The New Liberal Podcast's Best Books of 2026 (Part 1)

Matt Yglesias, Jerusalem Demsas, Nate Silver and Jeremiah Johnson sit down for a roundtable on the big questions facing the center left in American politics. Is the center left defined by moderation or liberalism? What's the difference between establishment and center-left? How can the center-left deal with an angry electorate? We tackle all these questions in this joint episode of the Argument Podcast and the New Liberal Podcast. Support the podcast and get involved with your local chapter by becoming a member of the Center for New Liberalism. Join at https://cnliberalism.org/become-a-member Got questions? Send us a note at [email protected]. Follow us at: https://twitter.com/CNLiberalism https://cnliberalism.org/ https://www.instagram.com/cnliberalism/

Why has JD Vance been on a crusade against the economics profession recently? Phil Magness joins the podcast to discuss why JD Vance thinks the concept of GDP is fake, why he's skeptical that consumers having a lot of affordable goods is a good thing, and why the right is turning to 'post-liberal' economics. Further reading:  https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/hillbilly-economics Support the podcast and get involved with your local chapter by becoming a member of the Center for New Liberalism. Join at https://cnliberalism.org/become-a-member Got questions? Send us a note at [email protected]. Follow us at: https://twitter.com/CNLiberalism https://cnliberalism.org/ https://www.instagram.com/cnliberalism/

Is America a force for good in the world? Shadi Hamid joins the podcast to talk about his book The Case for American Power, and why he thinks that the world is better off with a muscular, powerful American government than without America. Support the podcast and get involved with your local chapter by becoming a member of the Center for New Liberalism. Join at https://cnliberalism.org/become-a-member Got questions? Send us a note at [email protected]. Follow us at: https://twitter.com/CNLiberalism https://cnliberalism.org/ https://www.instagram.com/cnliberalism/

Why did Keir Starmer get booted as Prime Minister of the UK? Former Starmer advisor Claire Ainsley joins the podcast to discuss what specifically went wrong for Starmer over the last two years, why the UK keeps cycling through prime ministers, and what this all means for the center left in the UK and around the world. Support the podcast and get involved with your local chapter by becoming a member of the Center for New Liberalism. Join at https://cnliberalism.org/become-a-member Got questions? Send us a note at [email protected]. Follow us at: https://twitter.com/CNLiberalism https://cnliberalism.org/ https://www.instagram.com/cnliberalism/

Education policy has been rocked by the 'Mississippi Miracle' - the sudden improvement of test scores in reading and math in southern states like Mississippi. Kelsey Piper joins the podcast to discuss how those states improved their scores, which teaching methods best help kids, why we fight so much about testing requirements for elite schools, and what reforms we actually need. Support the podcast and get involved with your local chapter by becoming a member of the Center for New Liberalism. Join at https://cnliberalism.org/become-a-member Got questions? Send us a note at [email protected]. Follow us at: https://twitter.com/CNLiberalism https://cnliberalism.org/ https://www.instagram.com/cnliberalism/

It's the semi-annual books episode! Jeremiah breaks down the best books he's read so far in the first half of 2026. He discusses books about the Supreme Court, the history of cancer, criminal justice policy, the Civil War, influencer families, modern conspiracy movements, and much more! Referenced previous episodes:  Sarah Isgur's Last Branch Standing - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/is-the-supreme-court-the-last-branch-standing-ft-sarah-isgur/id1390384827?i=1000762129642 Jennifer Doleac's The Science of Second Chances - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-science-of-second-chances-ft-jennifer-doleac/id1390384827?i=1000751119875 Support the podcast and get involved with your local chapter by becoming a member of the Center for New Liberalism. Join at https://cnliberalism.org/become-a-member Got questions? Send us a note at [email protected]. Follow us at: https://twitter.com/CNLiberalism https://cnliberalism.org/ https://www.instagram.com/cnliberalism/

Why is liberalism in crisis? Jeremiah discusses why people seem to be turning away from liberal principles on both the left and the right. He also talks about the importance of being ruthless within your own party, the benefits of liberal nationalism, and why technocratic competence still matters - and how liberals can tell the stories that will inspire people like they used to. Support the podcast and get involved with your local chapter by becoming a member of the Center for New Liberalism. Join at https://cnliberalism.org/become-a-member Got questions? Send us a note at [email protected]. Follow us at: https://twitter.com/CNLiberalism https://cnliberalism.org/ https://www.instagram.com/cnliberalism/

This week we're bringing you another joint episode of the podcast. I appeared on the Cato Institute's podcast to discuss a question for its libertarian audience - should libertarians and abundance liberals be political allies? I argue in favor, but also discuss the tricky political realities such an alliance would need to navigate. It's an interesting conversation, so we're also bringing it to you here! Support the podcast and get involved with your local chapter by becoming a member of the Center for New Liberalism. Join at https://cnliberalism.org/become-a-member Got questions? Send us a note at [email protected]. Follow us at: https://twitter.com/CNLiberalism https://cnliberalism.org/ https://www.instagram.com/cnliberalism/

In this episode, Jeremiah joins Yascha Mounk to talk about liberal politics, organizing, and why Gen Z isn't actually doomed, even though so many on social media think they are. This episode originally aired on Yascha's podcast The Good Fight, but we're also sharing it here with you! Support the podcast and get involved with your local chapter by becoming a member of the Center for New Liberalism. Join at https://cnliberalism.org/become-a-member Got questions? Send us a note at [email protected]. Follow us at: https://twitter.com/CNLiberalism https://cnliberalism.org/ https://www.instagram.com/cnliberalism/

In this episode, Jeremiah discusses the many scandals swirling around Maine Senate Candidate Graham Platner, what they say about the state of the Democratic Party, and how we would ultimately vote if he lived in Maine. Support the podcast and get involved with your local chapter by becoming a member of the Center for New Liberalism. Join at https://cnliberalism.org/become-a-member Got questions? Send us a note at [email protected]. Follow us at: https://twitter.com/CNLiberalism https://cnliberalism.org/ https://www.instagram.com/cnliberalism/