This week is the February edition of Incentives & Instincts, a recurring series in which Justin speaks with economist and friend Bryce Ward about some of the broader challenges facing our society.Justin has been asking guests a new closing question this year, “When was the last time you changed your mind?” Research on updating one’s beliefs is strong an…

In the spirit of ANA’s new tagline: “How we’re doing and where we’re going,” this week Justin speaks with Cascade County Commissioner Joe Briggs and Missoula County Commissioner Josh Slotnick. Though these two come from different political parties, they came together to work on improving Montana’s tax system. This collaboration shows us that cooperation across party lines is not only possible, but perhaps critical to our future.In this episode, Josh and Joe discuss how their partnership began and the challenges they faced getting buy-in from other political leaders. The two talk about the role of a county commissioner and their ideas on how to bridge the divide of partisan politics, something they both think is heavily influenced by social media and national politics.

It’s time once again to check in with A New Angle’s Chief Legal Correspondents Craig Cowie and Constance Van Kley, law professors at the University of Montana. 2026 is sure to bring many consequential legal developments, and Constance and Craig will help us try to make sense of what to expect.In this conversation Justin, Craig and Constance talk about the changing power of the executive and the rise of the unitary executive theory. They discuss the shadow docket and the tendency for courts in this administration to expedite processes, making the path to decisions less clear. Craig and Constance consider the topics they have in focus for the remainder of this year.