tell a Good Story)
August 06, 2018 09:00 - 58 minutes - 28.3 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Peter Aguero is a Moth storyteller and host, as well as creator and performer of the one-man show Daddy Issues. Tara Clancy is also a Moth storyteller and host, as well as author of the memoir The Clancys of Queens, and a panelist on the quiz show Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! on NPR. Both Aguero and Clancy are Moth GrandSLAM champions. In this conversation, they're joined by social psychologist and communications researcher Melanie Green, who studies stories. As a former prod...
Episode 22: Moats and Bridges
July 23, 2018 09:00 - 30 minutes - 15.9 MBFather James Martin is a Jesuit priest and editor at large for America: The Jesuit Review. He's the author of multiple books, including Building A Bridge: How The Catholic Church And The LGBT Community Can Enter Into A Relationship Of Respect, Compassion, And Sensitivity. Although I had hoped to make this interview the basis of a special Pride episode of Tatter, July was the soonest we could chat, and I am grateful to Father Jim for talking to me. Even though I'm an atheist, and even though I...
Episode 21: Brotherly Love
July 16, 2018 09:00 - 31 minutes - 14.9 MBOn April 12, 2018, Donte Robinson and Rashon Nelson, two Black men, were waiting in a Philadelphia Starbucks for another man to join them for a business meeting. As was widely reported, they were asked to leave after not buying anything and ultimately were arrested for trespassing after refusing to leave. (The manager who called 911 is no longer with Starbucks.) As soon as I learned about this incident, I wanted to talk to a police officer in Philadelphia about what happened, how officers are...
Episode 20: The Humean Stain, Part 2
July 09, 2018 19:00 - 56 minutes - 27.1 MBABOUT THIS EPISODE Implicit bias has been studied by many social psychologists, and one particular measure, the Implicit Association Test (or IAT) has often been used in that research. It has also been used by practitioners, often for purposes of raising participants' awareness of their own biases. And millions have completed IAT's online at the Project Implicit website. In this episode, I continue a discussion with six people who have all thought about the IAT, with the conversation covering...
Episode 19: The Humean Stain, Part 1
July 02, 2018 09:00 - 58 minutes - 27.9 MBOn April 12, 2018, Donte Robinson and Rashon Nelson, two African-American men, were arrested for trespassing at a Philadelphia Starbucks (https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/14/602556973/starbucks-police-and-mayor-weigh-in-on-controversial-arrest-of-2-black-men-in-ph). They were waiting for another person to join them for a meeting, when a manager called the police because they hadn't made a purchase. In the face of ensuing controversy, Starbucks closed stores nationwide one after...
Episode 18: The Story Is Not Enough
June 27, 2018 09:00 - 27 minutes - 13.1 MBJosie Duffy-Rice, an attorney with the Fair Punishment Project, spoke with me about a variety of topics related to criminal justice, including efforts at reform, the ideas of author (and new New York Times columnist) Michelle Alexander, prosecutors (including progressive ones), and race and crime. You should check out this episode, and also follow Josie's Twitter feed. LINKS Fair Punishment Project (http://fairpunishment.org/) Michelle Alexander's book The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in ...