Podcasting
March 26, 2026
Listen to my latest podcast with the New Books Network
Why haven't fifty years of changemaking and reform fixed Congress — and what does this reveal about American democracy? In Stuck: How Money, Media, and Violence Prevent Change in Congress (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2026), Maya Kornberg chronicles the efforts of congressional reformers over the last fifty years and documents the mounting forces that have kept their reforms from creating meaningful change. The "Watergate babies" of 1974, the Contract with America conservatives of 1994, and the historic 2018 class fueled by backlash to Donald Trump all represent younger, more diverse, and less entrenched members who arrived in Washington energized and idealistic. Kornberg outlines tangible reforms that could restore Congress's capacity to function and amplify the power of its newest members. At a time when Americans are losing faith in democracy's most representative institution, Stuck makes the case for how it could be saved.
Previous episodes
The Political Development of American Debt Relief
Interview with Thurston & Zackin (25 Jun 2024)
Listen here
When Bad Things Happen to Privileged People
An interview with author Dara Z. Strolovitch (October 31, 2023)
Listen here
Why Bad Policies Spread (And Good Ones Don't)
An interview with author Craig Volden (February 21, 2022)
Listen here
The Judicial Tug of War
An interview with authors Maya Sen and Adam Bonica (November 17, 2021)
Listen here
The Limits of Party
An interview with authors Frances E. Lee and James M. Curry (October 6, 2021)
Listen here
Secular Surge
An interview with authors David E. Campbell and Geoffrey C. Layman (August 18, 2021)
Listen here