Julian Zelizer | Professor of History at Princeton | CNN Political Analyst
Julian Zelizer joins Nathan Kiker and George Bogden to assess how polarization and party dynamics have reshaped U.S. governance—and why that matters for foreign policy, markets, and national security. He argues that political parties are indispensable institutions that organize interests and enable collective decision-making, but warns that key guardrails and leadership norms have eroded since the 1990s. The result is a Congress more prone to procedural hardball and performative conflict, with downstream effects on deterrence credibility, budget stability, and the steadiness of U.S. strategy. Zelizer traces a pivotal shift to Newt Gingrich’s ascent, which normalized a confrontational style that weaponized procedure and treated political opponents as illegitimate. Combined with narrow, shifting majorities and social media incentives, these dynamics reward zero-sum tactics over governing. The consequence is a legislature less able to absorb disagreement, negotiate tradeoffs, and deliver predictable policy—conditions that allies, adversaries, and businesses now price into their decisions. He also charts the long arc of the “imperial presidency,” noting that executive power has expanded for decades across parties. Yet Congress retains real leverage: the power of the purse, oversight, and statute remain decisive tools. Zelizer highlights the 1970s as proof that institutional renewal is possible, pointing to reforms on budgeting, ethics, disclosure, and impoundment limits, and offering a sober assessment of the War Powers Resolution’s mixed record. Looking ahead, Zelizer outlines practical steps to rebuild capacity: reestablish guardrails, strengthen committee work and regular order, and better connect party organizations to voters. For policymakers, investors, and security professionals, the message is clear: institutional design and leadership incentives are strategic variables that shape U.S. reliability, crisis response, and long-term competitiveness. Key Topics Discussed Why parties are essential to American democracy—and how frayed leadership norms since the 1990s shifted incentives from governing to procedural combat. The Gingrich-era revolution: weaponized oversight, agenda control, and scorched-earth tactics that redefined congressional power and political culture. The rise of the imperial presidency and how Congress can still reassert authority through budgets, oversight, and targeted statutory reform. War Powers, authorizations for use of force, and the practical constraints Congress faces when presidents act quickly in crises. Paths to renewal: restoring guardrails, rewarding substantive legislating over performative politics, and engaging a new generation of public servants. Chapter Markers 00:00 Introduction to Julian Zelizer 01:05 Why Defend Partisanship? 04:01 Is America's Political System Broken? 06:30 Newt Gingrich and the Modern Republican Party 08:12 How the U.S. Compares to Other Democracies 12:26 Are Today's Politicians Less Effective? 15:48 How Congress Lost Power to the Presidency 21:11 Executive Power, Congress, and the Supreme Court 24:29 The War Powers Debate and Foreign Policy 27:21 Why Biden Succeeded Legislatively 30:06 What the Founders Intended for Congress 31:10 Why Julian Zelizer Remains Optimistic About the Guest Julian E. Zelizer is a leading historian of American politics and Congress, serving as the Malcolm Stevenson Forbes, Class of 1941 Professor of History and Public Affairs at Princeton University. He is the author and editor of numerous books on U.S. governance, including Burning Down the House: Newt Gingrich, the Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of the New Republican Party, and is a frequent analyst on the presidency, party politics, and institutional reform. Support the show
