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On this week's show, we bring you a national conversation with Marc Dunkelman, author of the book "Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress—And How to Bring It Back," that was hosted by the High Speed Rail Alliance on April 4, 2025. Marc J. Dunkelman is a fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs and a former fellow at NYU's Marron Institute of Urban Management. During more than a decade working in politics, he worked for Democratic members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives and as a senior fellow at the Clinton Foundation. The author of The Vanishing Neighbor, Dunkelman's work has also appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Atlantic, and Politico. He lives in Providence, Rhode Island. America built the world's greatest rail network, along with a vast electrical grid, interstate highways, abundant housing, the Social Security system, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and more. But today, even while facing pressing challenges that include dilapidated infrastructure and a climate crisis, progress is difficult. In this talk, you'll hear from Marc Dunkelman, author of the new book Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress—And How to Bring It Back. He argues that both conservatives and progressives have played a role in creating gridlock that stifles progress, and that we can get past it. Learn more about Why Nothing Works at https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/marc-j-dunkelman/why-nothing-works/9781541700215/ Learn about upcoming webinars hosted by the Alliance: https://www.hsrail.org/events/ Become a member of the High Speed Rail Alliance: https://www.hsrail.org/join-us/ The High Speed Rail Alliance is a 501(C)(3) non-profit, supported by individual members who want fast, frequent, and affordable trains throughout North America. Truth to Power airs every Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 11am, and Sunday at 7pm on Louisville's grassroots, community radio station, Forward Radio 106.5fm WFMP and live streams at https://www.forwardradio.org
Frustrated with never-ending interstate repairs and constant airline delays, Jonah Goldberg looks to the sky and wonders; Why does nothing work? Marc J. Dunkelman, fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, has the answers. Marc and Jonah discuss the origins and transformation of American progressive policy, the spirit of the NIMBYs, and a bold proclamation that we need even more institutions to achieve good governance. Show Notes: —Order Marc's book, Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress―and How to Bring It Back here —Learn more about the Watson Institute The Remnant is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access all of The Dispatch's offerings—including Jonah's G-File newsletter, regular livestreams, and other members-only content—click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As MAGA continues to vandalize the Federal bureaucracy, some progressives are beginning to publicly acknowledge their role in the historic undermining of the US government. In his provocative new book Why Nothing Works, the self-styled “progressive” Marc Dunkelman argues that it was the left - in their cultural aversion to power over the last half century - who have broken the U.S. government. If progressives want to get something…. anything, in fact, done in America - from building high speed railways to more affordable housing - Dunkelman argues that the Democrats need to once again embrace positive government. Don't blame Trump for Musk's chainsaw, Dunkelman tells the Democrats. Blame yourselves.Here are the 5 KEEN ON AMERICA takeaways in this conversation with Dunkelman:* The Progressive Dilemma: Progressivism has two competing impulses that need to be in balance - one that seeks to centralize power to accomplish major projects (the "Hamiltonian" approach), and another that is suspicious of centralized authority and seeks to distribute power (the "Jeffersonian" approach). Since the 1960s, the balance has shifted heavily toward suspicion of power.* Crisis of Effective Governance: The current system has so many checks and constraints that even widely supported public interest projects can't get off the ground. Dunkelman cites the Biden administration's EV charger initiative that produced only 58 chargers from $5 billion in funding due to regulatory barriers and implementation challenges.* Historical Shift in Progressive Attitude: The 1960s-70s marked a turning point when progressive attitudes shifted from trusting centralized authority to deep skepticism. Dunkelman points to figures like Robert Moses (exposed in "The Power Broker") and Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley as embodying a form of centralized power that became viewed as problematic.* Political Consequences: This dysfunction in government has contributed to populist backlash, with voters supporting figures like Trump who promise to take a "sledgehammer" to institutions they see as failing. The inability to deliver visible results has undermined progressive credibility.* Path Forward: Progressives need to develop a new narrative focused on making government work effectively rather than just opposing power. Dunkelman suggests "permitting reform" and similar practical measures need to be central to the progressive agenda, rather than continuing the stale debate about moving left or right.Marc J. Dunkelman is a fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs and a former fellow at NYU's Marron Institute of Urban Management. During more than a decade working in politics, he worked for Democratic members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives and as a senior fellow at the Clinton Foundation. The author of The Vanishing Neighbor, Dunkelman's work has also appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Atlantic, and Politico. He lives in Providence, Rhode Island.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting the daily KEEN ON show, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy interview series. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.Keen On America is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe
On The Gist, Marc J. Dunkelman, author of Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress―and How to Bring It Back, joins to discuss why modern institutions fail at delivering progress and what can be done to fix them. Plus, Trump's latest feud with Zelensky over Ukraine aid, and in The Spiel, the most electrifying deep dive into rare earth elements you never knew you needed. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
REALIGNMENT NEWSLETTER: https://therealignment.substack.com/PURCHASE BOOKS AT OUR BOOKSHOP: https://bookshop.org/shop/therealignmentEmail Us: realignmentpod@gmail.comMarc J. Dunkelman, author of Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress―and How to Bring It Back and a Fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, joins The Realignment. Marc and Marshall discuss the central causes of government's inability to accomplish big projects, why America and the progressive movement swing between "Hamiltonian" and "Jeffersonian" moments, why the Hamiltonian nature of ambitious eras like the New Deal, New Frontier, and Great Society lead to Jeffersonian backlash, the limited impact and political failure of the Biden administration's EV charging station policy, and how to balance our need to protect the rights of individuals and local communities with the need to accomplish big goals.
