Episodes

The government lockdows in response to the COVID pandemic has decimated small businesses across the country. What's even more... some "red" states have locked down their economies as well, leaving many businesses looking for any type of relief. Fargo, North Dakota City Commissioner Tony Gehrig joins the program to outline his proposal to help offer some relief for bars and restaurants in the Greater Fargo Area, and why only more government lockdowns will only exacerbate the problems to come.

Have we been here before? Well, maybe not exactly... but close enough! That's the argument that today's guest, Professor Jim Morone makes, and why we should look to the past when trying to figure out what lies ahead. History also shows us that demographic changes (like Latinos moving right) and arguments about the merit of divided government have been features of our politics since the very beginning. While the events of today are unprecedented in many ways, boosted by intense tribalism and rampant disinformation, there are examples from our country’s past that we can look to understand the democratic institutions that are, as of now, holding strong.

One of the main focuses here at The Brian Nichols Show has been to show how to #SellLiberty. But selling requires us to meet people where they're at by asking questions, learning what they're main concerns are, and showing we have the solutions to their problems. Today, we put that into action, as Jenessa Fenton, family friend and politically left-leaning independent joins the program to find where areas of common ground, but to also look for areas where libertarians can serve as those problem solvers.

America’s Future empowers young people to be active, civil, and curious citizens who build freer communities that lead to fulfillment, dignity, and happiness for all. Joining The Brian Nichols Show today is Cindy Cerquitella, Executive Director of America's Future, who joins the program to outline the brand new rebranding of America's Future and the value America's Future brings in helping building lasting trust within their respective communities.

With the impending Biden/Harris administration, the idea of "cancelling" student loan debt has grown from a mere concept to a tangible possibility in the immediate future. While the prospects of cancelling student loan debt sounds appealing (especially to those with tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loan debt), Brad Polumbo (FEE) returns to the program to explain how that policy prescription isn't just a bad idea, but actually ends up being an incredibly regressive policy.

In 2016, a large faction of "Never Trump" conservatives split from the GOP in opposition to Donald Trump and his overtly non-conservative bona fides. Among them was John Ziegler, Senior Columnist at Mediate and longtime conservative media personality. Today, John joins the show four years after the initial election of President Trump to give a true look back at the Trump presidency and to give it a grade from the lens of a Never-Trump conservative.

Should the government tax carbon to deal with the "impending climate crisis"? Today's guest, CEO of Melink Corporation and author of "Fusion Capitalism - A Clean Energy Vision for Conservatives", Steve Melink, thinks the answer to that question is an emphatic, "Yes.".

Getting pro-liberty elected officials into office has always been one of the biggest challenges that the liberty movement has had to face. Cliff Maloney and his group of liberty warriors at Young Americans For Liberty, however, have seemingly cracked the code. With the wins continuing to tally up, Cliff outlines the blueprint YAL has been following that has yielded such incredible results.

"Psychedelics!? Far out, dude! Wanna take a trip to Funkytown?" Okay, that's probably the split-second thought you had when reading the word "psychedelics", but let's be real... how much do you actually *know* about psychedelics? Joining the show today is the Content Director from Microdose.buzz, Gaurav Dubey, who joins the show to not only dispel the stigmas surrounding psychedelics, but also speaks to the very real impact psychedelics are having in our mental health sectors.

How do we #SellLiberty? That's the question we've been answering here on The Brian Nichols Show, and it's the question I was asked when I joined Dan "Taxation is Theft" Behrman on his aptly named podcast, "Taxation is Theft". Selling the ideas of libertarianism is easy, so long as we're applying the ideas of libertarianism to the problems the "consumer" has identified. Listen as we dig into all that, and more, on today's special episode!

"So this is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause...". I bet you've heard that phrase used when discussing politics, right? Well, like many other examples, it is just one parallel between the world of "Earthly politics" and the world of "Star Wars politics". Joining the show to help outline just how much our world and the Star Wars world share is host of "Beltway Banthas" and political commentator Stephen Kent!

