City Journal Audio

Rafael Mangual joins Brian Anderson to discuss rising disorder in New York City, the city council's just-passed package of police reforms, the causes of the crime spike, and the future of public safety in U.S. cities.

Steven Malanga joins Brian Anderson to discuss New York City's massive expansion in government spending and hiring under Bill de Blasio, the potential long-term impact of Covid-19 on the city budget, and why the next mayor will face a fiscal nightmare. City Journal's special issue, New York City: Reborn, is now available.

Nicole Gelinas joins Brian Anderson to discuss New York City's plan to replace the correctional complex on Rikers Island, how the city's transit system has fared amid the pandemic, the 2021 mayoral race, Governor Cuomo's problems, and more. City Journal's latest special issue, New York City: Reborn, is now available on the website.

Charles Kesler joins Brian Anderson to discuss the divide between liberal and conservative visions of the Constitution, the "three waves of liberalism" that shaped America's twentieth century, and the future of the conservative movement, post-Trump. Kesler's latest book is Crisis of the Two Constitutions: The Rise, Decline, and Recovery of American Greatness.

Swedish author and scholar Johan Norberg joins Brian Anderson to discuss his new book Open: The Story of Human Progress, a finalist for the Manhattan Institute's 2021 Hayek Book Prize. Learn more about the Hayek Prize here.

Christopher Rufo joins Brian Anderson to discuss his recent work on critical race theory (CRT) in American schools, the whistleblowers behind much of his reporting, and President Biden's decision to revoke former president Donald Trump's executive order banning CRT-inspired training in the federal government. Read Rufo's series on CRT in American schools: Failure Factory (Buffalo, NY) Gone Crazy (Manhattan, NY) Bad Education (Philadelphia, PA) Spoiled Rotten (UN International School) "Antiracism" Comes to the Heartland (Springfield, MO) Woke Elementary (Cupertino, CA) Radicals in the Classroom (San Diego, CA) Teaching Hate (Seattle, WA)

Seth Barron joins Brian Anderson to discuss New York governor Andrew Cuomo's handling of the pandemic, Bill de Blasio's time as mayor of New York City and the race to succeed him, and the condition of city politics today. Seth's book, The Last Days of New York, is due out in May.

Chris Pope joins Brian Anderson to discuss the balance of power on Capitol Hill, some major legislation that the new Congress is considering—such as a $15 minimum wage or a "Green New Deal"—and why Senate Democrats are unlikely to abolish the filibuster.

Rafael Mangual joins Brian Anderson to discuss why the Biden administration's policy on law enforcement and prosecution could spell disaster for American cities, last year's nationwide increase in homicides and shootings, and what New York's progressive political class has planned for criminal-justice "reform" in the future.

Brian Anderson talks with long-time writers Heather Mac Donald, Steven Malanga, and Nicole Gelinas about how they came to the magazine, the issues that they have covered over the years, and the future of New York and other American cities. Fred Siegel also joins briefly to talk about City Journal's early years and its importance today. The audio for this episode is adapted from a recent virtual event (watch here).