Stubborn Things
John Adams famously said: “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." In this era of knee-jerk partis...
Insights from recent episode analysis
On the show
- Philip Wallach1 ep
- Patrick Ruffini1 ep
- Ruy Teixeira1 ep
Audience Interest
Podcast Focus
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- 🇺🇸United States · GovernmentHOME#4375K to 397K
- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
75K to 397K🎙 Biweekly cadence·21 episodes·Last published 3w ago - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
107K to 567K🇺🇸100% - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
43K to 227K
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* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.
| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/30/26 | Stubborn Facts about the Election of 1800 | In many ways the beginning of the musical Hamilton, is quite historically accurate. But to Sean, the precision gets loose… especially the election of 1800. So today Sean and Jay are here to set the record straight.Start with James Madison, who isn't even in the capital in 1800; he'd retired to Montpelier. Then John Adams, whom the musical writes off entirely. Adams' New England base secured him against Hamilton's repeated attempts to dislodge him, and the race was far closer than the musical lets on, a few hundred votes in New York and he's re-elected. Hamilton, meanwhile, belonged to the High Federalist faction agitating for war with France; what Adams actually does in 1800 is negotiate the peace that infuriates them.Aaron Burr had no separate faction either. He was a core Republican organizer who out-hustled Hamilton in New York City and helped build what became Tammany Hall. And when the Electoral College tied -an artifact of the pre-Twelfth Amendment ballot- it wasn't "up to Hamilton" to instruct anyone. It went to the lame-duck Federalist House, voting one vote per state, and took 36 ballots. | 1h 05m 33s | ||||||
| 9/14/26 | The Perils of Predicting | The midterms are in view, and Sean and Jay try not to treat the tea leaves like gospel. Although Jay got into the limelight through election blogging, he’s realized that it’s difficult to differentiate what he wants to happen and what will happen. This bias doesn’t just influence Jay but is ingrained in the practice of forecasting itself, making election predictions all the more difficult. Nevertheless, what politicians are doing now and how voters are feeling might give us a glimpse into November. Sean notes that unless you’re a wartime president or a great economy president, the ruling president will likely lose house seats, so we might see a wave of Blue representatives. The Senate? Only God knows for certain. | 1h 04m 33s | ||||||
| 8/27/26 | Congressrepresentation+3 | Philip Wallach | Oxford University PressWhy Congress | New York | Congressrepresentation+3 | — | 1h 05m 59s | ||
| 8/3/26 | presidential historyFDR+4 | — | Stubborn ThingsAEI Podcasts+1 | — | FDRTruman+5 | — | 1h 08m 48s | ||
| 7/17/26 | populismpolitical outsiders+4 | — | McGovern-Fraser CommissionFederal Election Campaign Act+2 | — | kookssex scandals+6 | — | 57m 48s | ||
| 7/7/26 | founding fathersAmerican history+4 | — | Stubborn ThingsAEI Podcasts | — | founding fathersWashington+6 | — | 1h 00m 03s | ||
| 6/22/26 | historiographyAmerican founding+5 | — | An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United StatesThe Ideological Origins of the American Revolution+3 | — | Gordon WoodAmerican founding+5 | — | 1h 07m 40s | ||
| 6/15/26 | GOP identityTrump's appeal+3 | Patrick Ruffini | Echelon InsightParty of the People: Inside the Multiracial Populist Coalition Remaking the GOP+2 | — | GOPTrump+5 | — | 1h 03m 22s | ||
| 6/1/26 | presidential rankingstwentieth century presidents+3 | — | Return of the Tiers | — | presidentsranking+5 | — | 1h 05m 44s | ||
| 5/18/26 | presidential rankingsAmerican history+3 | — | Stubborn ThingsAEI Podcasts+1 | — | presidentsrankings+4 | — | 1h 03m 16s | ||
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| 5/4/26 | Supreme CourtVoting Rights Act+5 | — | Supreme CourtVoting Rights Act+2 | — | Supreme CourtVoting Rights Act+5 | — | 57m 56s | ||
| 4/20/26 | Democratic Partyorganized labor+4 | Ruy Teixeira | AEIThe Liberal Patriot+3 | — | Democratic Partyorganized labor+5 | — | 1h 02m 48s | ||