Several weeks back, Blue Ocean Faith's Dave Schmelzer invited members of Blue Ocean's mailing list who regarded themselves as "done with church" to fill that out for him. After a hundred detailed responses within the hour, Dave started compiling. Here, he, Christina Roberts and Ryan Bauers take a first pass at passing on what they've learned and what it might mean. Mentioned in Today's Podcast: Church Refugees: Sociologists Reveal Why People Are Done with Church but not Their Faith | By Josh Packard and Ashleigh Hope The Vanishing Neighbor: The Transformation of American Community | By Marc J. Dunkelman What I'm Into: The Long Goodbye | By Raymond Chandler Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks | By Diana Butler Bass
It's easy to think about how things were when you were a kid and fall into pure nostalgia. Nothing wrong with that but that's not where I'm going with my thoughts today. When I was a boy in the early/mid-1970's we knew all our neighbors. We lived in a tight-knit area where most everyone on our block knew each other. Most evenings neighbors would come out at night into their yards and have conversations. We also knew people who lived in surrounding blocks. I don't say that doesn't exist anymore. I do say, it was a lot more common then, than it is today. We hear about how tribal people have become. This seems to center around politics. Is it the fault of politics? I think you will agree that tribalism has gone beyond everyday people to our elected officials in Washington D.C. and then some. Much the way people in communities don't talk political issues and opposing viewpoints (with the frequency I think they used to) neither do most of the members of Congress. Is that their fault or did we (the citizens) create that result? Of course, this conversation isn't limited to Washington. It shows up in all kinds of ways from local politics to neighborhood gatherings. Or the lack of neighborhood gatherings in many places. This week on the City Voice podcast my conversation is with Marc J. Dunkelman. He is the author of The Vanishing Neighbor, The Transformation Of The American Community. Marc is a Watson Institute fellow in International and Public Affairs at Brown University. His work at Brown focuses on how the evolving architecture of American community has affected the workings of government, the dynamism of the American economy, and the resilience of the American social safety net. During more than a dozen years working in Washington, Dunkelman served as a senior fellow at the Clinton Foundation, on the staff of the Senate Judiciary Committee, as legislative director and chief of staff to a member of the House of Representatives, and as the vice president for strategy and communications at the Democratic Leadership Council. His work has appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Harvard Business Review, Chronicle of Higher Education, Daily Beast, and National Affairs, among other publications. Our conversation ranges from our personal neighborhood experiences to the role of the U.S. Constitution and the chicken or the egg community or individual question. Thanks and don’t forget to subscribe to City Voice and share with your friends. SHOW LINKS The book: The Vanishing Neighbor, The Transformation Of The American Community My Guest: Marc J. Dunkelman
What does success truly look like in your eyes without comparing it to others? In what ways does your business enrich the lives of your clientele? Can you allow your business to act as an extension of yourself and the entiriety of your being? Amongst the flow of wine, She Did it Her Way dives into these questions at the Boss Dinner with a variety of successful female entrepreneurs. The event is a celebration of powerful women with a goal of creating strong networks aimed at promoting and uplifting one another. Today, we meet Debra Giunta, Kim Bosse, Stacie Brown, Jessica Zweig, and Liz Traines. Debra is the founder and director of Design Dance, a community-based educational dance organization. Design Dance's classes are taught by well trained dancers who teach routines that have an elevated performance aspect to them. However, Debra wanted her classes to be available to students of all income levels, in order to provide easy access to a high quality dance education. Today they serve 1,500 students annually with over 120 classes a week. Along her entrepreneurial road, her greatest epiphany and daily practice is learning to find and be happy with her own version of success. An exercise that keeps her in this mindset is 90-Day projects and goals geared towards growing her business and herself. By having these short term goals, she increases her productivity and it allows her feel accomplished on her own terms. Another boss lady learning to thrive on her own terms is Jessica Zweig, founder of Cheeky Chicago and The SimplyBe Agency. Jessica began her self discovery after she started her first business, Cheeky Chicago; an online lifestyle magazine for women. After having to take a month off of work to recover from a sinus surgery, she entered into a deep depression. She had invested so much of herself into her business that when she had to stop, she felt as though she had lost herself and her purpose. It was after an emotional breakdown on a park bench that she bounced back and regained clarity. She had looked down at a tattoo on her wrist from years ago that said, 'Simply Be, Girls can See it'. It reminded her to be okay with wherever and whoever she was in her life, and to live authentically. From there she was able to rebuild herself seperately from her business, so it wouldn't define her. It also led to the creation of her second business, The