Jeff is joined by historian Tevi Troy to discuss an issue of both historical and current relevance: what happens when the interests of commercial and industrial giants clash with those of the president? Is there anything we can learn from past rifts between the likes of Rockefeller and Roosevelt, of Ford and Wilson, to help us understand the impact of Musk, Zuckerberg, and others on our current government? Why do the interests of government and industry diverge, or converge?

#potus #industry #musk #rockefeller

Can we find an honest president, or an honest presidential administration? By what standards do we identify “corruption” when it comes to the White House? Dr. John Robert Greene, author of “Little Helpers: Harry Vaughan, His Cronies, and Corruption in the Truman Administration,” joins Jeff to discuss the long and sordid history of presidential scandals and how Americans’ views on presidential behavior have changed over time.

Find Prof. Greene’s book here: https://a.co/d/j7kG6ao

How bad is our military recruiting crisis? Why are our armed services having sustained problems bringing in and retaining members? And what does this say about our strategic readiness, and what that means for our national security? Jeff is joined by Will Thibeau, former Army Ranger and defense policy authority to discuss this troubling, important issue.

Read “The Soldier and the State” – https://a.co/d/afvwsrY

Jeff is joined by presidential historian Dr. Vincent Cannato, of the University of Massachusetts-Boston to discuss the elections of 2024, with particular focus on the presidential election. What happened? Why? How? What might it all mean?

#trump2024 #harris2024 #elections2024results #elections2024

We often look at our divisive, shrill, and angry politics as somehow outside of some vague norm, or worse than at any time in our past. Go back to go forward as we look at the Election of 1800 and how two parties reduced themselves to name-calling and lies, and still agreed to the first peaceful exchange of power between opposing parties in history.

Read Jefferson’s First Inaugural: https://tinyurl.com/3ymdeh6d

Jeff and legal scholar Jonathan Turley discuss the importance of a free press in America, as well as the decline of legacy media and the simultaneous rise of the “citizen journalist.” What does all this portend for our republic and our efforts to be informed, rational citizens?

Read Jonathan’s recent book, “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage,”: https://a.co/d/2mnvYzd

It’s been 80 years since Allied forces under General Douglas MacArthur invaded and, eventually, liberated the Philippines. To discuss the pivotal event in WW2 and world history, Jeff is joined by historian Walter Borneman, author of several books on World War II, including the excellent MacArthur at War. Learn about how this invasion came about and how, in many ways, it reflected the complex character of MacArthur himself.

Read MacArthur at War: https://a.co/d/gQiVPr4

Temu – it offers lots of cheap goods, right? Did you bother reading the Terms of Service, and do you realize just how intrusive this app is when it comes to the rest of the data and personal information on your phone? Did you know that the Chinese government requires – by their law – Chinese companies to turn over user data upon request… and to lie about it when questioned? It’s not a stretch to say that Temu, TikTok, and many other Chinese platforms are intelligence and information-gathering tools that are being used to vacuum up vast amounts of private information about people from around the world. We’re joined this week by strategic and infrastructure intelligence expert Brian Cavanaugh, of American Global Strategies, to discuss this “trojan horse” many of you might have in your pocket right now.

Read Brian’s recent article: https://tinyurl.com/5578ht5b

What is civics education and why is it so important in America and for Americans? What are the elements of good – not partisan, no slanted – civic education? Jeff is joined by author and historian Dr. Wilfred McClay to discuss what makes civics among the most important topics we can teach our students, children, and fellow Americans – and why it’s far more important than it’s usually treated in schools today.

#wilfredmcclay #landofhope #civics #civiceducation #americansociety

What is a ‘regime,’ and what does America’s current “anti-discrimination regime” do and portend for individual liberty, limited government, and rule of law? Jeff discusses this thorny topic with scholar Thomas Powers, exploring the background of today’s regime, how it functions, and what it might mean for our future.

#civilrights #woke #antiracism #antidiscrimination

What do you know about the last massive airborne assault to take place in WW2? Market-Garden, beginning on 17 September 1944, involved more than three Allied airborne divisions in daytime drops in three separate areas, as well as thousands more troops and vehicles of the Allied XXX Corps. Depicted in the movie “A Bridge Too Far,” the assault sputtered and failed to achieve its objectives, and yet still played an important role in the development of the war in Western Europe after D-Day and the liberation of France.

What does the Constitution mean to an elected official? Or to the United States Attorney General? Why should we respect, and perhaps even revere, the United States Constitution, and can this 18th Century document still hold together a diverse, often fractious republic in the 21st Century?

#constitution #americanhistory

Jeff is joined by Drs. Chris Burkett and Rob Wyllie, professors of Political Science and Political Economy, respectively, in this recording of a special live episode of The American Idea. Is there a connection between free enterprise and national prosperity? What is free enterprise, anyway? What kind of economy did the Founders envision for America, and how would that shape Americans and our public life and politics? Consider these questions and others that sit at the foundation of America and our experiment in free association and self-government.

#freeenterprise #liberty #jefferson #hamilton #americanfounding

Jeff is joined by Henry Olsen, expert polls analysis from the Ethics & Public Policy Center, to discuss the state of the presidential election now that the dust has settled from the RNC and DNC conventions, and the nomination of VP Kamala Harris over President Biden.

Catch Henry’s podcast here: https://ricochet.com/series/beyond-the-polls-with-henry-olsen/

Jeff discusses leadership – the kind of American leadership that requires reasoning, setting of examples, and character – with two legendary football coaches in this special episode of The American Idea. Jim Tressel, longtime football coach of Ohio State University, and Lee Owens, former football coach at Ashland University, share their experiences in motivating players, building teams, and developing character in those around them.

#ohiostate #ashlandfootball #ashland #leadership #leadershipdevelopment

What’s the purpose of a party convention? Does anybody watch them, and are any decisions of substance made at them? Why did the Democrats avoid an ‘open convention’ this year, and what might have happened had they not? Jeff is joined by Professor Eric Sands to discuss the history, role, and evolution of party conventions in America, from attempts to democratize the electoral process to supposed impediments to it – all the way to today’s low-ratings PR event.

#elections #conventions #politicalparties #democrats #republicans #gop #2024elections

Are we running out of energy or not? Is the transition to “renewables” going to happen any time soon, and is it the best use of resources, capital, and labor? How do policy decisions impact the price, availability, and reliability of energy – and how does that impact our lives? Jeff discusses these thorny policy questions with Mark Mills, Director of the National Center for Energy Analytics and comes to some surprising, evidence-based answers.

#energy #policy #oil #bigoil #fracking #environment

Law professor and scholar Jonathan Turley joins Jeff this week to talk about the importance of free speech, and just how threatened it is on college campuses, online, and by our own federal government. Learn more about America’s eras of political rage and the challenges to free speech they present – and what each of us can do to protect this most essential right.

#freespeech #firstamendment #covid #censorship

Jeff is joined by legal scholar Josh Dunn to discuss the most recent decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court, including those overturning the Chevron Doctrine, addressing free speech online, separation of powers, and presidential immunity.

#ussc #supremecourt #chevrondoctrine #constitution

Join us for our special episode in response to the attempted assassination of (former) President Donald Trump on Saturday, 13 July 2024. Jeff discusses with Dr. John Moser the existence and impact of violence in American politics from the 19th Century onward, looking into attempted assassinations of Andrew Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan; and the actual murders of Abraham Lincoln, William McKinley, James Garfield, and John F. Kennedy. Where do these attacks come from? What animates the choice of bullets over ballots?

#trumpassassination #politicalviolence #july13th #trump #election2024 #election2024news