Episodes
Saturday Mar 12, 2022
The Hope of Political Reform
Saturday Mar 12, 2022
Saturday Mar 12, 2022
We reflect on Aristotle’s critique of Plato’s account of regime change and the possibility of political reform in a fallen world.
Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.
Opening and closing music from the beginning and end of “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission.
Opening (0:52) - We discuss the successes of Geneva’s girls winter sports teams, Matt’s modest Spring Break plans, and the renewed hope for a full baseball season.
Required Reading (3:50) - We discuss the end of Book V of Aristotle’s Politics, where he critiques Plato’s account of regime change, and the possibilities for political reform in a fallen world. Links: Aristotle, The Politics.
Gradebook (22:14) - We grade the two big quarterback moves this week, with Aaron Rodgers returning to the Packers and Russell Wilson moving from the Seahawks to the Broncos. With NFL free agency starting next week, we also reviewed the results of the Patriots’ 2021 free agency spending spree. Links: Rodgers signing, Russell Wilson trade, Patriots free agent signings, Patriots snap counts.
Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com
Matt Parks is the Interim Provost and an Associate Professor of Politics at The King’s College in New York City. David Corbin is Head of School at the Geneva School of Boerne, Texas. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker.
Saturday Mar 05, 2022
Ukraine, Russia, Kings, and Tyrants
Saturday Mar 05, 2022
Saturday Mar 05, 2022
We apply Aristotle’s discussion of kings and tyrants to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the leaders of the two sides.
Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.
Opening and closing music from the beginning and end of “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission.
Opening (0:52) - We talk about the cancellation of the first week of baseball season and Matt’s decision criteria for choosing a good graduate school.
Required Reading (4:07) - We discuss the means of preserving monarchies and tyrannies outlined by Aristotle in Book V, chapters 10-11 of The Politics and apply them to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the political leaders on both sides. Links: Aristotle, The Politics.
Gradebook (20:21) - We review the key themes of President Biden’s State of the Union Address and assess its likelihood of improving the Democrats’ prospects in the 2022 midterm elections. Link: Biden SOTU, Dan McLaughlin at National Review.
Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com
Matt Parks is the Interim Provost and an Associate Professor of Politics at The King’s College in New York City. David Corbin is Head of School at the Geneva School of Boerne, Texas. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker.
Saturday Feb 26, 2022
Education and Regime Preservation
Saturday Feb 26, 2022
Saturday Feb 26, 2022
We discuss Aristotle’s account of regime preservation, with a focus on education and the key qualities of statesmen.
Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.
Opening and closing music from the beginning and end of “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission.
Opening (0:52) - We reflect on our Super Bowl picks and talk about Dave accidentally calling Matt from a Geneva girls basketball game.
Required Reading (3:29) - We discuss the means of preserving regimes outlined by Aristotle in Book V, chapter 8 of The Politics and apply them to American politics then look at his chapter 9 reflections on orienting education and statesmanship toward regime preservation. Links: Aristotle, The Politics; Land of Hope.
Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (26:37) - We predict what President Biden will say about Russia-Ukraine, inflation, and democracy during his upcoming State of the Union Address. Link: RealClearPolitics approval ratings.
Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com
Matt Parks is the Interim Provost and an Associate Professor of Politics at The King’s College in New York City. David Corbin is Head of School at the Geneva School of Boerne, Texas. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker.
Saturday Feb 12, 2022
Democratic, Oligarchic, and Aristocratic Revolutions
Saturday Feb 12, 2022
Saturday Feb 12, 2022
We discuss Aristotle’s account of revolution in democracies, oligarchies, and aristocracies.
Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.
Opening and closing music from the beginning and end of “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission.
Opening (0:52) - We talk about the transition from football season to baseball season and Geneva’s upcoming Daddy-Daughter dance.
Required Reading (3:20) - We begin with reflections on the role of the demagogue in revolutions and new opportunities for demagoguery in our day. We also discuss how revolutions arise in good governments and the revolutionary and counterrevolutionary tendencies in contemporary politics. Links: Aristotle, The Politics; GoFundMe investigations.
Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (31:54) - With both of us one Rams win away from being correct with our preseason MLB and NFL champion projections, we make our picks for the Super Bowl.
Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com
Matt Parks is the Interim Provost and an Associate Professor of Politics at The King’s College in New York City. David Corbin is Head of School at the Geneva School of Boerne, Texas. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker.
Saturday Feb 05, 2022
The Contempt of the Elite and the Road to Revolution
Saturday Feb 05, 2022
Saturday Feb 05, 2022
We discuss Aristotle’s account of the causes of revolution and the contempt of contemporary elites for those they govern.
Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.
Opening and closing music from the beginning and end of “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission.
Opening (0:52) - We talk cold and Covid in New York, Tom Brady’s retirement, and the NFL playoffs.
Required Reading (5:00) - We look at Aristotle’s account of the origins of revolutions, particularly the contests among groups over equality and inequality and then consider the causes for revolution at work in our politics, particularly the apparent contempt of political leaders for the people they govern. Links: Aristotle, The Politics; Justin Trudeau on truckers; Gavin Newsom story.
Gradebook (27:46) - We grade three of Tom Brady’s most historic seasons and the new name for Washington’s NFL team, the Commanders. Links: Tom Brady stats.
Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com
Matt Parks is the Interim Provost and an Associate Professor of Politics at The King’s College in New York City. David Corbin is Head of School at the Geneva School of Boerne, Texas. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker.