SimplyBe Agency, which helps turn budding entrepreneurs into creative leaders by helping them create digital content to cultivate audiences and make an impact. Stacie Brown, Managing Director of Carver Peterson Consulting, helps new entrepreneurs as well by giving new entrepreneurs direction, how to drive revenue, building a staff, along with other business counseling. One thing she prides herself on with her business is creating a healthy work environment built off of trust and transparency. By building a business culture with these pillars at its core, it creates a working environment where everyone feels comfortable engaging and communicating with one another in a professional and constructive way; whether it be about the good, the bad, or the ugly. With this open communication, she is also able to make better decisions as a leader, and effectively solve problems to benenfit the company and associates. Kim Bosse, owner and co-founder of Birch Road Cellar, is learning the same thing and in different capacities. Birch Road Cellar is an event space for members of their club to throw gatherings. The intimate space is homey enough to host small get-togethers between friends or larger events such as the Boss Dinner. For Kim, one of her best business decisions, but also achallenge, is delegating and tailoring areas of her business to fit her strengths and weaknesses. While as an owner this tactic is best for certain tasks, it can keep her complacent and too comfortable. She keeps herself evolving by taking control of sales or pitching to potential members. Admitting that sales isn't her strong suit, at some point there has to be growth, and she likes interacting with potential members, and evaluating if they are a right fit herself. By getting comfortable with the uncomfortable in her business, Kim has taken this approach with her personal life, too. She actively tries to say 'yes' to things that may not make sense or is responsible, but wants to take that chance in order to learn and have that experience. Liz Traines, founder of Liz Traines Coaching, went on a similar journey as she transitioned from the monotony of the corporate world to the freedom of entrepreneurship. Now a career and lifestyle coach, she focuses on helping other women find a career that they love. A veteran to the She Did it Her Way Podcast, we previously heard how Liz spent years living the life she was told, growing in the finance world, and becoming what other people deemed 'successful'. But that path was not her truth, and when a stranger at a New Year's Eve party pointed it out, she was shaken from her trance. She then spent a year living outside her comfort zone, traveling, and practicing self care. It still took her a while to finally leave her corporate job, but when she did became confident, and felt in control of her life. Soak up this jam-packed episode as you hear more about these amazing women! In this episode you will... Learn how to create a platform and business that motivates others towards success Find joy in achieving short term goals and how to rebuild your life and career around that Start to be your own problem-solver in your business Know how to build a productive, trusting, and open work culture Begin to find fulfillment in your own version of success Figure out how to establish yourself as a boss while keeping a positive relationship with her team INSIGHTS "If you want to be profitable, you really need to talk to your client...Take the leap, go meet with a client...go work with someone so you can have an experience that teaches you what people actually need and want and what they'll actually pay for..." -Debra Giunta "When you don't have a boss, you're constantly defining your own success. And I think we are bombarded with versions of success that look like something we might want. And sometimes even when I think I have reached a point of success that I have defined for myself, I see someone else's point of success and I'll compare myself to them. So I think it's really about taking those moments throughout the day to re-center yourself and refocus on where you're at." - Debra Giunta "When you set short term goals, what you force yourself to do is to really focus...and you're like, this is where I'm at...and I'm on this ride, and it's a sprint, and in 90 days I'm going to make a new goal." -Debra Giunta "There's something to be said about having corporate structure that provides you with resources but it's pretty fun when you think through the problem, solve [it], and execute on the problem yourself." -Stacie Brown "There's skillsets as an owner that are different than an employee; [you can't be] afraid to be humble, to ask for help, and seek out the support system that can really make you better. And frankly, that's just letting your guard down and being vulnerable with the things you don't know." -Stacie Brown "I'm [my staff's] boss first, and their friend second, and that's been a shift in mindset...and I think I'm finding the balance between really loving my team and knowing that they love me too, but at the end of the day they respect me. It is an intentional practice everyday, and that was a very, very hard lesson for me to learn." -Jessica Zweig RESOURCES Design Dance Instagram Design Dance Facebook The SimplyBe Agency Instagram The SimplyBe Agency Facebook Carver Peter Consulting Instagram Carver Peterson Consulting Twitter Liz Traines Coaching Instagram Liz Traines Coaching Facebook Birch Road Cellar Twitter Birch Road Cellar Facebook The Man in the Arena by John Bogle The Vanishing Neighbor by Marc J. Dunkelman Start with Why Simon Sinek Calendley HootSuite
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