Now & Then

How can the past help inform today’s most pressing challenges? Every Tuesday, award-winning historians Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman use their encyclopedic knowledge of US history to bring the past to life. Together, they make sense of the week in news by discussing the people, ideas, and events that got us here today. Now and Then is produced by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Why is there so much dark money in politics? How have political funders concealed their identities and motivations? And how does this sleight of hand damage American democracy? This week on Now & Then, Heather and Joanne discuss the role of capital in political maneuvering, from Thomas Jefferson’s 1791 funding of an anti-Federalist newspaper, to department store magnate John Wanamaker’s 1888 herding of Republican businessmen, to Richard Viguerie’s 1970s direct mail campaigns. Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history For more historical analysis of current events, sign up for the free weekly CAFE Brief newsletter, featuring Time Machine, a weekly article that dives into an historical event inspired by each episode of Now & Then: cafe.com/brief For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/fat-cats-and-hidden-hands-in-politics/ Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices