Contested Politics

Episodes

1. 33

   Breaking Down the 2024 California Propositions

   Long time no see, Contested listeners! While Contested is not making a full return, we wanted to provide some helpful information regarding the 2024 California propositions on this year's ballot. From minimum wage to rent control, there are a lot of critical policy proposals put to the California...

   Oct 23, 2024

   48m
2. 1

   Episode 1: Clint Borgen: US Foreign Aid

   Global poverty remains one of the largest international crises, especially considering the economic fallout from COVID-19. While many recognize global poverty as a major problem, solutions vary wildly. One commonly proposed solution is US foreign aid to humanitarian organizations. While critics…

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   Jul 5, 2021

   22m
3. 31

   Ethan Gutterman: Internet Radicalization

   When QAnon supporters stormed the National Mall on January 6th, many people were left wondering how this could have happened. What would drive someone to adopt such a crazy conspiracy theory? In the era of instant connectivity and unlimited social media websites, it's not hard to find someone…

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   Feb 22, 2021

   27m
4. 30

   William Sepesi: Artificial Intelligence

   It's very easy to feel overwhelmed by the pace of computer development. In just the past few decades, we have gone from simple word processors to talking, learning machines with artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence poses many questions, technical and not. To explore the developmental...

   Feb 15, 2021

   26m
5. 29

   Katherine Beck: The School to Prison Pipeline

   In the past few years, the term "school-to-prison-pipeline" has been used more and more to describe racism in the American education system. Whether it be zero-tolerance drug policies or the lack of robust extracurriculars, many racial justice advocates point to failures in education as a reason...

   Feb 1, 2021

   20m
6. 28

   Isaac Goff-Mitchell: Running Campaigns

   In theory, at the heart of any democracy is winning a majority of the public's support. IAs such, elections are the most direct way for any citizen to influence politics. But in an era of hyper-partisanship, social media, and a global pandemic, running a political campaign has never been more...

   Jan 18, 2021

   33m
7. 27

   Mark Greenberg: Pardons

   The United States' criminal justice system is highly technical and complex. With various burdens of proof, appeals courts, and legal remedies, it seems odd that the president could simply bypass the whole system. Trump's presidential pardons have become a hot-button topic of late but many of the...

   Dec 21, 2020

   25m
8. 26

   Matt Sutton: Drug Decriminalization

   This past election day, Oregon passed an initiative to decriminalize all drugs. In general, drug decriminalization has become a staple ballot initiative, with many states across the nation now permitting marijuana usage of some kind. But what is drug decriminalization and how is it different than...

   Dec 14, 2020

   24m
9. 25

   Thomas Schramm: BDS

   The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is arguably the most sensitive geopolitical issue today. With both Israeli and Palestinian immigrants living in the US, American institutions are often forced to confront this issue head-on. And oddly enough, colleges and universities have become a primary...

   Dec 7, 2020

   26m
10. 24

    Teddy Alvarez-Nissen: Social Media Messaging

    By now, it's likely that you have seen some sort of political infographic on social media. It has a pastel background, a few words in a bolded font and claims to break down a political issue in just a few sliding pictures. It's effective spread of information often comes at the cost of…

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    Nov 16, 2020

    31m
11. 23

    Second Look 2: The 2020 Election Breakdown

    After days of waiting, it is now safe to say that Joe Biden will be the next president of the United States. While the win is easy to cheer or jeer on it's face, there is a lot to learned from this campaign cycle. From COVID-19 leading to record amounts of mail-in ballots to Georgia now being...

    Nov 9, 2020

    27m
12. 22

    Ari, Jackson, Adam and Thomas: California's 2020 Propositions

    Confused on the 12 propositions in California this year? We got you covered with a panel who breaks down every prop, covering what each measure does (and doesn't) do and who's funding it. Even if you have already sent in your ballot by mail or don't live in California, this conversation touches…

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    Oct 12, 2020

    1h 07m
13. 21

    Daniel Raimi: Fracking

    With the ever-growing threat of climate change, one of the most difficult environmental issues politicians have to deal with is fracking. Fracking, a form of natural resource extraction, causes clear environmental damage yet is an economic backbone for many places around the country. Presidential...

    Oct 5, 2020

    29m
14. 20

    Marissa Blum: Verbatim Theatre in the Israel/Palestine Conflict

    As the great author Toni Morrison said “The best art is political and you ought to be able to make it unquestionably political and irrevocably beautiful at the same time.” For today's show I sit down with someone who makes the unequivocally political yet beautiful art Morrison describes. Marissa...

    Sep 21, 2020

    23m
15. 19

    Michael Hankinson: NIMBYism

    With California's housing crisis at the breaking point, the need for affordable housing is at an all-time high. However, even with monetary support from politicians, projects simply don't get built. The reason: NIMBYism. The ideology of NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) has dominated American suburbs…

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    Sep 7, 2020

    36m
16. 18

    Gus Gress: The 2020 Census

    One of the most important duties any person residing in America (not American citizen) can do, besides voting, is completing the Census every ten years. However, despite its importance, there is a consistent under-counting of the population which leads to a whole bunch of problems. To explore the...