| 4/7/26 | Special Edition: Presidential Tiers | This week, our hosts take a break from talking about the drama of 21st century American politics and turn back the clock. In this very special edition of Stubborn Things, Jay and Sean start the Very Official Stubborn Things Presidential Tiers List. They start, of course, with Washington and make it all the way through Buchanan. See where Jay and Sean agree and where their lists diverge. Take a listen and let us know what you think about our tiers!Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast.Comments? Suggestions? Email us at [email protected] notes:Jay’s biography of James Madison | 1h 03m 21s | ||||||
| 3/27/26 | SAVEing the Voting Discourse | Our Stubborn Things hosts this week talk voting and the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, a.k.a. the SAVE Act, a.k.a. the SAVE America Act, currently making its way through Congress. Jay and Sean discuss how the bill would change voting, the advantages and challenges with requiring proof of citizenship to vote, and the bad faith arguments each camp makes about the bill. Then, they go back in time to review the 2021 Democrat-led For the People Act, and Sean calls Jay old. Finally, the episode wraps with a focus on campaign finance and the role of big money in elections.Take a listen and let us know what you think!Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast. Comments? Suggestions? Email us at [email protected] notes:H.R.22 – SAVE ActYuval Levin’s National Review articleNYT article about campaign finance | 54m 56s | ||||||
| 3/10/26 | Can Talarico Turn Texas Blue? | This week, Jay and Sean tackle the results of the Senate primary in Texas. They discuss James Talarico’s victory in the Democratic primary and the religious dimension of Talarico’s candidacy. They also assess the strengths and weaknesses of Talarico’s two potential GOP opponents, incumbent John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who will face each other in a runoff in May, as well as how Texas demographics may play in the general election. Plus, Jay and Sean dip into the mailbag and answer a listener question about the books that have influenced them. Take a listen and let us know what you think!Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast.Comments? Suggestions? Email us at [email protected] notes:Sean’s Recommendations:The Almanac of American PoliticsElectoral Realignments, by David MayhewThe Emerging Democratic Majority, by John Judis and Ruy TeixeiraJay’s Recommendations:Conjectures and Refutations, by Karl PopperMicromotives and Macrobehavior, by Thomas SchellingReflections on the Revolution in France, by Edmund Burke | 1h 00m 22s | ||||||
| 2/26/26 | Major Questions About the Supreme Court | AEI’s Jay Cost and Sean Trende talk about the topic on everyone’s mind this week: the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Learning Resources v. Trump, which struck down President Trump’s use of tariffs under IEEPA. Throughout the episode, our hosts touch on the majority opinion, as well as the various concurrences and dissents, that came down last Friday. Jay and Sean address the history of tariffs in American political economy before moving on to a conversation about the separation of powers. They wrap up by discussing the ideological makeup of the Court and this case’s implications for questions of checks and balances. Take a listen and let us know what you think!Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast.Comments? Suggestions? Email us at [email protected] notes:Jay’s review of The Constitution of Conflict | 56m 08s | ||||||
| 2/12/26 | In Defense of the Filibuster | On this week’s episode, Jay and Sean continue their focus on the Senate. In particular, they talk about the formation, history, and modern uses of the filibuster. Our hosts explain the rationale for the filibuster before addressing several criticisms of the procedure. In the second segment, Jay and Sean address the unexpected effectiveness Mike Johnson has shown as Speaker of the House. Take a listen!Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast.Comments? Suggestions? Email us at [email protected]. | 49m 23s | ||||||
| 1/29/26 | Radicalism, Instability, and a Dysfunctional Senate | This week, Jay and Sean zoom out from the ongoing immigration enforcement debate to talk about the history and politics of immigration. In the spirit of Stubborn Things, Jay and Sean try to make sense of various views – right, left, and center – on immigration and discuss the radical politics that prevents compromise and consensus. During the second half of the episode, they talk about Senate dysfunction and the upcoming Senate election in Texas. Take a listen!Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast.Comments? Suggestions? Email us at [email protected]. | 54m 51s | ||||||
