What happened to the Wisconsin Idea? On today’s show, Allen interviews author Dan Kaufman about Wisconsin’s progressive roots. The people of Wisconsin have long believed in protecting natural resources and supporting public education and the university. However, Kaufman argues that the rise of Scott Walker and other conservative influences in the state have led to the dismantling of voting rights, unions, public education funding, and environmental protections. His conversation with Allen traces Wisconsin’s history and looks to the state’s political future.
Dan Kaufman is a Brooklyn-based journalist who was educated in Madison public schools. His articles have appeared in The New York Times and The New Yorker. He is the author of The Fall of Wisconsin: The Conservative Conquest of a Progressive Bastion and the Future of American Politics (W.W. Norton, 2018).