Populism vs. Socialism

David and Matt break down the differences between populism and socialism, while taking a look at the historic moment the democratic-socialist movement faces. Then we are joined by Alex Bronzini-Vender to talk about the origin of desperate fundraising emails and whether they are here to stay. Read Alex’s article “The Democratic Spam Trap”: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/democratic-party-spam-text-emails-mothership-dnc-midterms.html Read David’s book, The Myth of Red Texas: https://orbooks.com/catalog/the-myth-of-red-texas/ You can get four print issues of Jacobin for just $10, or yearlong digital access for $5, by using the code EMPIREYT: https://jacobin.com/subscribe/?code=EMPIREYT This is the audio version of a video from November 13, 2026. Catch the Jacobin Show on YouTube every Friday at 3 PM ET: https://www.youtube.com/@JacobinMag

David and Matt are joined by Jacobin’s own Branko Marcetic to talk about what happened this week. Will Abdul El-Sayed’s victory silence the critics or embolden them? Will blue Texas be a blip? And just what do these victories mean for socialists? Read Branko’s piece “In Last Night’s Midterms, the Left Proved It Can Win”: https://jacobin.com/2026/11/midterms-socialists-democrats-el-sayed You can get four print issues of Jacobin for just $10, or yearlong digital access for $5, by using the code EMPIREYT: https://jacobin.com/subscribe/?code=EMPIREYT This is the audio version of a video from November 6, 2026. Catch the Jacobin Show on YouTube every Friday at 3 PM ET: https://www.youtube.com/@JacobinMag

A decade ago, Bernie Sanders launched a political movement whose effects we still see today. Jacobin’s editor Micah Uetricht and senior editor Megan Day join David to talk about how Sanders forever changed US politics and breathed life into the socialist movement. Read their piece for Jacobin, “A Decade of Bernie Sanders’s Transformation of America”: https://jacobin.com/2026/10/sanders-ten-year-anniversary-2016-primary And their book, Bigger Than Bernie: https://www.versobooks.com/products/2572-bigger-than-bernie You can get four print issues of Jacobin for just $10, or yearlong digital access for $5, by using the code EMPIREYT: https://jacobin.com/subscribe/?code=EMPIREYT This is the audio version of a video from October 30, 2026. Catch the Jacobin Show on YouTube every Friday at 3 PM ET: https://www.youtube.com/@JacobinMag

David is joined by Shawn Gude, former editor at Jacobin and author of a new book about Eugene Debs, American Socialist. Read the review in Jacobin: https://jacobin.com/2026/10/debs-biography-socialism-class-race You can get four print issues of Jacobin for just $10, or yearlong digital access for $5, by using the code EMPIREYT: https://jacobin.com/subscribe/?code=EMPIREYT This is the audio version of a video from October 23, 2026. Catch the Jacobin Show on YouTube every Friday at 3 PM ET: https://www.youtube.com/@JacobinMag

This week on the Jacobin Show, we discuss Jacobin's latest issue, The New Empire, with two contributors. Features editor and host of Long Reads Daniel Finn joins us to discuss globalization, imperialism, and left internationalism. Read “Their Internationalism and Ours”: https://jacobin.com/2026/09/their-internationalism-and-ours Virgilio Urbina Lazardi joins us to discuss his critique of Thomas Piketty’s proposals for global redistribution. Read “Thomas Piketty’s Utopian Socialism”: https://jacobin.com/2026/09/thomas-pikettys-utopian-socialism You can get four print issues of Jacobin for just $10, or yearlong digital access for $5, by using the code EMPIREYT: https://jacobin.com/subscribe/?code=EMPIREYT This is the audio version of a video from October 16, 2026. Catch the Jacobin Show on YouTube every Friday at 3 PM ET: https://www.youtube.com/@JacobinMag

David speaks to Andre Pagliarini, professor at Louisiana State University and a contributor to Jacobin and Catalyst, about the elections in Brazil, if Lula can still win the presidency, and what lesson we can all take from Lula’s political project. ou can get four print issues of Jacobin for just $10, or yearlong digital access for $5, by using the code JACOBINSHOW25: https://jacobin.com/subscribe/?code=JACOBINSHOW25 This is the audio version of a video from October 9, 2026. Catch the Jacobin Show on YouTube every Friday at 3 PM ET: https://www.youtube.com/@JacobinMag

Matt and David break down Netanyahu’s appearance in New York City and the protests that met him. We also answer: Should socialists reclaim efficiency, and why is sports gambling such a problem for working-class politics? You can get four print issues of Jacobin for just $10, or yearlong digital access for $5, by using the code JACOBINSHOW25: https://jacobin.com/subscribe/?code=JACOBINSHOW25 This is the audio version of a video from September 25, 2026. Catch the Jacobin Show on YouTube every Friday at 3 PM ET: https://www.youtube.com/@JacobinMag

David and Matt talk about why democratic socialism is beating the center — and how the center is lashing out. From attacks on Hasan Piker to empty promises, the center is out of ideas. You can get four print issues of Jacobin for just $10, or yearlong digital access for $5, by using the code JACOBINSHOW25: https://jacobin.com/subscribe/?code=JACOBINSHOW25 This is the audio version of a video from September 18, 2026. Catch the Jacobin Show on YouTube every Friday at 3 PM ET: https://www.youtube.com/@JacobinMag

David is joined by Clarissa Redwine and JS Tan to talk about the many ways the tech industry has set itself up against workers, and how we can beat the power of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos by organizing. You can get four print issues of Jacobin for just $10, or yearlong digital access for $5, by using the code JACOBINSHOW25: https://jacobin.com/subscribe/?code=JACOBINSHOW25 This is the audio version of a video from September 11, 2026. Catch the Jacobin Show on YouTube every Friday at 3 PM ET: https://www.youtube.com/@JacobinMag

David and Matt talk about what democratic socialism is, and why it won’t leave James Carville alone. You can get four print issues of Jacobin for just $10, or yearlong digital access for $5, by using the code JACOBINSHOW25: https://jacobin.com/subscribe/?code=JACOBINSHOW25 This is the audio version of a video from September 4, 2026. Catch the Jacobin Show on YouTube every Friday at 3 PM ET: https://www.youtube.com/@JacobinMag