About 

Hobby Talks is a podcast series from the Hobby School of Public Affairs produced in partnership with the Center for Student Media at the University of Houston. Hosted by Dean Jim Granato and Hobby School faculty, the podcast features timely conversations on politics and policy with experts, scholars and those guiding the most complex challenges facing our region and state.  

Launched in Nov. 2024, Hobby Talks expands the school’s access to thought-provoking discussions and encourages cross-disciplinary dialogue on relevant issues. 

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New episodes premiere during the fall and spring semesters. Tune in on Apple, Spotify or your favorite podcast app. 

Episodes

Why Congress? A Conversation with Philip Wallach

The next Hobby Talks episode features a conversation with political scientist Philip Wallach on the 119th Congress and the deepening polarization of the legislative branch. Wallach contends that Congress was meant to defuse factional conflicts and necessitate power sharing. He will review the historical role of Congress in the American constitutional system, emphasizing its importance in shaping policy and maintaining a balance of power among the branches of government with Hobby Talks host Jim Granato.

Philip Wallach is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he studies America's separation of powers. He is the author of "Why Congress," a book on the necessity of a thriving Congress and how it can reassert its relevance and insight into its potential future. The episode is available on June 26.