From "debate" to "conversation", this special Thanksgiving episode went through several iterations prior to airing, as one of the original participants was having technical issues... What transpired was a fantastic conversation between yours truly and former LP Chair candidate Joshua Smith on the merits of the LP and the merits for liberty this Thanksgiving season.

What's the best way to enact libertarian policy? Is it via the LP, or the GOP? While today's guest is formerly of the GOP, she still sees the value in using the GOP to help advance liberty policy where possible. Camellia Peterson, Editor-in-Chief of The Libertarian Republic, joins the program to outline why she believes the Libertarian Party is the party of the future for advancing liberty, but while she she's merit in building coalitions with the GOP where we can.

What's the role of the Libertarian Party? That's the age-old question that has been debated for decades within LP circles... Instead of debating, today's guest decided to be the change he wanted to see in the party... Michael Heise joins the program to outline why he started the Mises Caucus/Mises PAC, the goals of the caucus, and their plans as we head towards 2022.

In the greater liberty movement, you'll find more often than not that our candidates running for office are also our most vocal activists. But is that the best way to approach running for office? Larry Sharpe returns to the program to help outline how both candidates and activists are needed in the great liberty movement, and how each serve very different/unique roles in the greater scheme of things.

Believe it or not, but we actually had some significant wins for liberty during this 2020 election cycle, ranging from criminal justice reform, economic liberties, and more! Hannah Cox returns to The Brian Nichols Show to outline specific instances where liberty policy was victorious this 2020 election.

How do libertarians get libertarian policy into action? It's the age old question, leaving many Libertarians and libertarians at odds in terms of tactics. Angela McArdle returns to The Brian Nichols Show to make her pitch as to how Libertarians can run (and, more importantly, win!) elections, and what her focus as LP chair would be.

Americans today don’t trust each other and their institutions as much as they once did. The collapse of social and political trust has arguably fueled our increasingly ferocious ideological conflicts and hardened partisanship. But is today’s decline in trust inevitable or avoidable? Are we caught in a downward spiral that must end in institutional decay or even civil war, or can we restore trust through our shared social institutions? Associate Professor of Philosophy Kevin Vallier joins the show to discuss all that (and more), as he promotes his new book, "Trust in a Polarized Age" on today's episode of The Brian Nichols Show!

There are countless activists in the greater liberty movement, but why not get get paid for all of your hard work? Conner Drigotas returns to the show to make his pitch; you can fight for liberty AND get paid, as he returns to the show to discuss his brand new book, "Work For Liberty"!

What's the long-term implications of a Joe Biden presidency on economics? Will we get a fresh new batch of lockdowns? Will he bend the knee to the radical progressives in his party? Economist Max Gulker returns to the show to outline all of that, and more, on today's episode of The Brian Nichols Show.

As the dust continues to settle post-election, we're starting to have a better visibility into the results, and with that, we're able to see where liberty had some victories, where liberty had some defeats, and where liberty can do better. Brad Polumbo returns to the show to outline how identity politics took a hit during this election, how liberty values won in some surprising states, and how the Libertarian Party did on a national stage.

"The authoritarian right is taking control. From Viktor Orban in Hungary, to Brexit in Britain, to Donald Trump in America, nationalists are launching an all-out assault on liberal values." That's the message today's guest bings to The Brian Nichols Show, as political journalist Ian Dunt joins the program to discuss his thought-provoking new book, "How To Be A Liberal: The Story of Liberalism and the Fight for its Life",

We often hear folks talk about the dangers of free-market economics, arguing that private companies can become market monopolies, and thus cause harm on the consumer. Yet those same folks don't blink an eye at the ultimate monopoly; the state. The state has the ultimate "monopoly on violence", which is why Peter R. Quinones joins the show discuss his new documentary, "The Monopoly on Violence".

Tomorrow's the day... Election Day 2020! Libertarian US Senate candidate Brian Slowinski joins The Brian Nichols Show to make his last second pitch to voters on why they should cast their ballots for the Libertarian candidate as they head to the voting booth tomorrow.