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Nicholas Eberstadt

Nicholas Eberstadt holds the Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he researches and writes extensively on demographics and economic development generally, and more specifically on international security in the Korean peninsula and Asia. Domestically, he focuses on poverty and social well-being. Dr. Eberstadt is also a senior adviser to the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR).

Series

Madison’s Notes1 episodeThe Ricochet Podcast4 episodesWhat the Hell Is Going On2 episodes

Recent Episodes

What the Hell Is Going On
What the Hell Is Going On

WTH Are Americans Not Having Babies? Nicholas Eberstadt Explains.

America is on track to become a "net mortality society," where deaths outnumber births. As births plummet to almost 25% below replacement, the United States faces a future with a shrinking population, and the consequences extend far beyond the American family. Nicholas Eberstadt argues that falling birth rates reflect a deeper cultural shift away from marriage, family, and the institutions that have long sustained prosperous societies, raising difficult questions about economic growth, immigration, Social Security, and America's future. He examines the consequences of the men-without-work problem in the wake of the COVID pandemic, the role of AI in shaping immigrants’ job opportunities, and how socialism’s growing popularity in America affects the labor market. Combined with fertility rates collapsing across the developed world and loneliness reaching unprecedented levels, can America capitalize on our advantages in a way that China can't? Or are we bound to the same fate as other countries like Poland or Japan?
Hosts:
Danielle PletkaMarc Thiessen
Organization
American Enterprise Institute

June 2025

What the Hell Is Going On
What the Hell Is Going On

#WTH Is Going On With America’s Immigration Mess? Nicholas Eberstadt Explains.

The aftermath of Biden’s open border policies continues to haunt America as the consequences of mass illegal immigration continue to snowball. Changing attitudes towards net positive, productive legal migration reflect the sentiment stirred up by the surge in illegal immigration we experienced over the last four years. How does this affect workforce participation and address population decline? What role does the welfare state play? How are foreign adversaries using this mess as an opportunity to establish influence operations through universities, social media, and in foreign-born communities? Has something changed about the nature of illegal migrants to America? And where is an immigration reform bill in Congress to address these issues permanently? Nicholas Eberstadt is the Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute, where he researches demographics, economic development, and international security in the Korean peninsula and Asia. He is also a senior advisor to the National Bureau of Asian Research, a founding board member of the US Committee on Human Rights in North Korea, and has served as a consultant or adviser to the US Government and international organizations. His most recent book is the Post-Pandemic Edition of Men Without Work (Templeton, 2022). His demographic work on immigration focuses on societies facing population decline and the crucial role of skilled immigrants, both of which he addresses in his Working Paper, “America’s Immigration Mess: An Illustrated Guide.” Read the transcript here. Subscribe to our Substack here.
Hosts:
Danielle PletkaMarc Thiessen
Organization
American Enterprise Institute

March 2023

The Ricochet Podcast
The Ricochet Podcast

Destiny, Demos and Graphics

It's a trip around the world on this week's Ricochet Podcast. Our guide is AEI's Nick Eberstadt. He keeps up with all the little details that are often overlooked by prognosticating pundits. How do China's age distribution and Russia's health profile for young men hinder their ambitions? Are we in a position to sway India to the West? What other friend prospects are out there? He has answers to all the questions most of us have never thought to ask. And optimism, too! The guys also talk about the Dutch and their farms and the French and their grèves. Plus, just when you thought we could all agree that TikTok is the worst, our hosts find some finer points to quibble about.
Hosts:
James LileksPeter RobinsonRob Long
Organization
Ricochet

November 2022

Madison’s Notes
Madison’s Notes

Missing: Men at Work — A Conversation with Nick Eberstadt

Over six million prime-age men are neither working nor looking for work; America's low unemployment rate hides the fact that many men have dropped out of the workforce altogether. Our workforce participation rate is on par with that seen during the Great Depression. Why does this problem affect men so acutely? Why is it so specific to America? What are these missing men doing with their time? How do we differentiate between leisure and idleness? Demographer and economist Nicholas Eberstadt of the American Enterprise Institute discusses these trends and what they mean for America's future. Nicholas Eberstadt's biography and website: https://www.aei.org/profile/nicholas-eberstadt/ His recent book, Men Without Work: https://templetonpress.org/books/men-without-work-2/ His recent op-ed, "A Nation of Quitters": https://spectatorworld.com/topic/a-nation-of-quitters/
Host:
Annika Nordquist

September 2022

The Ricochet Podcast
The Ricochet Podcast

Faith in Princes, Faith in God

As promised our old friend David Limbaugh returns to the podcast to rant a bit and maybe pitch a few books on the side. We talk open borders and Martha's Vineyard and then cover his latest volume, The Resurrected Jesus: The Church in the New Testament, which he wrote with his daughter, Christen Limbaugh Bloom. We also welcome in American Enterprise Institute scholar Nicholas Eberstadt (fresh from his appearance on Uncommon Knowledge) about his new book Men Without Work: Post-Pandemic Edition. They also talk about pessimism and young people afraid of their own shadows.
Hosts:
James LileksPeter RobinsonRob Long
Organization
Ricochet

May 2018

March 2017

The Ricochet Podcast
The Ricochet Podcast

Recuse Me

Another busy week with plenty to talk about so we've enlisted one of the best talkers we know to sit in the Rob Long Chair® for this week's show: Commentary Magazine Editor (and GLoP podcast co-host) John Podhoretz. Our guest is Nicholas Eberstadt, who piece "Our Miserable 21st Century" in the latest issue of Commentary is a must read. Also, a critique of Trump's first State of The Union address from two former White House speechwriters, John opines about the latest rash of anti-Semitic incidents, and was La La Land robbed? A Ricochet Podcast investigation. Public service announcement: if you’re not a member of Ricochet and enjoy this podcast, be one of the 1,500 and join today. Music from this week’s podcast: Такого как Путин - One Like Putin (English version) The ALL NEW opening sequence for the Ricochet Podcast was composed and produced by James Lileks. Yes, you should absolutely subscribe to this podcast. It helps! And leave a review too! Спасибо, @EJHill.
Hosts:
James LileksJohn PodhoretzPeter Robinson
Organization
Ricochet