John McWhorter & Marc Dunkelman – Why Nothing Works

Support The Glenn Show at https:/.glennloury.substack.comVideo Links0:00 Why Marc thinks nothing works6:45 Who decides the winners and losers in public trade-offs?12:50 Penn Station and public interest logjams20:29 Marc: We have Trump because people feel that government doesn’t work28:17 Two progressive conceptions of power33:03 Finding the balance between centralized and dispersed power39:05 Ok, nothing works. So how do we get things working?51:28 Marc: We need a return to Hamiltonian governing55:03 The new class of moderate Democrats trying to get things doneRecorded September 6, 2025Links and ReadingsMarc’s new book, Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress—and How to Bring It BackMarc’s book, The Vanishing Neighbor: The Transformation of American CommunityRobert Putnam’s book, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American CommunityRobert Caro’s book, The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New YorkEzra Klein and Derek Thompson’s book, AbundanceJennifer Pahlka’s book, Recoding America: Why Government Is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do BetterYoni Applebaum’s book, Stuck: How the Privileged and Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe