Back in 2009, the United States ushered in the new decade with a federal minimum wage of $7.25. Ten years later in 2020, it hasn’t risen at all—even as the costs of housing, education, and healthcare have skyrocketed. To explore the issue of stagnant and poverty wages, guest host Nan Enstad is joined by historian […]
The Myth of Free Enterprise in American History
What is “free enterprise” and how has it shaped American politics? That’s the topic of today’s episode with Lawrence Glickman, author of Free Enterprise: An American History. He spends the hour unpacking the history, narrative, and myth of free enterprise—and how it has shaped our common sense and political attitudes since the New Deal—with guest […]
Black History, Religious Faith, and Political Struggle with Randal Jel...
Religious leaders have been at the forefront of the fight for racial justice in Madison and around the country—and have been for over a century—but we don’t often consider the relationship between faith stories and political struggle. For today’s episode, guest host Nan Enstad explores this history with Randal Jelks, author of Faith and the […]
Teen Activism and Protest with Dawson Barrett
Young people have been part of every major social movement in US history, from the American Revolution to the civil rights movement and beyond. For today’s show, guest host Nan Enstad talks to Dawson Barrett, a history professor and self-identified “cheerleader for anyone who’s raising trouble.” They spend the hour exploring the rich history of […]
A History of Canned Food with Anna Zeide
Today on the show, guest host Nan Enstad spends the hour exploring the history of canned food with Anna Zeide, author of Canned. Their conversation opens up questions about diet and public health, affordability and class, food systems and labor issues, American consumerism, what it means to be a “foodie,” and more. Anna Zeide is […]
The History of Cigarettes and Corporations with Nan Enstad
On today’s episode, Allen is joined in the studio by historian Nan Enstad to discuss her latest book, Cigarettes, Inc.: An Intimate History of Corporate Imperialism. In it, she upends the mythic status of the singular (white, male) entrepreneur and uncovers the shared history of American corporations and the tobacco industry through a global lens, […]
