In the second season of Policy Pizza, we expanded geographically, shooting in New York and Chicago as well as locally in Raleigh, North Carolina. In total, we completed 8 episodes ranging from 10 to 24 minutes and covered topics as diverse as education, policing and crime, election security, affirmative action, immigration, city politics, and public sector unions.
We shot and released this season summer/fall of 2023.
Episode 1
Kaitlyn Shepherd, an education policy analyst, explains school choice, which lets families choose the best educational options, including public, private, or charter schools, and homeschooling. She discusses how programs like vouchers make private education more accessible and highlights growing public support for school choice, especially after the pandemic prompted many to reconsider their children’s schooling options.
Episode 2
Attorney and criminal law expert Jon Guze discusses the impact of crime and policing on communities. He emphasizes the importance of police presence in reducing crime, citing research that shows “more police, less crime.” Guze also highlights racial disparities in crime victimization and the challenges of understaffed police forces due to anti-police sentiment following George Floyd’s death.
Episode 3
Daniel Di Martino, a PhD candidate in economics at Columbia University and an immigrant from Venezuela, discusses the dangers of socialism, drawing from his personal experiences under Hugo Chávez’s regime. He also highlights the economic benefits of high-skilled immigration to the United States, advocating for policy reforms to attract and retain talent, which could significantly boost the U.S. economy and competitiveness. Di Martino emphasizes the importance of free enterprise and the need to streamline immigration processes to foster innovation and economic growth. He is the founder of The Dissident Project.
Episode 4
Renu Mukherjee from the Manhattan Institute discusses recent Supreme Court cases on affirmative action and their implications for college admissions. She explores the historical context of race-conscious admissions and the evolving interpretation of diversity, highlighting the controversy around how it has shifted to focus primarily on race. Mukherjee advocates for a broader approach to diversity, emphasizing socioeconomic and viewpoint diversity as potential paths forward. She also addresses the unintended consequences of affirmative action, such as academic mismatch and stigma, and suggests that the recent court rulings could lead to a more holistic and effective approach to achieving true diversity in higher education.
Episode 5
Jim Stirling, a research fellow at the John Locke Foundation, discusses election security, fraud, and redistricting in North Carolina. He explains the importance of maintaining communities of interest in mapmaking and the challenges of prosecuting election fraud, emphasizing the role of the State Board of Elections and transparency in campaign finance.
Episode 6
Donna King, editor-in-chief of Carolina Journal, discusses the critical role of independent journalism in shaping public policy. She highlights the importance of a free press, particularly in ensuring transparency and accountability in government. King reflects on her experiences during significant events like 9/11 and the challenges faced by journalists during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the need for economic freedom and a competitive marketplace for news. She also discusses the concerning trend of declining local news outlets in North Carolina and the potential impact on public discourse and democracy.
Episode 7
Austin Berg from the Illinois Policy Institute discusses the challenges facing Chicago’s governance and offers insights on how other cities have successfully tackled similar issues. Berg, co-author of The New Chicago Way, explores the deep-rooted corruption in Chicago’s political system and advocates for implementing a city charter to establish better checks and balances. He shares compelling stories of individuals like Lisa, who fought against bureaucratic barriers to change the law, highlighting the importance of structured governance and community involvement in improving city life.
Episode 8
Taylor Dawson from the Beacon Center of Tennessee discusses the organization’s efforts to improve public policy in the state. She highlights their work on school choice, helping expand education savings accounts to provide more students with better educational opportunities. Dawson also shares the success of getting Right to Work enshrined in Tennessee’s constitution and efforts to reform business taxes to support small businesses. Additionally, she emphasizes the importance of creating a favorable climate for entrepreneurship and addressing housing affordability by rethinking zoning regulations and property tax usage.
