ENCORE: The Identity Trap—Part 1

Even after historic civil rights progress over the last sixty years, there’s no denying that certain groups of people still face real, serious, and even systemic discrimination. In pursuit of justice, many well-meaning activists have made identity central to their cause—arguing, for example, that in order to right wrongs, rules and laws must treat people differently, not equally, depending on the groups to which they belong. Whatever you think of the term “wokeness,” this new ideology has spread like wildfire through academia, journalism, entertainment, governments, and corporations, radically changing politics, policy, and our public discourse. But what if they have missed the mark? What if crusading identitarianism is doing more harm than good? What if it’s actually chipping away at some of the bedrock principles of our liberal democracy? If we want honest answers, we have to take these ideas seriously. In this two-part series, host Ron Steslow and Yascha Mounk break down his new book, “The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time.” In this first episode, they discuss the rapidly changing meanings of words like “woke” and why Yascha coined the term “identity synthesis” to replace it. They look at the spread of the identity synthesis and how quickly it is changing our politics. They dive into the intellectual underpinnings of the identity synthesis and why Yascha decided to write the book now. Segments to look forward to: (04:21) Yascha’s background (06:50) Why he decided to write this book (16:30) Why Yascha uses the term “trap” (21:40) The philosophical underpinnings of the “Identity Synthesis” Get the book: Order a hardcover copy: Get the audiobook: Get it on Kindle: Follow Ron and Yascha on X (previously Twitter): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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ENCORE: The Identity Trap—Part 1 is an episode from Politicology by Politicology.

This episode is 47:32 long.

This episode was published on Mar 4, 2026.

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