Saturday Jan 22, 2022
Reticent Revolutionaries and the 2024 Election
Saturday Jan 22, 2022
Saturday Jan 22, 2022
We discuss the introduction to Aristotle’s account of revolution in Book V of The Politics and consider its implications for the 2024 presidential race.
Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.
Opening and closing music from the beginning and end of “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission.
Opening (0:53) - We talk about the disappointing end to the Patriots’ and back-to-school at Geneva and King’s.
Required Reading (3:37) - We consider the mistaken notions of justice found in democratic and oligarchy regimes and the ways that these have shown up in American history and contemporary politics. We also discuss the reticence of those who are most virtuous to be revolutionaries and enter the American political square. Links: Aristotle, The Politics; Dick Morris on a Trump-Hillary rematch.
Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (25:32) - We review our NFL Wild Card round picks and make our predictions for the four games in the Divisional Round. .
Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com
Matt Parks is the Interim Provost and an Associate Professor of Politics at The King’s College in New York City. David Corbin is Head of School at the Geneva School of Boerne, Texas. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker.
Saturday Jan 15, 2022
The Responsibilities of Political Office
Saturday Jan 15, 2022
Saturday Jan 15, 2022
We reflect on President Biden’s voting rights speech and vaccine mandate in light Aristotle’s teaching on the functions of legislative, executive, and judicial offices.
Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.
Opening and closing music from the beginning and end of “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission.
Opening (0:52) - We talk about our Christmas breaks, Omicron, and Dave’s state-of-the-school address.
Required Reading (5:18) - We conclude our discussion of Book IV of The Politics with Aristotle’s reflections on the legislative, executive, and judicial functions of government, applying them to President Biden’s Atlanta speech on voting rights and the debate over the constitutionality of the federal vaccine mandate. Links: Aristotle, The Politics; President Biden’s speech; The Supreme Court and the vaccine mandate; The Job Safety Law of 1970; Corbin and Swanson on Aristotle’s Politics.
Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (29:04) - We review the good, the bad, and ugly of our preseason NFL picks and make our predictions for the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com
Matt Parks is the Interim Provost and an Associate Professor of Politics at The King’s College in New York City. David Corbin is Head of School at the Geneva School of Boerne, Texas. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker.
Saturday Dec 18, 2021
The Mixed Regime and Political Moderation
Saturday Dec 18, 2021
Saturday Dec 18, 2021
We discuss Aristotle’s account of the best regime for most places, a mixed regime balancing the excellencies of oligarchy and democracy.
Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.
Opening and closing music from the beginning and end of “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission.
Opening (0:53) - We look forward to Christmas break and talk about the new Corbin dog, Tex, and his relations with Tenny, the original Corbin dog.
Required Reading (4:15) - We discuss Aristotle’s account of aristocracy and polity in the second half of Book IV of The Politics in search of the best regime for most places. Links: Aristotle, The Politics.
Gradebook (26:04) - We grade four possible choices for a new family pet this Christmas season.
Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com
Matt Parks is the Interim Provost and an Associate Professor of Politics at The King’s College in New York City. David Corbin is Head of School at the Geneva School of Boerne, Texas. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker.
Saturday Dec 11, 2021
Democratic Demagoguery and Closed Oligarchies
Saturday Dec 11, 2021
Saturday Dec 11, 2021
We discuss Aristotle’s reflections on the best and worst sorts of democracy and oligarchy.
Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.
Opening and closing music from the beginning and end of “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission.
Opening (0:54) - We discuss the Patriots’ big Monday night win over the Bills, the prospects for a Patriots-Bucs Super Bowl, and conspiracy theories around Bill Belichick’s pregame Navy facemask.
Required Reading (4:06) - We discuss Aristotle’s account of the different types of democracy and oligarchy in Book IV of The Politics and the role that statesmanship, property, and the rule of law play in moderating regimes. Links: Aristotle, The Politics.
Crystal Ball (25:17) - We make our picks for the Army-Navy game, discuss the new Corbin rules for deciding the winner of the Command-in-Chief Trophy, and then project the winners in the College Football playoffs.
Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com
Matt Parks is the Interim Provost and an Associate Professor of Politics at The King’s College in New York City. David Corbin is Head of School at the Geneva School of Boerne, Texas. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker.
Saturday Dec 04, 2021
Hyperpartisanship and the Christian Citizen
Saturday Dec 04, 2021
Saturday Dec 04, 2021
We discuss how hyperpartisanship threatens the stability of a republic and the temptation for Christians to emphasize political attachments over their commitment to Christ.
Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.
Opening and closing music from the beginning and end of “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission.
Opening (0:53) - We discuss our day-before-Thanksgiving challenges on the roads and at the dentist’s office.
Required Reading (2:40) - We discuss the complexity of political analysis in a world of great economic and ideological variety and the danger of hyperpartisan political passions for Christians especially in light of Aristotle’s analysis of regimes in Book IV, chapter 3 of his Politics. Links: Aristotle, The Politics.
Gradebook (25:13) - We grade four trophies awarded to the winners of college football rivalry games. Links: Egg Bowl; Iron Bowl; Minnesota-Wisconsin.
Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com
Matt Parks is the Interim Provost and an Associate Professor of Politics at The King’s College in New York City. David Corbin is Head of School at the Geneva School of Boerne, Texas. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker.