Modern Age with Dan McCarthy

What explains the growing divide between older and younger conservatives? In this episode, Modern Age editor Dan McCarthy explores the ideological, cultural, and economic rifts between the Reagan-Buckley generation and Gen Z conservatives. Is this a generational clash or the start of a new conservative movement? 📱 Subscribe for more episodes and visit modernagejournal.com 🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast app

This week on Modern Age, Dan McCarthy breaks down the economic and cultural consequences of President Trump’s proposed 50-year mortgage and the broader housing crisis facing America. From lifelong debt and falling birthrates to the decline of Jeffersonian ideals, Dan explores the deeper roots of the affordability crisis—and why today’s policy responses might do more harm than good. Can conservatives offer a real path toward ownership, stability, and the American dream? Or are we locking the n...

In this episode, Modern Age editor Dan McCarthy explores how Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy has evolved into something bigger—a coalition of nationalists reshaping international politics. Dan unpacks how this emerging coalition differs from the old liberal internationalism, why nationalism doesn’t have to mean isolationism, and how a shared strategic outlook could counter growing threats from China and other authoritarian powers. 📘 Subscribe to Modern Age: https://modernagejour...

Former critics are now calling Trump a serious contender for the Nobel Peace Prize — thanks to a ceasefire in Gaza and the return of Israeli hostages. In this episode of Modern Age, Dan McCarthy explores how Trump’s bold diplomacy succeeded in one of the world’s most volatile conflicts — and whether his approach can do the same in Ukraine. Can you back a side in war and broker peace? Trump thinks so — and he might be right. 📖 Read thoughtful essays at https://modernagejournal.com https://...

As the West becomes less Christian and less culturally European, what happens to conservatism? In this episode of Modern Age, Dan McCarthy explores the demographic and religious transformations reshaping America, Britain, and Europe—and what they mean for the future of conservative identity and political thought. Drawing on thinkers like Alexis de Tocqueville and Leo Strauss, Dan raises difficult questions about whether conservatism’s past commitments—Christianity, Protestant roots, Western ...

A 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee fled a war zone—only to be murdered on a public train in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her killer? A man with 14 prior arrests, released again and again by a justice system that seems more committed to freeing criminals than protecting the innocent. 🔔 Subscribe for more thoughtful conservative analysis 📰 Read Modern Age: https://modernagejournal.com 🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast app 💬 Share this episode with a friend who needs to hear it #cr...

Is Donald Trump turning his back on free market conservatism—or is he adapting to a new geopolitical reality? In this episode of Modern Age, Dan McCarthy explores the political and economic debate surrounding Trump’s recent Intel deal, industrial policy, and the idea of a U.S. sovereign wealth fund. Critics call it socialism. Supporters call it realism. Dan unpacks the deeper ideological tension between economic nationalism and libertarian orthodoxy. He also considers how America can compete ...

In this episode of Modern Age, Dan McCarthy explores what the recent defunding of NPR and PBS means for the future of public institutions in America. With taxpayer support for these Kennedy and Johnson-era programs rolled back by President Trump and the Republican Congress, the conversation has shifted. Will private donors step in to support what many view as vital cultural and humanitarian efforts? And can these institutions prove their value outside of government support? Dan traces the o...