We all know the song "I'm Just a Bill," but there are many nuances and political maneuvers in the process of bills being created and making their ways to become law. To help me learn more, Worth Hester joined me.

Worth joined the faculty of the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University in 1988 as a Presidential Management Fellow and became an Assistant Director in 1999. During seven years of government service, he served as an Employee Development Specialist, Program Analyst, and Legislative Analyst for a Member of Congress. Worth also spent two years as Senior Staff with the Center for Public Policy Education at the Brookings Institution.

He is incredibly knowledgeable about the processes in congress making this a fun podcast to make.

To learn more about the work of the Government Affairs Institute, check out their website: https://gai.georgetown.edu/

In the early 1860's the US was torn apart by war and opposing ideas. In the midst of the conflict, President Lincoln created the USDA, one of the first healthcare laws, and laid the foundations for what would now be known as the FDA.

To help me dive into President Lincoln's impact and explore the history of his presidency, I'm joined by Erin Carlson Mast, President and CEO of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Foundation.

The Lincoln Presidential Foundation (“Foundation”), formerly known as the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation, is a 501c3 nonprofit with over two decades of experience leading and supporting efforts to share the story of Abraham Lincoln’s life, legacy, and leadership with the world. Learn more about the Lincoln Presidential Foundation here: https://www.lincolnpresidential.org/

How does something intended for good, cause harm? That's the topic explored in this episode. The concept is Externalities, which is a cost or a benefit that affects a third party who is not directly involved in an economic activity or transaction. These impacts can be either negative or positive.

This mundane-sounding concept can play out in big impacts. We explore how research meant to end a killer virus, resulted in an unlikely final victim, Janet Parker. This story is explored with our guest Dr. Mark Pallen, a retired professor from the Quadram Institute and author of the book: The Last Days of Smallpox.

We are also joined by Dr. Tom Dean, who served as a family physician, and Medicare Payment Advisory Commission member for Congress. He shares about externalities during his tenure on MedPAC.

To read Dr. Pallen's book and learn the whole story, find it here: Amazon

Read more from Dr. Tom Dean through his writings in South Dakota Searchlight here: SD Searchlight