EP 141: Why Nothing Works In America: Marc Dunkelman On How Democrats Lost The Ability To Do Things

With Republicans in power across all branches of the federal government, Democrats are looking for ways to regain trust and learn how to build things. One book they’re looking toward is Marc Dunkelman’s: ⁠Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress―and How to Bring It Back⁠.  In this episode, Marc joins Mosheh to discuss how the Democratic distrust of power since the 1960s has led to stagnation and public distrust, paving the way for Donald Trump’s election as someone who promises to make things actually happen. He explains how we got from the era of Robert Moses reshaping New York and FDR’s New Deal, to a modern day with infrastructure in disrepair nationwide. Plus, some broader historical context: how the dueling mindsets at the heart of progressivism—a need for strong executive action and a mistrust of power— reflects a broader American conflict that goes all the way back to the days of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. Mosheh Oinounou (⁠@mosheh⁠) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. He has 20 years of experience at networks including Fox News, Bloomberg Television and CBS News, where he was the executive producer of the CBS Evening News and launched the network's 24 hour news channel. He founded the @mosheh Instagram news account in 2020 and the Mo News podcast and newsletter in 2022.