meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Notes from America with Kai Wright

Episode 7: This Is Your Brain on Politics

Notes from America with Kai Wright

WNYC Studios

News Commentary, Politics, History, News

4.41.5K Ratings

🗓️ 3 November 2016

⏱️ 41 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Stress is a part of everyday life. But in this election filled with bombast, 24-hour news coverage, and October Surprises emerging at nearly every turn, the road to November 8th often appears overwhelming. Join WNYC Studios and The Nation as we explore the burgeoning field of biopolitics and uncover how our bodies respond to 2016’s political circus. WNYC’s Amanda Aronczyk sits down with neuroscientist Jeffrey French and political scientist Kevin Smith, as we perform an unusual test to find out just what in this election is causing voters’ stress. Plus, learn how our bodies’ natural response systems can indicate where we locate ourselves along the political spectrum. Episode Contributors: Kai Wright Amanda Aronczyk Karen Frillmann Joseph Capriglione About the show: In a Presidential election cycle big on negativity and short on discussion of issues, anxiety is proving to be a dominant theme -- over the economy, national security, and indeed, what it means to be an American in the 21st century. This podcast brings the voices of people trying to hold on to their piece of the American Dream and others who are looking to build one. The United States of Anxiety gives you an wide-open window into the polarizing economic, social and political ideas that have people on the edge of their seats during this unprecedented election cycle. The United States of Anxiety is hosted by Kai Wright and produced by WNYC Studios & The Nation. Listen to more shows from WNYC Studios: http://wny.cc/yzc4304odXpListen to more shows from The Nation: http://apple.co/1V85l3I WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics, Radiolab, Here's The Thing with Alec Baldwin and many more.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

It is important to understand that many youth who come to this country are coming because they're fleeing from violence.

0:17.0

Four teenagers were found dead in an area in Brentwood.

0:22.0

Our opioid crisis. found dead in an area in Brentwood.

0:22.8

Our opioid crisis is the worst drug addiction epidemic in United States history.

0:29.6

It's not what people think it is.

0:31.9

It's upper white middle class families that have

0:35.1

been affected mostly here on Long Island. When we actually started to ask what

0:41.4

is causing this rise.

0:44.0

The three biggest increases were seen for drug overdoses,

0:49.1

for alcohol-related liver mortality and for suicide.

0:54.0

So these three kind of deaths of despair.

0:58.0

I think people are feeling very hopeless and helpless and when you feel that way you want to find easy answers

1:08.0

to make it better. Drugs and Donald Trump are sort of like that.

1:13.0

God bless the United States of anxiety anxiety anxiety anxiety anxiety anxiety anxiety anxiety anxiety anxiety anxiety.

1:33.0

I'm Kay Wright and this is the United States of anxiety, a podcast from the Nation magazine and WNC studios. And this week, with just days to go until the election,

1:37.0

we're going to go deep into the science.

1:40.0

After several weeks of hanging out in Long Island,

1:42.0

we're going to take this last week before the vote

1:45.0

and ask what really makes us tick.

1:48.0

Beneath the anxiety, beneath the fighting, beneath the stress of this election,

1:52.0

is there's something more basic driving our

1:54.2

political choices. Why, for instance, is a strong authoritarian figure attractive to

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from WNYC Studios, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of WNYC Studios and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.