Don Kettl helps us answer more listener questions. S5E113 09.23.2026

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Today, Dr. Don Kettl agreed to stay around and help answer some listener questions. Tam from Boulder, Colorado, writes: Trump recently announced that if Republicans win both the House and Senate in the midterms, he will issue a $5,000 check to every American. Speaker Johnson has hinted that the House might be willing to work with him on something like this, though he added, “no promises.” To me, this sounds uncomfortably close to buying votes, and I must imagine there are legal or ethical boundaries around even suggesting something like this. So, my question is: Is this kind of promise actually illegal, or does it fall into the category of political messaging that’s technically allowed? And more importantly, given all the previous financial‑incentive promises, checks, rebates, cryptocurrency ideas, and so on, has any of this been effective politically, or does it mostly fade once the election is over? We also had time for a bonus question. Support the show The Nova Society Podcast In season 5, we will transition to 3 episodes per week and expand episode lengths for more in-depth conversations. Stay tuned for more information about our proposed weekly second channel, The Nova Society-Side Projects , where we have conversations with guests about topics important to them and to you, our listeners. Our Buzzsprout Home Landing Page Direct SMS message to the podcast from the “message us” link on our page. Support the Nova Society Email us your Questions Subscribe to the Nova Society Subscribe to our RSS Feed Join Our Facebook Page & YouTube Channe l Past episodes & read our blog Here . JCIS Apple Podcasts/ I-Tunes Spotify ...