Episodes
Saturday Nov 20, 2021
The Best Regime and the American Founding
Saturday Nov 20, 2021
Saturday Nov 20, 2021
We discuss Aristotle’s four ways of thinking about the best regime and Harry Jaffa’s case for (the principles of) the American founding as the best practical regime.
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 kid birthday celebrations, the New England Patriots’ recent success, and the Publius Posse’s big fantasy football win over the Canyon Lake Texans.
Required Reading (4:24) - We discuss four ways of thinking about the best regime, the different types of each regime, and Aristotle’s rank ordering of regimes and then consider Harry Jaffa’s argument for the (principles of the) American Founding as the best regime. Links: Aristotle, The Politics; Harry Jaffa, “The American Founding as the Best Regime”.
Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (28:22) - We look back at our preseason NFL predictions and talk about our biggest hits and misses.
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 Nov 13, 2021
Regimes, part 4: The Rule of the One or the Rule of Law
Saturday Nov 13, 2021
Saturday Nov 13, 2021
We discuss the final chapters of book III of Aristotle’s Politics as he compares different forms of monarchy to the rule of law.
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 success of the University of Texas-San Antonio football team, the Braves’ World Series win, our big matchup this week in fantasy football, and the consequences of the recent election results; 2010 election results.
Required Reading (8:05) - We reflect on different forms of monarchy, their limits, and the benefits of the rule of law. Link: Aristotle, The Politics;
Gradebook (28:37) - We grade how well Republicans and Democrats are positioned for the 2022 midterm elections: 2009 election results; 2017 election results; 2018 election results; 1964 Republican Party primaries.
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 Oct 30, 2021
Regimes, part 3: A Just Claim to Rule
Saturday Oct 30, 2021
Saturday Oct 30, 2021
We discuss Aristotle’s assessment of the role of the multitude in a well-ordered political community and the possibility of excellent leadership in a democratic society.
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 respond to a listener’s complaint about our NBA picks and discuss the Braves’ game 1 victory in the World Series.
Required Reading (3:19) - We reflect on different claims to rule, especially those of the multitude and the virtuous. Link: Aristotle, The Politics.
Crystal Ball (31:23) - We predict the results of the rest of the games of the World Series. Spoiler alert: Dave has the Braves in 4; Matt has the Braves in 6.
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 Oct 23, 2021
Regimes, part 2: The Rich and the Poor
Saturday Oct 23, 2021
Saturday Oct 23, 2021
We discuss the most common regimes historically, the rule of the rich (oligarchy) and the rule of the poor (democracy), and the ways that the American regime was designed to prevent conflict between the rich and the poor.
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) - Fall has arrived with a vengeance in New York while the Red Sox and Braves are looking a little more shaky in their quests for the World Series.
Required Reading (3:58) - We discuss Aristotle’s reflections on the rule of the rich (oligarchy) and the rule of the poor (democracy) and the way that this rivalry shows up in American history and contemporary politics. Link: Aristotle, The Politics; Pew Research Poll; David Harsanyi on income tax shares; Gallup poll on income inequality.
Crystal Ball (26:39) - Following the opening night of the new NBA season, we predict the Eastern Conference, Western Conference, and overall NBA champions and the regular season win totals for the Celtics and Lakers.
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 Oct 16, 2021
Regimes, part 1: The One, The Few, and the Many
Saturday Oct 16, 2021
Saturday Oct 16, 2021
We discuss Aristotle’s taxonomy of regimes and the way that the one, the few, and the many continue to compete for power in our day.
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 Dave’s trip to watch the Patriots beat the Texans, the Red Sox’s continued playoff success, and a pleasant early fall in New York.
Required Reading (3:28) - We discuss how Aristotle divides regimes based on who rules and for what purpose with application to contemporary questions like the wisdom of term limits. Link: Aristotle, The Politics.
Open the Gradebook (26:06) - Now that all five of the quarterbacks drafted in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft have started at least one game, we grade the performance of each to date. Link: ESPN quarterback statistics.
