552 | Mark K. Updegrove: Presidential Character & the Weight of History - What Makes a Good President?

REALIGNMENT NEWSLETTER: https://therealignment.substack.com/PURCHASE BOOKS AT OUR BOOKSHOP: https://bookshop.org/shop/therealignmentEmail Us: [email protected] from paternity leave, Saagar Enjeti returns to The Realignment. Marshall and Saagar discuss the aftermath of U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran's nuclear program, how the operation compares to previous interventions, why the non-interventionist MAGA faction lost to interventionists, why alternative media's policy influence relative to its popularity was overstated, and the future of nuclear non-proliferation.

REALIGNMENT NEWSLETTER: https://therealignment.substack.com/PURCHASE BOOKS AT OUR BOOKSHOP: https://bookshop.org/shop/therealignmentEmail Us: [email protected] week, Marshall interviewed Abundance co-author Derek Thompson and Representative Jake Auchincloss at WelcomeFest 2025. Marshall, Derek, and Jake's panel focused on the abundance agenda's place in debates about the future of the Democratic Party, the center-left's lack of a defining vision in contrast to the populist left and right's clarity, their reaction to polls indicating populism polls stronger than abundance, the importance of "telling stories" vs. articulating plans for the country, and the need to expand the abundance agenda debate beyond housing to the role of technology and progress in America.

Steve Teles in Ezra Klein's NYT column: Opinion | The Abundance Agenda Has Its Own Theory of Power - The New York TimesJosh Barro on Unions and Abundance: In Blue Cities, Abundance Will Require Fighting Labor UnionsREALIGNMENT NEWSLETTER: https://therealignment.substack.com/PURCHASE BOOKS AT OUR BOOKSHOP: https://bookshop.org/shop/therealignmentEmail Us: [email protected]

Abundance vs. Populism Polling: Poll: Democratic voters prefer "populism" over "abundance"REALIGNMENT NEWSLETTER: https://therealignment.substack.com/PURCHASE BOOKS AT OUR BOOKSHOP: https://bookshop.org/shop/therealignmentEmail Us: [email protected] Teles, Johns Hopkins University Professor and Niskanen Center Senior Fellow, returns to The Realignment. Steve and Marshall discuss new polling that that indicates voters, especially Democrats, prepare populist economic messaging to the "bottlenecks"-focused abundance agenda, why abundance and populism are complimentary, not oppositional, the dangers of over-focusing on polls (whether you're pro or anti abundance), and how the abundance agenda could address higher education challenges.

Post-Neoliberalism Conference: Beyond NeoliberalismREALIGNMENT NEWSLETTER: https://therealignment.substack.com/PURCHASE BOOKS AT OUR BOOKSHOP: https://bookshop.org/shop/therealignmentEmail Us: [email protected] Gary Gerstle and Noam Maggor, organizers of the Beyond Neoliberalism conference, join The Realignment. Marshall, Noam, and Gary discuss the origins and aims of their conference, why conversations about post-neoliberalism aren't just about wonky, academic jargon, the rise and fall of the New Deal and Neoliberal political orders, why 1990s neoliberal thinking no longer helps us think through today's challenges, the false starts and stops of the post-2016 realignment era, and what a post-neoliberal political order could look like. 

REALIGNMENT NEWSLETTER: https://therealignment.substack.com/PURCHASE BOOKS AT OUR BOOKSHOP: https://bookshop.org/shop/therealignmentEmail Us: [email protected] Fletcher, co-author of Industrial Policy for the United States: Winning the Competition for Good Jobs and High-Value Industries, joins The Realignment. Marshall and Ian discuss what industrial policy actually means and why it includes trade policy, the rise and fall of free trade orthodoxy, what went right and wrong with Trump and Biden's industrial policy strategies, why "Liberation Day" isn't enough to reindustrialize America, and which industries and technologies the U.S. should focus its attention on. 

REALIGNMENT NEWSLETTER: https://therealignment.substack.com/PURCHASE BOOKS AT OUR BOOKSHOP: https://bookshop.org/shop/therealignmentEmail Us: [email protected] Teles, Niskanen Center Senior Fellow and Johns Hopkins University professor, returns to The Realignment. Marshall and Steve discuss the abundance agenda's future prospects, takeaways from the book tour, the left populist response to abundance, the differences between Steve's "captured economy" thesis and left concerns that abundance is too disinterested in corporate power and big money, and the prospects for right-wing, "dark abundance," during and after the Trump administration.

Mark K. Updegrove, President and CEO of the LBJ Foundation, former Director of the LBJ Library and Museum, and author of Make Your Mark: Lessons in Character from Seven Presidents, joins The Realignment. Marshall and Mark discuss the relationship between character, leadership, and greatness in the American presidency, the case for not approaching politicians cynically, the personal stories behind Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and other late 20th century presidents, any why even flawed leaders leave behind admirable traits worth learning from.

REALIGNMENT NEWSLETTER: https://therealignment.substack.com/PURCHASE BOOKS AT OUR BOOKSHOP: https://bookshop.org/shop/therealignmentEmail Us: [email protected] Cassidy, New Yorker Staff Writer and author of Capitalism and Its Critics: A History from the Industrial Revolution to AI, joins The Realignment. Marshall and John discuss the rise of anti-capitalist sentiment on the left and right, from President Trump's economic nationalism to the democratic socialism of Senator Bernie Sanders, the missed opportunities of the globalization era, the failures of trade policy, the coming AI disruption, and tensions between tech and democracy.

Three Visions of Where Democrats Went Wrong | The Ezra Klein Show - Zephyr Teachout and Saikat ChakrabartiREALIGNMENT NEWSLETTER: https://therealignment.substack.com/PURCHASE BOOKS AT OUR BOOKSHOP: https://bookshop.org/shop/therealignmentEmail Us: [email protected] Wilkins, President and CEO of the Roosevelt Institute and alumn of the White House and Lina Khan's Federal Trade Commission, joins The Realignment. Marshall and Elizabeth discuss why the left has reacted critically to the abundance agenda, her agreement with Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson's emphasis on enhancing state capacity, and how to restore faith in government. They explore the tension between technocratic fixes and populist demands, the need for effective political storytelling, and why "small," tangible wins like banning junk fees and non-competes matter as much as big legislative wins.