Beste Political Science podcasts (2025)

1
Human Rights in the Trump Era: A Conversation with Kenneth Roth 32:47

14h ago32:47

32:47

In this episode of International Horizons, Kenneth Roth, former longtime executive director of Human Rights Watch, joins RBI director John Torpey to discuss Roth’s recent book, Righting Wrongs: Three Decades on the Front Lines Battling Abuse of Governments (Knopf, 2025), which reflects on strategies for defending civil, political, economic, and soc…

1
Episode 5. Weak, Despotic, or Inclusive? How States Emerge from Elite vs. Society Battles 19:58

3d ago19:58

19:58

Ever wondered why some states become strong democracies, others oppressive regimes, or remain weak and fragmented? In this episode, we explore Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson's influential paper, "Weak, Despotic, or Inclusive? How State Type Emerges from State versus Civil Society Competition," unpacking the ongoing struggle between elites and…

1
Decentralization, Local Governance, and Inequality (S. 14, Ep. 10) 48:08

8d ago48:08

48:08

On this week's episode of the podcast, Kristen Kao and Ellen Lust of the University of Gothenburg join Marc Lynch to discuss their new book, Decentralization, Local Governance, and Inequality in the Middle East and North Africa. This book directs our attention toward the ways in which decentralization is “lived locally” by citizens of the MENA regi…

1
Madhavi Devasher, "Crossing Lines: Cross-Ethnic Coalitions in India and Prospects for Minority Representation" (Routledge, 2024) 42:07

1d ago42:07

42:07

Crossing Lines: Cross-Ethnic Coalitions in India and Prospects for Minority Representation (Routledge, 2024) explains why, how, and where ethnic political parties unexpectedly seek votes from non-coethnics and when voters support non-coethnic parties. It draws on case studies of three Indian states (Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan) and of Indian n…

1
Postscript: Not a Matter of Left or Right: Historians Fighting Censorship 43:28

3d ago43:28

43:28

The executive directors of the American Historical Association and Organization of American Historians join the podcast to talk about the effects of historical censorship, data shredding, meaningful public education – and what everyone can do to fight back. After being sworn in as the 47th president, Donald Trump issued a slew of executive orders. …

1
Episode 4. Does Modernization Lead to Democracy? 19:54

3d ago19:54

19:54

Ever wondered how economic development shapes democratic societies? In this episode, we explore Ronald Inglehart and Christian Welzel's groundbreaking paper, "Changing Mass Priorities: The Link between Modernization and Democracy," diving into the fascinating connection between economic growth, cultural shifts, and democratic governance. We break d…

1
Gerald J. Postema, "Law's Rule: The Nature, Value, and Viability of the Rule of Law" (Oxford UP, 2022) 1:01:54

4d ago1:01:54

1:01:54

Rule of law faces serious threats to its viability in many countries. It has become a recurring topic in the media and is affecting our daily lives. To understand better the meaning of rule of law, the stakes, and how governments and citizens can respond to today’s challenges, we must return to first principles. In Law’s Rule (Oxford U. Press, 2022…

1
Adam K. Webb, "The World's Constitution: Spheres of Liberty in the Future Global Order" (Routledge, 2025) 1:51:40

4d ago1:51:40

1:51:40

“One thing I would note about the Trumpian populists and their counterparts elsewhere in the West today is that they're a very peculiarly tribal kind of post conservative right. It's almost a kind of reassertion of paganism and tribal boundaries and grievance. That is very different from a more traditional kind of conservatism, where the texture of…

1
Episode 3. The Revival of Nationalism—What Drives It and What's Next? 19:45

4d ago19:45

19:45

Have you wondered why nationalism has returned as a powerful force shaping global politics? In this episode, we delve into Harris Mylonas and Maya Tudor's insightful paper, "Nationalism: What We Know and What We Still Need to Know," unpacking historical patterns, contemporary trends, and the future of nationalism. We simplify complex academic discu…

