December 23, 2024

Part One: Eric Klinenberg is a professor of Sociology, and Director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University. He joins us to talk about his new book, “Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life.” We begin with his recent NY Times piece, “To Restore Civil Society, Start with the Library.” Eric believes that the future of democratic societies rests on shared values AND shared spaces.

Part Two: Our weekly trip to the doctor – Steffen Schmidt, aka Dr. Politics, from Iowa State University. Topics include: Kavanaugh, Trump, evangelicals, Jeff Sessions, Democrats, and more.