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Welcome to “The Ezra Klein Show,” brought to you by New York Times Opinion. Today, we have a special Ask Me Anything episode, and joining me is none other than my esteemed editor, Aaron Retica. We have received numerous questions from our listeners, and I’m excited to dive into them. Aaron, it’s great to see you in person.
Absolutely, Ezra. It’s a pleasure to be here in New York with you. Let’s not waste any time and jump right into the questions. One question that came up a lot from our listeners is about your upcoming book leave and what the book is about.
Well, I don’t think this will come as a surprise to our listeners, but I am co-writing a book with the brilliant Derek Thompson from The Atlantic. If you’re not familiar with his work, I highly recommend it. The book explores the concept of supply side progressivism, or what Derek calls the abundance agenda.
At its core, the book addresses the issue of scarcity and the steps we can take to alleviate it. Sometimes it requires government intervention, such as clean energy tax credits or accelerated vaccine development. Other times, it’s about removing government barriers that hinder progress, like the housing crisis in California.
But the book goes even deeper. It delves into the challenges faced by liberalism and progressive governance in effectively implementing their ideals. We examine the history of post-20th century liberalism, including the rise of the new left and the Nader right. These movements shaped the way liberals view activism and the role of government.
Our intention is not to deem one side right and the other wrong, but rather to understand how these different perspectives have influenced governance and contributed to the problems we face today. Ultimately, we hope to find a better balance given the current challenges we’re up against. I’m excited about this project and will be taking a three-month leave to focus on completing the book.
Before we dive into the content, I have one question about your collaboration with Derek. You’re typically at the center of your projects, be it your show or your column. So how is it different co-writing a book with someone? Our listeners are curious about the process.
It’s a great question, Aaron. In the past, writing my first book, “Why We’re Polarized,” was a solitary experience, and I found it quite lonely. I’ve noticed that all my most enjoyable creative endeavors have involved collaborating with others. In my column, it’s you, and for the podcast, it’s the entire team, especially Rogé Karma, our brilliant senior editor. When I launched at Vox, it was with the help of Melissa Bell and Matthew Yglesias. “Why We’re Polarized” was unique because it was mostly just me, although I did have a great editor, Ben Loehnen, supporting me.
But I’ve realized that working with others makes me smarter and more productive. It brings out my best thinking when I engage in conversations and bounce ideas off others. There’s a certain magic in collaboration that I wanted to experience in the book-writing process. While there are advantages to working alone and having full creative control, there are also disadvantages. So this collaboration with Derek is an experiment I’m eager to embark on.
Yes, our phone calls have certainly resembled those old-school columnist-editor relationships. Now let’s delve into the questions our listeners have sent in. One question that stood out is regarding the recent crisis in Pennsylvania, where a section of I-95 collapsed. The question posed is about the implications of this incident for a liberalism that strives to build efficiently.
This is an interesting case to examine. Governor Josh Shapiro and the Biden administration have both highlighted their role in swiftly addressing the collapsed section of I-95. Notably, this project was completed in a matter of days instead of the usual months or even years it would take for government infrastructure projects. It’s worth mentioning that union labor was integral to the project, as emphasized by those involved.
What sets this case apart is the emergency powers held by Governor Shapiro during a disaster. He invoked these powers and suspended various regulatory procedures and statutes that could have impeded the immediate action needed in response to the emergency. This allowed them to proceed quickly and disregard the usual legal hurdles that often delay infrastructure developments.
In a previous piece I co-wrote with you titled “Everything-Bagel Liberalism,” we explored how liberals tend to incorporate numerous secondary objectives into their projects. While it’s admirable to address multiple issues simultaneously, it can also complicate matters. In this case, Shapiro prioritized the swift construction of the I-95 section, setting aside other considerations.
What’s key here is that this approach isn’t the norm. Typically, governments face various challenges, such as environmental litigation and complex procurement rules. However, in this instance, they took a different approach and bypassed many usual procedures. It’s vital to acknowledge what they achieved while recognizing that this fast-track process isn’t feasible in most cases.
In essence, Governor Shapiro’s actions demonstrated a different way of approaching building projects. He showed that, under certain circumstances, elected officials can take decisive action and bypass conventional protocols. This raises important questions about the trade-offs and implications of such a strategy.
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