Heartland Politics With Robin Johnson

23/08/2025

Here's my latest Heartland Politics podcast on WVIK, Quad Cities NPR, with Stephen Macedo, co-author with Frances Lee of In Covid's Wake: How Our Politics Failed Us. It's an important, independent assessment of which public policy measures worked during Covid and which didn't.

Stephen Macedo, co-author with Frances Lee of In Covid's Wake: How Our Politics Failed Us, discusses the failure to heed pre-Covid plans for managing a pandemic, how voices of dissent were treated, lack of cost and benefit considerations, impact of policies by class difference, school closures, the....

20/08/2025

Join me on the next Heartland Politics when Stephen Macedo discusses the book he co-authored with Frances Lee, In Covid's Wake: How Our Politics Failed Us. He will address the failure to heed pre-Covid plans for managing a pandemic, how voices of dissent were treated, lack of cost and benefit considerations, impact of policies by class difference, school closures, the origins of Covid, and impact on our democracy. An important book written by authors without a political agenda. Tune into WVIK, Quad Cities NPR, 90.3 FM and HD1 in the Quad Cities at noon on Saturday, or listen online at WVIK.org or on demand wherever you get your podcasts.

16/08/2025

Here's my latest Heartland Politics podcast on WVIK, Quad Cities NPR, with Lindsay Williams Drath, CEO of the Forward Party, which seeks to offer a viable alternative to our current two-party system.

Are you tired of the hyper-partisanship in our politics and looking forsomething new? Lindsay Williams Drath, CEO of the Forward Party,explains the party's mission, stakeholders, origin, strategy and much more.

14/08/2025

Are you fed up with both of our political parties? Sick of the hyper-partisanship? Enough to consider a third party? Well, tune in to the next Heartland Politics to learn about The Forward Party which is working to offer voters a viable alternative. My guest will be Lindsay Williams Drath, the CEO of the party. Tune into WVIK, Quad Cities NPR, 90.3 FM and HD1 in the Quad Cities at noon on Saturday, or listen online at WVIK.org or on demand wherever you get your podcasts.

09/08/2025

Here's my latest Heartland Politics podcast on WVIK, Quad Cities NPR, with State Rep. Taylor Collins (R-Mediapolis), chair of the House Higher Ed committee, discussing the state of higher education in Iowa.

State Rep. Taylor Collins (R-Mediapolis), Chair of the House HigherEducation Committee, discusses actions taken by the legislature andboard of regents on affordability, intellectual freedom, andtransparency, as well as priorities for the the future includingcommunity college bachelor degrees.

06/08/2025

Join me on the next Heartland Politics show when State Rep. Taylor Collins (R-Mediapolis), chair of the House Higher Ed Committee, discusses higher ed issues in Iowa including affordability, transparency, intellectual freedom and priorities for the future. Tune into WVIK, Quad Cities NPR, 90.3 FM and HD1 in the Quad Cities at noon on Saturday, or listen online at WVIK.org or on demand wherever you get your podcasts.

02/08/2025

Here's my latest Heartland Politics podcast on WVIK, Quad Cities NPR, with veteran Illinois Republican political consultant Carter Hendren. He discusses what led to our modern political dysfunction and ways to achieve more bipartisanship and lower the temperature in our discourse.

Carter Hendren, a top Republican operative when the Illinois GOP was dominant in the Governor's office, looks back at why the Republicans were more competitive, why he believes in patronage, which elections changed the, course of Illinois politics, what needs to be done to reform the state, and much...

30/07/2025

Join me on the next Heartland Politics show when veteran Illinois Republican consultant Carter Hendren discusses how the Republicans dominated the Governor's office for 18 years, what changes occurred that shifted control to Democrats, the most important elections during his career, the benefits of patronage and how to reform Illinois's politics and government. Tune into WVIK, Quad Cities NPR, 90.3 FM and HD1 in the Quad Cities at noon on Saturday, or listen online at WVIK.org or on demand wherever you get your podcasts.

28/07/2025

Here's my latest Heartland Politics podcast on WVIK, Quad Cities NPR, with Marc Dunkelman, author of Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress--And How to Bring it Back.

Marc Dunkelman talks about his new book, Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress--And How to Bring it Back.

21/07/2025

Join me on the next Heartland Politics show when Marc Dunkelman talks about his new book, Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress--And How to Bring it Back. Included in our discussion are the philosophical divide in political thought that goes back to our Founders (Hamilton and Jefferson) and still impacts getting things done, the focus on process over results, how this has impacted our infrastructure, including roads, housing and the electric grid, and the political ramifications that are bad for the party that believes in the power of government to address people's needs--Democrats.
Tune into WVIK, Quad Cities NPR, 90.3 FM and HD1 in the Quad Cities at noon on Saturday, or listen online at WVIK.org or on demand wherever you get your podcasts.

19/07/2025

Here's my latest Heartland Politics podcast on WVIK, Quad Cities NPR, with Rahm Emanuel discussing the future of the Democratic Party. Emanuel is a former Member of Congress, Chicago Mayor, and Ambassador to Japan who also served in the Clinton and Obama administrations.

Rahm Emanuel, former Member of Congress, Chicago Mayor, and Ambassador to Japan who also served in the Clinton and Obama administrations, talks about how to revitalize the Democratic party, whether the party is still a 'big tent' party, NAFTA and free trade agreements, education and whether the Iowa...

16/07/2025

Join me on the next Heartland Politics show when Rahm Emanuel talks about how to revitalize the Democratic party, whether the party is still a 'big tent' party, NAFTA and free trade agreements, education and whether the Iowa caucuses should again lead off the presidential nominating process. Emanuel is a former Member of Congress, Chicago Mayor, and Ambassador to Japan who also served in the Clinton and Obama administrations, and is a possible presidential candidate in 2028. Tune into WVIK, Quad Cities NPR, 90.3 FM and HD1 in the Quad Cities at noon on Saturday, or listen online at WVIK.org or on demand wherever you get your podcasts.