Too much of modern politics is built on false choices. Left or right. Win or lose. Good or bad. My side or your side. That may work for cable news, campaign fundraising, and social media algorithms, but it does not work well for families, communities, or good policymaking. Real life is more complicated than our political categories allow.

That is why I enjoyed this conversation with Dr. Lauren Hall, Professor of Political Science and Associate Dean at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Lauren’s work sits at the intersection of political theory, human behavior, healthcare regulation, family, culture, and real-world decision-making. She is the author of The Medicalization of Birth and Death and Family and the Politics of Moderation. She also writes at Radical Moderate’s Guide to Life, where she challenges the binary thinking that dominates politics and culture.

Her idea of radical moderation is not about being weak, vague, or halfway between two bad options. It is about taking complexity seriously. It means recognizing tradeoffs, respecting pluralism, and admitting that no political tribe has a monopoly on truth.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.
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