1
Episode 2. Who Wins and Who Loses in a Trade War? The US–China Case 23:28

4d ago23:28

23:28

Ever wondered how trade wars affect our economies? In this episode, we explore Pablo D. Fajgelbaum and Amit K. Khandelwal's compelling paper, "The Economic Impacts of the US–China Trade War," breaking down the real-world consequences of recent tariff battles. Did tariffs help or hurt consumers and producers in the US and China? What were the wider …

1
Episode 1. The Causes of Populism in the West 23:57

4d ago23:57

23:57

Ever wondered why populism is sweeping across Western democracies? In our very first episode, we dive into Sheri Berman's influential paper, "The Causes of Populism in the West," unpacking the critical factors behind the surge of populist politics in the United States, Europe, and beyond. We break down complex academic insights into lively, easy-to…

1
Vuk Vuksanovic, "Serbia’s Balancing Act: Between Russia and the West" (Bloomsbury, 2025) 43:58

5d ago43:58

43:58

Even before its rebirth as a nation in the 1990s, Serbia had acquired a reputation abroad as Russia’s stalwart Slavic ally in the Western Balkans. Yet, as Vuk Vuksanović argues in Serbia’s Balancing Act: Between Russia and the West (Bloomsbury, 2025), two centuries of history and the 25 years since the fall of Slobodan Milošević tell a more nuanced…

1
In Covid’s Wake: How our Politics Failed Us--A Conversation with Stephen Macedo (Part 2) 52:57

6d ago52:57

52:57

This week on Madison’s Notes, we continue our discussion with Stephen Macedo, co-author of In COVID’s Wake: How Our Politics Failed Us (Princeton UP, 2025). The book examines the institutional failures during the pandemic, including the politicization of science, inconsistent messaging, and the disproportionate impacts of policies. We cover key que…

1
Marilyn Nissim-Sabat and Neil Roberts, "Creolizing Hannah Arendt" (Rowman & Littlefield, 2024) 1:04:22

7d ago1:04:22

1:04:22

Marilyn Nissim-Sabat and Neil Roberts have edited a new collection of essays, Creolizing Hannah Arendt. This edited volume dives into Hannah Arendt’s thinking while also pushing the understanding and ways that Arendt has influenced political theory, philosophy, and politics. The idea of “creolizing,” especially philosophic or theoretical work, is t…

1
Rahul Rao, "The Psychic Lives of Statues: Reckoning with the Rubble of Empire" (Pluto Press, 2025) 1:00:48

8d ago1:00:48

1:00:48

From Cape Town to Bristol and Richmond, statues have become sites of resistance and contestation of our imperial past and postcolonial present. The Psychic Lives of Statues by Rahul Rao offers an insightful exploration of these global controversies, demonstrating that beneath their surface lie deeper struggles over race, caste, and the politics of …

1
Bryan Caplan, "Build, Baby, Build: The Science and Ethics of Housing" (Cato Institute, 2024) 43:07

9d ago43:07

43:07

Economist Bryan Caplan has written—and artist Ady Branzei has illustrated—this new graphic novel about housing regulation (if ‘novel’ can be applied to an imaginative essay on a nonfiction topic), Build Baby Build: The Science and Ethics of Housing Regulation (Cato Institute, 2024). The thesis of the work is that regulation has driven up the cost o…

1
Luca Trenta, "The President's Kill List: Assassination and Us Foreign Policy Since 1945" (Edinburgh UP, 2024) 1:03:17

10d ago1:03:17

1:03:17

Investigative reporter Bob Woodward once noted that assassination was the Scarlett letter of American politics because targeted killings challenge the image of the United States as a liberal democracy and the driving force behind a rules-based international order. In his new book, Luca Trenta documents how assassination and assassination attempts h…

1
Matthew Fuhrmann, "Influence without Arms: The New Logic of Nuclear Deterrence" (Cambridge UP, 2024) 1:00:10

11d ago1:00:10

1:00:10

How does nuclear technology influence international relations? While many books focus on countries armed with nuclear weapons, this volume puts the spotlight on those who have the technology to build nuclear bombs but choose not to. These weapons-capable countries, such as Brazil, Germany, and Japan, have what is known as nuclear latency, and they …

