It’s a crossover feast: American Angst meets Church Potluck for a lively, thoughtful dive into religion, politics, and the Founders—setting the table for an upcoming conversation on Christian nationalism. This one leans a bit more American Angst in tone, with Michael Bailey taking the lead while Dale McConkey jumps in with sociological insight and good-humored pushback. In this episode, the focus is squarely on the Christian Commonwealth perspective—the idea that America’s roots lie in Puritan covenant theology, religiously infused language in the Declaration, and early public practices that tied faith and politics together. Along the way, they explore why Americans have long seen themselves as “chosen” and exceptional, and why ownership of the national story still feels contested.

The conversation includes playful banter, a round of “Founding Father Faith Jeopardy,” and even a ranking of which founders were most traditionally religious. And while today’s episode emphasizes the Christian Commonwealth thesis, next time the duo will turn to the Godless Constitution perspective—giving both sides of this ongoing debate their due. Smart, curious, and just spiky enough to keep you listening, this crossover sets up a larger series of conversations on Christian nationalism and American identity.

The views expressed on American Angst are solely those of the participants and do not represent any organization.

San Francisco is often painted as a city in crisis by conservative politicians and pundits, but does that picture hold up when you actually live there? In this special episode, political scientist Michael Bailey sits down with his daughter, Lydia Bailey, for a wide-ranging father–daughter dialogue about her life in the city. Host Dale McConkey is along for the ride, chiming in from the back seat.

Through their conversation, Lydia helps us see whether the lived reality of San Francisco matches the “angsty” narrative we so often hear. Michael frames the issue with a look at crime data versus political rhetoric, then Lydia brings it down to earth—how people actually navigate the city, what it feels like to live in different neighborhoods, and how the weather itself shapes daily rhythms. From the city’s food culture and parks to its delightfully eccentric bumper stickers, Lydia shares the everyday experiences that give San Francisco its character. And while she doesn’t shy away from the real challenges of housing costs and city governance, the picture she paints is far more textured—and far more hopeful—than the caricature we too often hear.

The views expressed on American Angst are solely those of the participants and do not represent any organization.

Environmental policy professor Dr. Courtney Cooper joins American Angst to untangle climate science, local vs. federal solutions, and why adaptation and mitigation aren’t either/or options. With Dr. Michael Bailey (our resident “Avatar of Angst”) pressing on partisanship, expertise, and the politics of denial, and host Dr. Dale McConkey steering the conversation, we move from Andean glaciers and wildfire smoke to bike lanes, data centers, and why “co-benefits” (healthier cities, better transit) might be the bridge past stalemate. Expect insights on models and evidence, frank talk about costs and tradeoffs, and a grounded hopefulness: we can’t do everything, but we can do a lot—together.

The views expressed on American Angst are solely those of the participants and do not represent any organization.