| 1/20/26 | From the Halls of Caracas to the Shores of Tripoli | This week, Jay and Sean talk the Donroe Doctrine. They address the centuries-old historical precedent of American military intervention in the Western Hemisphere and analyze how the Trump admiration's forays into Venezuela fit into this story. On the second half of the episode, Jay interviews Sean about his experiences as an election lawyer and congressional map-drawing extraordinaire. Take a listen!Remember to rate and follow Stubborn Things and stay up to date by following us on X @aei_STpodcast.Comments? Suggestions? Email us at [email protected]. | 52m 30s | ||||||
| 1/7/26 | Elections Galore | On Stubborn Things’ first episode of 2026, Jay and Sean talk about elections both past and future. How will President Trump’s approval rating, partisan redistricting, and other factors affect the outcome of the midterms this November? Our hosts discuss whether the midterm results and the results of the 2028 GOP presidential primary are foregone conclusions. Plus, how do current election procedures differ from ones of centuries past, and why are some Americans prohibited from getting drunk on election day? Come for an analysis of JD Vance’s 2028 odds, stay for Sean’s humming of The Imperial March.To stay up to date with all things ST, follow Stubborn Things on your favorite podcast platform and follow the podcast on X @aei_STpodcast.Comments? Suggestions? Email us at [email protected]. | 51m 54s | ||||||
| 12/18/25 | How Much Executive Power Will President Stephen A. Smith Have? | On this week’s episode of Stubborn Things, Jay Cost and Sean Trende recap the oral argument before the Supreme Court in Trump v. Slaughter and present an overview of the political history, legal cases, and theories of executive power that have led the Court to this point. Plus, our hosts kick off the way-too-early speculation about who might be the Democratic nominee for President in 2028. Will it be Gavin Newsom? AOC? Someone else? Take a listen to hear what Jay and Sean think.Show notes:Trump v. SlaughterMyers v. United StatesHumphrey's Executor v. United StatesJustice Scalia’s dissent in Morrison v. OlsonWoodrow Wilson: The Study of AdministrationJay’s recent AEI report on Wilson’s early views on regulation | 52m 26s | ||||||
| 12/3/25 | Gerrymania | In the very first episode of Stubborn Things, Jay Cost and Sean Trende kick off with a deep dive into gerrymandering. This year alone, 10 states have redistricted or are in the process of doing so, often with overt partisan aims. In a statewide election last month, California approved a new congressional map to favor Democrats. In September, the governor of Missouri signed that state's new map — passed by a state house and senate featuring supermajority Republican control — into law, a move that is projected to boost Republican candidates. And over at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the President referred to Indiana Republicans who (at least initially) resisted the pressure to gerrymander as "RINOs" and called for them to be primaried. To unpack all of this and more, Cost and Trende explore the origins of gerrymandering and connect the historical, partisan, and legal dots that make up the story of American congressional redistricting. | 56m 10s | ||||||
| 11/24/25 | Introducing: Stubborn Things | The American Enterprise Institute is pleased to present a new podcast: Stubborn Things, hosted by Gerald R. Ford Nonresident Senior Fellow Jay Cost and by Nonresident Fellow Sean Trende.John Adams famously said: “Facts are stubborn things. Whatever our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." In this era of knee-jerk partisanship and ideological posturing, Adams's warning is as important as ever. Tune in to Stubborn Things every other week as Cost and Trende draw on their wide-ranging base of knowledge and stubborn commitment to the evidence to understand what is happening in the world of American politics.Enjoy this trailer, in which Cost and Trende preview what is to come.Produced by Michael Schwartz. | 2m 35s | ||||||
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Chart history for Stubborn Things
Peaked at #43 in United States, currently #43 in United States.
| Market | Genre | Peak | Current | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | — | #43 | #43 | — |
Chart Positions
1 placement across 1 market.
Chart Positions
1 placement across 1 market.