1
Martin Spychal, "Mapping the State: English Boundaries and the 1832 Reform Act" (U London Press, 2024) 52:10

12d ago52:10

52:10

The 1832 Reform Act was a landmark moment in the development of modern British politics. By overhauling the country’s ancient representative system, the legislation reshaped constitutional arrangements at Westminster, reinvigorated political relationships between the center and the provinces, and established the political structures and precedents …

1
Postscript: Donald Trump is Erasing History – What YOU Can Do about it 18:49

13d ago18:49

18:49

On January 20th, Donald Trump issued an executive order entitled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.” The order announced that “It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incont…

1
Postscript: How Trump’s Executive Order Contradicts Birthright Citizenship 41:39

14d ago41:39

41:39

Birthright citizenship is established in the first sentence of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution – yet Donald Trump’s recent Executive Order 14160 denies some types of birthright citizenship. The Order contradicts over a century of American law, legal practice, and constitutional interpretation. Three groups have opposed th…

1
In Covid’s Wake: How our Politics Failed Us: A Conversation with Frances Lee 45:57

15d ago45:57

45:57

In the first part of our two-part conversation on Madison’s Notes, we speak with Frances Lee, Professor of Politics and Public Affairs at Princeton University, about her co-authored book In COVID’s Wake (Princeton UP, 2025). The book offers a comprehensive and candid political assessment of how institutions performed during the pandemic. It explore…

1
"Steadfast Democrats" Five Years Later: A Conversation with Chryl N. Laird 1:04:26

17d ago1:04:26

1:04:26

Today I’m speaking with Chryl Laird, Associate Professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland College Park. We are discussing her co-authored book with Ismail White, Steadfast Democrats: How Social Forces Shape Black Political Behavior. Published in 2020, this book remains highly relevant for understanding American political beh…

1
Postscript: All talk and no action? How political scientists respond to racism and authoritarianism? 1:04:43

17d ago1:04:43

1:04:43

After the murder of George Floyd, the United States had the largest protests in the nation’s history. Other public and private responses included corporations, organizations, and communities making policies, issuing statements, and engaging in conversations. Some political science departments issued statements. My guests today are three political s…

1
Cotton, Central Asia and the New Great Game 46:02

17d ago46:02

46:02

On this episode, rural sociologist Dr. Irna Hofman explores how Tajikistan’s cotton fields illuminate shifting power dynamics in Central Asia, historically and in the present. She discusses how the Soviet Union once showcased cotton production to visiting delegations—particularly from Muslim-majority countries—as evidence of its development model. …

1
Abby Innes, "Late Soviet Britain: Why Materialist Utopias Fail" (Cambridge UP, 2023) 1:35:02

18d ago1:35:02

1:35:02

Why has the United Kingdom, historically one of the strongest democracies in the world, become so unstable? What changed? Late Soviet Britain: Why Materialist Utopias Fail (Cambridge UP, 2023) demonstrates that a major part of the answer lies in the transformation of its state. It shows how Britain championed radical economic liberalisation only to…

1
Coup Attempts and Democratic Resistance: Lessons from Brazil 37:59

19d ago37:59

37:59

As Brazil moves toward trying former president Jair Bolsonaro for plotting a coup against democracy, the United States grapples with constitutional challenges from the new administration as well. Are these two cases of democratic backsliding comparable? In this episode of International Horizons, John Torpey speaks with José Maurício Domingues, Prof…

1
Jørgen Møller and Jonathan Doucette, "The Catholic Church and European State Formation, AD 1000-1500" (Oxford UP, 2022) 51:22

19d ago51:22

51:22

Generations of social scientists and historians have argued that the escape from empire and consequent fragmentation of power - across and within polities - was a necessary condition for the European development of the modern territorial state, modern representative democracy, and modern levels of prosperity. The Catholic Church and European State …

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