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 Oct 09, 2021
The Good Citizen and the Good Man
Saturday Oct 09, 2021
Saturday Oct 09, 2021
We discuss how citizenship is defined relative to a regime and the tension between being a good citizen and a good person, with applications from American history and contemporary politics.
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 Red Sox’s big victory over the Yankees in the American League Wild Card game, the (Yankees’) Curse of the Parks, Dave’s 50th birthday serenades from Geneva School students, and his upcoming trip to watch the Patriots play the Texans in Houston.
Required Reading (5:26) - We continue our discussion of citizenship in light of chapters 2-5 of Aristotle’s Politics and the question of the relationship between the good citizen and the good man. Link: Aristotle, The Politics.
Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (29:19) - We make series by series predictions for the baseball 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 Sep 25, 2021
In Memory of Dr. Angelo M. Codevilla
Saturday Sep 25, 2021
Saturday Sep 25, 2021
We reflect on the life and writings of our great teacher, Dr. Angelo M. Codevilla, and his commitment to the restoration of active American citizenship.
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 react to the death of Dr. Codevilla and discuss our special privilege of being his students.
Required Reading (5:58) - We discuss citizenship as it is presented in the opening chapter of book 3 of Aristotle’s Politics, applying the lessons of the text to our political life today. Link: Aristotle, The Politics.
Dr. Codevilla: teacher, mentor, Christian (19:00) - We discuss Dr. Codevilla as teacher, mentor, and Christian. Link: “American Exodus” at Tablet; books by Dr. Codevilla.
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 Sep 18, 2021
Reform and Revolution
Saturday Sep 18, 2021
Saturday Sep 18, 2021
We discuss Aristotle’s reflections on how to improve a regime at the end of Book II of his Politics and apply them to conservative and progressive efforts to reform and revolutionize the American founders’ republic.
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 the start of the school year at Geneva and King’s, fall in New York, perpetual summer in Texas, and Matt’s big week 1 win over Dave in their fantasy football league.
Required Reading (4:15) - We discuss Aristotle’s critiques of the ancient regimes of Sparta, Corinth, and Carthage, his commendation of Solon’s reforms in Athens, and the application of both to the American regime. Links: Aristotle, The Politics; Calvin Coolidge’s address on the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Gradebook (27:01) - With Dave’s 50th birthday on the horizon, we grade three different ways to celebrate round number birthdays.
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 Sep 11, 2021
Optics and Egalitarianism
Saturday Sep 11, 2021
Saturday Sep 11, 2021
Aristotle’s critiques of an ancient proposal to equalize property and a focus on political perception more than political reality leads us into a discussion of the sources of human division and the dangers of our optics-based politics.
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 Dave’s first day as Head of School, the beginning of the King’s academic year, and our fantasy football draft.
Required Reading (3:58) - We discuss Aristotle’s critiques of an ancient proposal to secure political peace by equalizing property and an approach to politics that focuses on appearances more than reality. Links: Aristotle, The Politics.
Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (21:37) - We conclude our NFL divisional predictions, looking at the AFC East and NFC East, and make our picks for the NFL playoffs, concluding in Super Bowl LVI. Link: ESPN projections.
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 Sep 04, 2021
The Public and the Private
Saturday Sep 04, 2021
Saturday Sep 04, 2021
We discuss the dangers of conceiving of the political community as a large family and holding property in common in light of Aristotle’s critique of Plato’s Republic at the beginning of book 2 of his Politics.
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 Dave choosing Alabama as his college football team, the virtues of Buc-ee’s convenience stores, and our quest for listeners in Wyoming and North Dakota.
Required Reading (5:22) - We reflect on Aristotle’s critique of Plato’s Republic in the first six chapters of book two of his Politics, as Aristotle stresses the dangers of holding property and family life in common. Links: Aristotle, The Politics.
Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (27:40) - We make our next round of NFL divisional predictions, looking at the AFC North and NFC North. Link: ESPN projections.
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.