    Aug 31, 2020

    29m
17. 17

    Laz Meiman and Mike Monetta: Campaign Finance Reform

    If you've ever heard Bernie Sanders speak, you're probably aware that he is not a fan of "special interests" and SuperPACs. In fact, over 90% of Americans are concerned with the influx of big money in politics. So, to understand how we got here and the path forward, I sit down with cof-founder of...

    Aug 3, 2020

    42m
18. 16

    Second Look: Episode 1

    On our new segment, Second Look, we revisit some of the topics we recently covered on Contested, including the end of this year's Supreme Court term as well as developments in the Black Lives Matter protests. With so much going on in the news cycle, sometimes it's best to step back and take a...

    Jul 13, 2020

    25m
19. 15

    Katie Mead: CRISPR

    Once a concept only to be found in science fiction movies, gene editing is now making its way into the realm of possibility. However, scientific discovery isn't the only part of the conversation when it comes to CRISPR editing; the bio-ethical questions surrounding gene editing are hardly…

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    Jul 6, 2020

    18m
20. 14

    Jessica Chiriboga: The LGBTQ Community and The Court

    Just days before the landmark Supreme Court ruling that held that LGBTQ folks cannot be fired due to their sexual orientation or gender identity was released, GLSEN National Student Council Member and Supreme Court watcher Jessica Chiriboga gives her thoughts on the case and provides some...

    Jun 15, 2020

    26m
21. 13

    Ari Stern: Title IX and Sexual Assault

    In the midst of news about BLM movements and Covid-19, Education Secretary DeVos' new Title IX guidelines about how to deal with reports of sexual assault and rape on college campuses has flown under the radar. While seemingly technical, these new rules can have a massive impact on college age...

    Jun 8, 2020

    21m
22. 12

    Bayo Collins/Nick Catalano: Police Brutality and George Floyd

    After the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, protests erupted nationwide to bring light to the longstanding issues of police brutality and systemic racism. However while many are quick to condemn the actions taken by police in Minnesota, protesting methods and policy options at large vary...

    Jun 1, 2020

    41m
23. 11

    Ben Holtzman/Antonio Herrera: Gun Control

    Since the 1999 Columbine school shooting, gun violence has become an increasingly important issue for young and old Americans alike. However, polices and solutions to the ever-growing gun violence epidemic in America are polarized, with compromise among legislators being few and far between. So…

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    May 25, 2020

    28m
24. 10

    Albert Fuentes: Utilitarianism

    The iconic trolley problem: a train at an unstoppable speed is headed toward 5 people. You have the ability to change its course, but kill only one person in the process. What do you do? The reason most people will divert the train yet want to open the economy at the risk of thousands all goes…

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    May 12, 2020

    23m
25. 9

    Eric Luo & Zoe Monterola: 6feet Supplies

    When the stay at home order hit the Santa Clarita Valley, two teens saw a problem in their community and created a model charity in response. Fresh off their interview with CNN, I sit down with the founders of 6feet Supplies, Eric Luo and Zoe Monterola. If you are interested in their work, visit...

    May 4, 2020

    23m
26. 8

    Zack Ritter: A Conversation on Race (Part 2)

    This episode picks up exactly where Part 1 left off. If you haven't listened to Part 1, please do so before listening to Part 2.

    Apr 27, 2020

    16m
27. 7

    Zack Ritter: A Conversation on Race (Part 1)

    Unlike other episodes thus far, this episode is a straight recording of a conversation I had with Associate Dean of Students at Cal State Dominguez Hills, Zack Ritter. With everything from a Jewish lens on race to historical inequities in America and beyond, this free-flowing conversation has it...

    Apr 20, 2020

    22m
28. 6

    Jad Soucar: Sports Diplomacy

    International relations and diplomatic negotiation is regarded as one of the most strategic elements of politics. With many different tools and strategies at America's disposal, one stands out from all the rest: sports. Jad Soucar explains what sports diplomacy is and why it might be a foreign...

    Apr 13, 2020

    14m
29. 5

    Jackson Downey: The Wealth Tax

    With income inequality at a near all-time high and a recession brewing, the desire for a solution has led many to support a wealth tax. Jackson Downey explains everything from Elizabeth Warren to art galleries and its relation to the accumulation of wealth in America.

    Apr 6, 2020

    19m
30. 4

    Sarrah Hussain: Female Genital Mutilation

    The often unknown yet widespread issue of FGM is broken down by Sarrah Hussain. From the scale to impacts of FGM, this detrimental practice is made easy to understand and act upon for both the expert and like me, the uninformed.

    Mar 31, 2020

    19m
31. 3

    Sophia Ziskin: Veganism

    All jokes aside, veganism has been identified as an emerging solution to climate change, consistently successful diet and effective way to prevent animal cruelty. Sophia Ziskin explains it all and makes the argument: everyone should go vegan.

    Mar 25, 2020

    20m
32. 2

    Welcome to Contested!

    Welcome to Contested Politics! Whether you are here out of support or curiosity, we're glad to have you. Stay tuned for more content shortly.

    Mar 22, 2020

    1m
33. 1

    Adam Hussain: The Case For Bidets

    The mass hoarding of toilet paper has been one of the oddest parts of the COVID-19 outbreak. Producer Adam Hussain makes the case for why toilet paper in general should be a thing of the past.

    Mar 22, 2020

    15m