The Good Government Podcast
A podcast about politics, philosophy, literature and history with Aaron Slutkin and Michael Hoffpauir. Find us on X: https://x.com/goodgovtpodcast.
Episodes

Apr 28, 2025
Apr 28, 2025
41 min
On Federalist Paper 7.
Music is from the second movement (Largo) from Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No.9 (a.k.a. the "New World Symphony"), performed by the Orchestre national de France in 1959.
Readings are from this edition of The Federalist Papers: https://tinyurl.com/32bpyaz9
Aaron Slutkin is an Upper School history teacher at Gilman School in Baltimore, Maryland, his alma mater, where he also coaches football and squash. Slutkin is currently enrolled in the MLA program at St. John's College Annapolis and graduated in 2021 from Duke University, having studied political science, American history, and Russian literature.
Michael Hoffpauir is Assistant Professor of Political Theory at the University of Austin (UATX). A student of political philosophy and American Politics, Hoffpauir earned a PhD from Claremont Graduate University, an MA from Boston College, and a BA from Louisiana State University.
The two met at Hudson Institute Political Studies, a summer fellowship in political theory based in Washington, D.C., where Hoffpauir has taught since 2018 and Slutkin has TA'd since 2022.

Apr 21, 2025
Apr 21, 2025
44 min
Aaron and Michael discuss Federalist Paper 6.
Music is from the second movement (Largo) from Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No.9 (a.k.a. the "New World Symphony"), performed by the Orchestre national de France in 1959.
Readings are from this edition of The Federalist Papers: https://tinyurl.com/32bpyaz9
Aaron Slutkin is an Upper School history teacher at Gilman School in Baltimore, Maryland, his alma mater, where he also coaches football and squash. Slutkin is currently enrolled in the MLA program at St. John's College Annapolis and graduated in 2021 from Duke University, having studied political science, American history, and Russian literature.
Michael Hoffpauir is Assistant Professor of Political Theory at the University of Austin (UATX). A student of political philosophy and American Politics, Hoffpauir earned a PhD from Claremont Graduate University, an MA from Boston College, and a BA from Louisiana State University.
The two met at Hudson Institute Political Studies, a summer fellowship in political theory based in Washington, D.C., where Hoffpauir has taught since 2018 and Slutkin has TA'd since 2022.

Apr 14, 2025
Apr 14, 2025
31 min
On Machiavelli's Prince and effectual truth, Cesare Borgia, good government, and Romagna.
Music is from the second movement (Largo) from Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No.9 (a.k.a. the "New World Symphony"), performed by the Orchestre national de France in 1959.
Readings are from this edition of The Prince: https://tinyurl.com/mr7kjbpe
Aaron Slutkin is an Upper School history teacher at Gilman School in Baltimore, Maryland, his alma mater, where he also coaches football and squash. Slutkin is currently enrolled in the MLA program at St. John's College Annapolis and graduated in 2021 from Duke University, having studied political science, American history, and Russian literature.
Michael Hoffpauir is Assistant Professor of Political Theory at the University of Austin (UATX). A student of political philosophy and American Politics, Hoffpauir earned a PhD from Claremont Graduate University, an MA from Boston College, and a BA from Louisiana State University.
The two met at Hudson Institute Political Studies, a summer fellowship in political theory based in Washington, D.C., where Hoffpauir has taught since 2018 and Slutkin has TA'd since 2022.

Apr 7, 2025
Apr 7, 2025
33 min
On Machiavelli's Prince and effectual truth, syphoning gas, and crabbing in a ditch.
Music is from the second movement (Largo) from Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No.9 (a.k.a. the "New World Symphony"), performed by the Orchestre national de France in 1959.
Readings are from this edition of The Prince: https://tinyurl.com/mr7kjbpe
Aaron Slutkin is an Upper School history teacher at Gilman School in Baltimore, Maryland, his alma mater, where he also coaches football and squash. Slutkin is currently enrolled in the MLA program at St. John's College Annapolis and graduated in 2021 from Duke University, having studied political science, American history, and Russian literature.
Michael Hoffpauir is Assistant Professor of Political Theory at the University of Austin (UATX). A student of political philosophy and American Politics, Hoffpauir earned a PhD from Claremont Graduate University, an MA from Boston College, and a BA from Louisiana State University.
The two met at Hudson Institute Political Studies, a summer fellowship in political theory based in Washington, D.C., where Hoffpauir has taught since 2018 and Slutkin has TA'd since 2022.

Mar 31, 2025
Mar 31, 2025
36 min
Aaron and Michael discuss Federalist Papers 3-5, drinking water, and the beauty of Vermont.
Music is from the second movement (Largo) from Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No.9 (a.k.a. the "New World Symphony"), performed by the Orchestre national de France in 1959.
Readings are from this edition of The Federalist Papers: https://tinyurl.com/32bpyaz9
Aaron Slutkin is an Upper School history teacher at Gilman School in Baltimore, Maryland, his alma mater, where he also coaches football and squash. Slutkin is currently enrolled in the MLA program at St. John's College Annapolis and graduated in 2021 from Duke University, having studied political science, American history, and Russian literature.
Michael Hoffpauir is Assistant Professor of Political Theory at the University of Austin (UATX). A student of political philosophy and American Politics, Hoffpauir earned a PhD from Claremont Graduate University, an MA from Boston College, and a BA from Louisiana State University.
The two met at Hudson Institute Political Studies, a summer fellowship in political theory based in Washington, D.C., where Hoffpauir has taught since 2018 and Slutkin has TA'd since 2022.

Mar 24, 2025
Mar 24, 2025
39 min
Aaron and Michael discuss Federalist Paper 2.
Music is from the second movement (Largo) from Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No.9 (a.k.a. the "New World Symphony"), performed by the Orchestre national de France in 1959.
Readings are from this edition of The Federalist Papers: https://tinyurl.com/32bpyaz9

Mar 17, 2025
Mar 17, 2025
46 min
Aaron and Michael complete their discussion of Federalist Paper 1.
Music is from the second movement (Largo) from Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No.9 (a.k.a. the "New World Symphony"), performed by the Orchestre national de France in 1959.
Readings are from The Gideon Edition of The Federalist Papers: https://tinyurl.com/32bpyaz9

Mar 10, 2025
Mar 10, 2025
24 min
Aaron and Michael discuss Federalist Paper 1.
Music is from the second movement (Largo) from Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No.9 (a.k.a. the "New World Symphony"), performed by the Orchestre national de France in 1959.
Readings are from this edition of The Federalist Papers: https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/jay-the-federalist-gideon-ed

Mar 3, 2025
Mar 3, 2025
29 min
Aaron and Michael introduce The Good Government Podcast, a program on politics, philosophy, literature, and history.
Music is from the second movement (Largo) from Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No.9 (a.k.a. the "New World Symphony"), performed by the Orchestre national de France in 1959.
Readings are from this edition of The Federalist Papers: https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/jay-the-federalist-gideon-ed




