Civitas Outlook
Topic
Politics
Published on
May 10, 2025
Contributors
John Yoo
Steven F. Hayward
Episode 18
The Three Whiskey Happy Hour

The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Neoconclave Edition

About this episode

We’re up a day early with this special emergency edition of the 3WHH because it isn’t every millennium when you get an American Pope. With John Yoo hosting this week we hold ecumenical court on what to think about an American Pope who displays some progressive political sympathies, but is a math major and an Augustinian, which are more promising indications. We offer a few things to watch for as this papacy unfolds.

Next up: what to make of Trump’s foreign policy, especially in light of the firing of NSA Mike Waltz. John is confused (so what else is new?), and once again Steve and Lucretia have to sort him out about how foreign policy analysis ought to begin, with the first step being, throw out all your academic IR theories! Meanwhile, the title for today’s episode arises from a joke in the middle of this topic. (You’ll just have to listen to find out what it is, and if you don’t like it, blame Richard Samuelson!)

Finally, we use the latest disgrace at Columbia to judge whether colleges are starting to shape up or not, and why we want the Trump Administration to keep up the pressure.

Listen at Ricochet

All other episodes on

The Three Whiskey Happy Hour

The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Sister Souljah Time for the Dems?

March 8, 2025 episode of The Three Whisky Happy Hour titled "Sister Souljah Time for the Dems?"

EP

The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Band Reunion Time

John Yoo is back this week, bringing the 3WHH up to full strength again after last week’s astonishingly congenial episode, which can mean only one thing—not even high tariffs, which this week’s host (Steve) vainly tried to impose on ths discussion—could stop a vigorous free trade in ideas.

EP14

The Three Whisky Happy Hour: The Long March Back?

Another whirlwind week of controversies that exceeded our bandwidth to keep up (or at least to compress into an hour), but John Yoo, this week’s host, leads us in revisiting the question of “birthright citizenship” under the 14th Amendment.

EP15

The Three Whiskey Happy Hour: Globull Threats to Liberty

A special mid-week holiday edition of the 3WHH.

EP521
Dec 18, 2024

Join the newsletter

Receive new publications, news, and updates from the Civitas Institute.

Sign up
More on

Politics

Liberal Democracy Reexamined: Leo Strauss on Alexis de Tocqueville

This article explores Leo Strauss’s thoughts on Alexis de Tocqueville in his 1954 “Natural Right” course transcript.

Raúl Rodríguez
Politics
Feb 25, 2025
Long Distance Migration as a Two-Step Sorting Process: The Resettlement of Californians in Texas

Here we press the question of whether the well-documented stream of migrants relocating from California to Texas has been sufficient to alter the political complexion of the destination state.

James Gimpel, Daron Shaw
Politics
Feb 6, 2025
Who's That Knocking? A Study of the Strategic Choices Facing Large-Scale Grassroots Canvassing Efforts

Although there is a consensus that personalized forms of campaign outreach are more likely to be effective at either mobilizing or even persuading voters, there remains uncertainty about how campaigns should implement get-out-the-vote (GOTV) programs, especially at a truly expansive scale.

Grant Ferguson, James Gimpel, Mark Owens, Daron Shaw
Politics
Dec 13, 2024
National Poll from Civitas Institute: Trump Victory Driven by Voters Who Reject Status Quo

The poll asked 1,200 Americans an array of questions about how things are going in America.

Daron Shaw
Politics
Dec 11, 2024
Can social democracy save capitalism — again?

Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration this week as New York City mayor is a moment of reckoning for those who care about preserving the American way of life.

Politics
Jan 6, 2026
Why are Zoomers embracing extremist ideas?

Conservatives have rightly denounced the extremist tendency among young progressives, but there’s a similar problem now evident on the Right.

Politics
Dec 22, 2025
The Rod and Greg Show Rundown

Joel Kotkin, Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures at Chapman University and senior research fellow at the Civitas Institute, joins the Rod and Greg Show for a conversation about his piece for The Gateway Pundit on how the gender divide is changing America.

Politics
Dec 19, 2025
California job cuts will hurt Gavin Newsom’s White House run

California Governor Gavin Newsom loves to describe his state as “an economic powerhouse”. Yet he’s far more reluctant to acknowledge its dramatically worsening employment picture.

Politics
Dec 10, 2025

The Three Whiskey Happy Hour

Steven Hayward brings you the Power Line Blog's perspective on the week's big headlines.

View all
** items

Kotkin: Non-Aligned Nations Navigating a Multipolar World

Politics
Aug 19, 2025
1:05

Wall Street Journal: Donald Trump Takes On the Conservative Judiciary

Politics
Jun 2, 2025
1:05

Trump’s Drug Pricing Plan: Consequences for Innovation and Patient Access

Politics
May 13, 2025
1:05

John Yoo: The DOJ Is Being ‘Tricky’ but They May Be Right

Politics
Mar 18, 2025
1:05

John Yoo: How Will Trump Try to ‘Redirect’ the Justice Department Toward ‘Public Order and Safety’?

Politics
Mar 14, 2025
1:05
No items found.
California’s EU Style Regulatory Gambit

While the EU is trying to be the globe’s regulator, California is trying to play the same role over the rest of the U.S. 

Michael Toth
Politics
Jan 9, 2026
Eliminating Liberal International Asymmetries

Modern international law has been a failed experiment. America should restore the classical law of nations.

Josh Blackman
Politics
Jan 9, 2026
Red Caesarism and the Young Right

Gen Z conservatives in America have reached their own unique, intellectual Rubicon.

Aidan Grogan
Politics
Jan 9, 2026
A Post-Liberal Takes New York

Touting “the warmth of collectivism”, as Zohran Mamdani has done, surely sends an additional shiver down the spines of New York’s sizable population of Jewish emigres from the Soviet Union.

Tal Fortgang
Politics
Jan 8, 2026
No items found.
No items found.
Join the newsletter

Get the Civitas Outlook daily digest, plus new research and events.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.